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Dental Escapades
Visiting the dentist has never been something i look forward too. But i think my love chocolates and ice creams has always landed me to a dentist even from my early years. Fortunately for the good care i took and also for some good genes i inherited most of it ended with a filling and none of my tooth are misaligned or badly formed. But there was one particular tooth which always caused me the most trouble and i had to do a root canal treatment to save the tooth. This was years ago probably i must have been in high school then. Three years ago i went to my dentist again and told her i can feel a sensitivity in the tooth which has had the root canal treatment. Dentist told me its strange because after the root canal the nerve endings are dead and i am not supposed to feel any sensitivity in those teeth. It was strange but it was there. Slowly i overlooked it and went on until last year when i could see a abscess above the tooth. Again i went to her and she overlooked at the trouble and gave me some antibiotics to treat it. When i asked what it was? i didnt get satisfactory reply. The abscess reduced in size but didn't go away. Strange thing was i never felt any pain or even sensitivity this time. I was busy with other things and really didn't notice this harmless little thing above my tooth barely even visible. It was not until early this year when i moved to US did this harmless little thing started giving me trouble. I started getting sharp sensitivities in the tooth next to it. At last i am left with no other go but to make an appointment with a local dentist. I was dreading the appointment, my husband too was dreading about it as dental treatments are infamous of being overly expensive in the States. My dentist took an X-Ray and immediately it was apparent that former root canal treatment has failed and i would need a re-treatment or removal of the tooth. She asked me if the former root-canal was done by a Endodontist. I was like Endo? What? She explained that an Endodontist specializes in only root canals. But back in my country a dentist is a dentist, they pluck, fill and even do a root canal. Usually its sufficient i visited only one doctor. I told her that i knew the doctor who treated me was some specialist but didn't know what exactly did she specialize in slightly embarrassed at my ignorance. I opted for re-treatment as removal of tooth was out of question as this is one of the tooth visible while i give my trademark smile. Now i was referred to an Endodontist if i opt root-canal, to an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon if i opt for removal and Prosthodontist for replacement of tooth after removal and back to my orthodontist dentist for cap replacement after root canal. Oops i just discovered there were so many specialists in dentistry today. Then began the hunt for the Endodontist. Now as we do in India we cannot just walk in or call for appointment. First thing that i have to find was whether this doctor i am about to go falls within the network of doctors that my insurance would provide coverage. Root canals can easily cost upto $2000 for the treatment and another $1000 to $2000 for the replacement cap. I had to make sure i get the right doctor who is within the coverage network of the insurance company. After getting the list from my insurance company and narrowing down the doctors close to home, it was time to give them a call for appointment. And i couldn't find any doctor available for a whole month or two. I was wondering what will be the state of my tooth by then, finally i got hold of an appointment with a doctor, though slightly at a distance from home. First i had an examination and then the doctor told me about my treatment plan. The day of the treatment finally arrived and i started just about the time it would be sufficient for me to arrive at exact time for my appointment. But that is also the day i realized why they say Atlanta traffic is one of the worst in the country. I got held up and i got a call from the doctor's office. I told them i will be there by 10 minutes and they told me they can wait only 10 minutes as the next appointment will get delayed if they wait any further. And the worst thing is that they will charge a fee also for that appointment and god knows when i can get another one. I was wondering how much they make us wait at the doctors office, at first in the reception area, then inside a examination room. But they would not wait for patients as their time was more valuable than ours? Not the time think about it, i finally managed to get there and the nurse hurried me to to the treatment room. This was the first dental treatment i was going to get in the US. I didn't know what to expect. I never had pleasant experience with any treatments in India, even the simple drilling done before filling a tooth leaves me uncomfortable. I was wondering how am i going to drive back alone to home. The doctor didn't say anything that i cannot drive, so i didn't bring anyone to accompany me. Then the doctor came and started the treatment. There was more effective numbing, i didn't even feel the numbing injection pierce. slight pricking sensation was all that i felt. then they sealed out the entire treatment area so that no saliva can enter it and the treatment started. Throughout the treatment the doctor was giving me step by step procedures that he was performing. It felt like he is reading out from a textbook. I was really not listening to him and i was going on chanting Narayana Narayana (prayers) in my mind trying to distract myself from any pain i was about to experience. The entire procedure was completed in half-an-hour and when the doctor told its over i couldn't believe it. I survived it after all and felt very comfortable throughout the treatment. Its not that my pain tolerance has gone up after having a baby, its just that their pain numbing drugs did their trick so effectively. I was free to go home and come back a month later for one more sitting. The entire root canal was over in just one sitting and i was asked to come back only because he felt the infection was big enough that i would need two sittings to treat it completely. I was not complaining as usually back home it would take two to three sittings just for the treatment. And moreover the doctor found two canal to the root and with my former treatment only treated one, which could have been the cause for that to fail and causing infection in the tooth. I was extremely pleased with the treatment and could drive back home, though i felt slight pain once the anesthesia wore off, i could survive with pain medication and the next treatment went on even more smoothly than i expected. This time no pain at all after treatment. Now i need not go back to the Endodontist, just my regular dentist for the replacement of the cap. I really don't know why my previous treatment failed. But so far contrary to reviews i got on getting dental treatments in US this has been the best experience. Though expensive insurance covers most of it and quality of treatment too is impressive.
Visiting the dentist has never been something i look forward too. But i think my love chocolates and ice creams has always landed me to a dentist even from my early years. Fortunately for the good care i took and also for some good genes i inherited most of it ended with a filling and none of my tooth are misaligned or badly formed. But there was one particular tooth which always caused me the most trouble and i had to do a root canal treatment to save the tooth. This was years ago probably i must have been in high school then. Three years ago i went to my dentist again and told her i can feel a sensitivity in the tooth which has had the root canal treatment. Dentist told me its strange because after the root canal the nerve endings are dead and i am not supposed to feel any sensitivity in those teeth. It was strange but it was there. Slowly i overlooked it and went on until last year when i could see a abscess above the tooth. Again i went to her and she overlooked at the trouble and gave me some antibiotics to treat it. When i asked what it was? i didnt get satisfactory reply. The abscess reduced in size but didn't go away. Strange thing was i never felt any pain or even sensitivity this time. I was busy with other things and really didn't notice this harmless little thing above my tooth barely even visible. It was not until early this year when i moved to US did this harmless little thing started giving me trouble. I started getting sharp sensitivities in the tooth next to it. At last i am left with no other go but to make an appointment with a local dentist. I was dreading the appointment, my husband too was dreading about it as dental treatments are infamous of being overly expensive in the States. My dentist took an X-Ray and immediately it was apparent that former root canal treatment has failed and i would need a re-treatment or removal of the tooth. She asked me if the former root-canal was done by a Endodontist. I was like Endo? What? She explained that an Endodontist specializes in only root canals. But back in my country a dentist is a dentist, they pluck, fill and even do a root canal. Usually its sufficient i visited only one doctor. I told her that i knew the doctor who treated me was some specialist but didn't know what exactly did she specialize in slightly embarrassed at my ignorance. I opted for re-treatment as removal of tooth was out of question as this is one of the tooth visible while i give my trademark smile. Now i was referred to an Endodontist if i opt root-canal, to an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon if i opt for removal and Prosthodontist for replacement of tooth after removal and back to my orthodontist dentist for cap replacement after root canal. Oops i just discovered there were so many specialists in dentistry today. Then began the hunt for the Endodontist. Now as we do in India we cannot just walk in or call for appointment. First thing that i have to find was whether this doctor i am about to go falls within the network of doctors that my insurance would provide coverage. Root canals can easily cost upto $2000 for the treatment and another $1000 to $2000 for the replacement cap. I had to make sure i get the right doctor who is within the coverage network of the insurance company. After getting the list from my insurance company and narrowing down the doctors close to home, it was time to give them a call for appointment. And i couldn't find any doctor available for a whole month or two. I was wondering what will be the state of my tooth by then, finally i got hold of an appointment with a doctor, though slightly at a distance from home. First i had an examination and then the doctor told me about my treatment plan. The day of the treatment finally arrived and i started just about the time it would be sufficient for me to arrive at exact time for my appointment. But that is also the day i realized why they say Atlanta traffic is one of the worst in the country. I got held up and i got a call from the doctor's office. I told them i will be there by 10 minutes and they told me they can wait only 10 minutes as the next appointment will get delayed if they wait any further. And the worst thing is that they will charge a fee also for that appointment and god knows when i can get another one. I was wondering how much they make us wait at the doctors office, at first in the reception area, then inside a examination room. But they would not wait for patients as their time was more valuable than ours? Not the time think about it, i finally managed to get there and the nurse hurried me to to the treatment room. This was the first dental treatment i was going to get in the US. I didn't know what to expect. I never had pleasant experience with any treatments in India, even the simple drilling done before filling a tooth leaves me uncomfortable. I was wondering how am i going to drive back alone to home. The doctor didn't say anything that i cannot drive, so i didn't bring anyone to accompany me. Then the doctor came and started the treatment. There was more effective numbing, i didn't even feel the numbing injection pierce. slight pricking sensation was all that i felt. then they sealed out the entire treatment area so that no saliva can enter it and the treatment started. Throughout the treatment the doctor was giving me step by step procedures that he was performing. It felt like he is reading out from a textbook. I was really not listening to him and i was going on chanting Narayana Narayana (prayers) in my mind trying to distract myself from any pain i was about to experience. The entire procedure was completed in half-an-hour and when the doctor told its over i couldn't believe it. I survived it after all and felt very comfortable throughout the treatment. Its not that my pain tolerance has gone up after having a baby, its just that their pain numbing drugs did their trick so effectively. I was free to go home and come back a month later for one more sitting. The entire root canal was over in just one sitting and i was asked to come back only because he felt the infection was big enough that i would need two sittings to treat it completely. I was not complaining as usually back home it would take two to three sittings just for the treatment. And moreover the doctor found two canal to the root and with my former treatment only treated one, which could have been the cause for that to fail and causing infection in the tooth. I was extremely pleased with the treatment and could drive back home, though i felt slight pain once the anesthesia wore off, i could survive with pain medication and the next treatment went on even more smoothly than i expected. This time no pain at all after treatment. Now i need not go back to the Endodontist, just my regular dentist for the replacement of the cap. I really don't know why my previous treatment failed. But so far contrary to reviews i got on getting dental treatments in US this has been the best experience. Though expensive insurance covers most of it and quality of treatment too is impressive.
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