Where's the tooth fairy when I need her?

I just got back from the dentist's office. At my routine cleaning a few weeks ago, we spotted an abscess at the root of one tooth. Dr. DDS was on vacation, so the support staff set aside the notes and records for him. Now that Dr. DDS is back in the office, he reviewed the X-Rays and photos and called me for a consultation.

Next step: endodontist. The tooth that has an abscess has already been treated - root canal, crown. There are two possibilities: either there is another root that needs to be sealed, or there is a fracture somewhere in the tooth or root structure. If it's the first, they'll seal it. If it's the second, they'll pull the tooth.
If the tooth has to be pulled, there will be two options: implant or bridge.
So at this point, I'll wait for the appointment with the endodontist.


The strangest thing about the situation is this: I feel mild discomfort, but no major pain. Here's the history, perhaps. I called our family doc in late April for treatment of my Annual Spring Sinus Infection. The pain was worse than usual, and it took two rounds with antibiotics to get it treated. The antibiotics probably also took care of any infection in the tooth. Who knows? The tooth may have been the reason for the additional pain in the same area as the sinus infection.

In the meantime, I'm thinking these crazy thoughts that teachers think at this time of year. How soon will I know which problem is the problem? Can I get the treatment done now? I don't want to wait until the end of August when I'm setting up my classroom and getting ready for the new year to start. And if it needs to be pulled, what next? Do I need antibiotics now, or wait until it's sealed/pulled?

Too many questions without answers. I think I'll make coffee. And wonder what the going rate is for a grown-up's fractured, root-canal treated tooth on the Tooth Fairy market.

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