I’m not the best at getting to the dentist. It’s a combination of not having money and not having courage. I’ve been dealing with a cracked wisdom tooth. Pieces have been coming off. I think the pulp is disappearing, but I”m not sure. The tooth is sensitive. Can I just leave this and it will just fall out at some point or am I going to be forced to go to the dentist at some point because of it?
Eddie
Dear Eddie,
I’m have sympathy for what you’re going through. It’s hard enough dealing with a toothache when you’re not also worried about finances and dental anxiety. I wish I had more information on this. For instance,ย you said it was sensitive. But, there are different types of sensitivity with teeth that would require different approaches.
If it is only sensitive when you bite, then it is likely that your pulp is dead and infected. If it is sensitive to hot and cold, then the pulp is still viable. A decaying wisdom tooth will eventually decay all the way and fall out. The concern is that if it is also infected, the infection will get into the bone and become a dental emergency. That gives you less control over getting it treated.
If the bigger concern is finances, there are dental charities that will extract teeth without charging you. But, you’ve also got the added issue of your dental anxiety. There are sedation dentists who can give you a medication which will help with the anxiety, but that will cost money.
My suggestion would be to wait and see if this resolves itself. If the tooth broke away where it was open, there is less danger in an infection spreading. However, if you start to see any swelling, then you will really need to see a dentist. You don’t want an infection to spread.
If this were any other tooth than a wisdom tooth, my advice would be different. You’d want to do everything possible to save the tooth. If you couldn’t, and it did need to be extracted, then you would need to replace the tooth.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Kalamazoo, Dr. Susan Dennis.