For the last few months I’ve been noticing that I have one particular molar (top left) that was feeling quite jagged, and kept getting food stuck in it. I had those dental sealants put on my teeth as a teen, so figured it had finally worn off, but no biggie.
Well, today I was chewing gum, and felt and heard a crack, and part of my tooth is at a weird angle now. It’s been about 6 hours, and the gums are swollen around the tooth and my bite is off. I have a little discomfort when I bite down, but I wouldn’t call it “pain”. My jaw is feeling quite tense and tight, and I have a terribly annoying night time tooth grinding problem that could possibly aggravate it to becoming painful.
I don’t have a dentist, because I’m frugal (or cheap?) and I usually just get my x-rays and cleanings done by student dental hygienists at the university for about $40 once a year. So… I went to my trusty freecycle cafe discussion group and looked up dentist recommendations. I found one that is less than 5 minutes from my work, and is recommended as being gentle, good with kids and most importantly, is taking new patients. All good. I have dental benefits at work, so the cost will be minimal, but the earliest they can get me in is May 6th. *sigh*
So… with a pending dental appointment, I’ve been wondering which “treatments” are more or less natural. Is there such a thing as natural or holistic dental care? Holistic dentistry is something I haven’t looked into much, but after doing a few basic google searches (holistic dental care, natural dental care) I learned a bit.
I also googled “cracked tooth” and was quite alarmed to find this information about treating a cracked tooth. A root canal and crown are recommended. I have only ever had a couple very surface fillings in my life, and I can’t say I’m jumping up and down at the prospect of joining the “people who have had extensive and painful dental work” club. No siree, Bob!
What to do… What to do…
Since I don’t want to think about painful dental procedures any longer, I will distract myself by remembering that I switched to a more natural toothpaste a long time ago, and will pause to give myself a pat on the back.
Fortunately I don’t have any silver amalgam (mercury) fillings, so I don’t need to worry about having them removed, but if you do have any, I would recommend researching the risks, and act on it sooner than later.
If you’re looking for a resource to start doing your own study on the topic, check out this holistic dental care info. I found it most interesting.
