Actually I went to the dentist yesterday and the endodontist today.
I had a 35 year old filling fail and a hole in a tooth that went all the way to the nerve. That was a couple of months ago. Over the last week I've been eating ibuprofen and acetaminophen like candy so it was time to get it looked at.
This is my first dentist trip in over 20 years. As a general rule I have pretty good teeth. Even the oral hygienist was impressed. Unfortunately the dentist couldn't help. Apparently it was too complicated for him so to the endodontist we went this morning.
While I was waiting on the Doc to show up and do his thing, this little guy wandered into my room. He's a 10 week old something doodle. Cute pup with needle teeth.
We played until he got tired and he promptly fell asleep on my legs.
He stayed there through the entire procedure until it was time for a set of x-rays to make sure everything was were it was supposed to be. The office is training him as a office dog to help patients with anxiety. A brilliant idea if you ask me. He sure did make the time pass quickly.
For the interested, I shot these pictures too.
Left tooth. The big shadow is the hole where the filling was. The thin shadows are the channels where the nerves are.
A root canal removes all the nerves and replaces them with a plug. Then they put a temporary filling in the top of the tooth. I'll have to go get a cap put on this tooth in the near future.
Oh, and good news. It hurts less now than it did last night at this time. Hopefully I can sleep the entire night rather than waking up with a throbbing jaw a couple of times.
Had to have a root canal done 3 years ago. 2 years later the tooth that had the root canal broke off at the gum line. While having the rest of the tooth removed they started the process for an implant. 6 months later I now have a replacement permanent tooth in its place. Then a tooth on the other side that had a big filling and has been very sensitive broke. Didn't hurt but only about 2/3 of the tooth was present. Dentist formed a temporary piece to make the tooth whole again and it is no longer sensitive. Go in later this month for crown prep.
Every office needs an office dog. Great idea.
Everyone makes a big stink about root canals, but they’re not bad. Just more time in the chair over a normal filling. No pain from that tooth ever again, totally worth it to me.
"So I went to the dentist and a doodle showed up" is not where I expected this to go. 
"Take the Doodle, Leave the root canalli"
Glad I'm not the only one whose dentist found a failed filling this week.
A comfort animal in a place that no one finds comfortable. That is awesome!
I survived 35 years on this Earth before I had a root canal. It was easy peasy compared to the BSSO surgery I had when I was 32.
Google that one for some awesome pics 
Next up, crown and build up. Bread n butter for me....
docwyte said:
Next up, crown and build up. Bread n butter for me....
Yep. In a couple of weeks I'll give the dentist a shout and get it crowned. None of this was exactly cheap. I guess they are making up for not seeing me for 20 years. 
Knowing me, it will be another 20 before I go back.
That's why this happened. You need to go every 6 months, then stuff like this gets caught early and is a small, simple, inexpensive filling.
docwyte said:
That's why this happened. You need to go every 6 months, then stuff like this gets caught early and is a small, simple, inexpensive filling.
Preventative maintenance, what a crazy notion.
Some treat their cars better than their own teeth.
In reply to docwyte :
Probably. I still won't go. My father's has made it to 80 with almost zero dental work. Good teeth run in the family. After 20 year I have zero cavities and the only other 30+ yo filling I have still looked perfect. They wanted to discuss changing it because it wasn't tooth colored. 
Maybe I can make another 20 years.
Go home and sit on the porch and watch the sun rise there on Goose Creek SC...... and maybe think about gettin' one of them there tooth doodle poodles to help the day move on.... 
759NRNG said:
Go home and sit on the porch and watch the sun rise there on Goose Creek SC...... and maybe think about gettin' one of them there tooth doodle poodles to help the day move on....
I feel there may have been some alcohol involved in this post. I'm not sure though.
