Posts by Megan Miller34

ironseal said:Hey everyone,

Back about four months ago, I went in for a dental checkup. They did an X-ray and found some issues with my upper second molar that mean it’s gotta come out. That tooth actually cracked a few years back, so most of it isn't even visible anymore. About ten days ago, I noticed this bump on my upper gum, right above where that molar is. I went back to the dentist—he felt around, put me on some Clindamycin, and scheduled the extraction for seven days from then. I’ve finished the antibiotics already, but the bump hasn't budged—I'm getting the tooth pulled the day after tomorrow. It feels exactly the same as before the meds: hard, smooth, and about the same width as the tooth itself. You can feel it under the gum, but there’s no discoloration or anything on the surface. It’s rock hard, like bone, doesn't move, and doesn't hurt at all. Any idea what this could be?

I'm no expert here, but that sounds like a granuloma... basically a little pocket of bacteria, kind of like a scab trying to keep the infection from spreading into your bloodstream.
In my opinion, that should come right out along with the tooth when they pull it—just keep an eye on the tooth once it's out; you should see something like a little yellow "sac" at the tip of the root.
If I'm totally off base, please set me straight.

Laura Miller38 said:So, for years now, I’ve had this little fleshy bump—kind of like a tiny skin tag—growing right next to my tooth on the gum line. It varies a bit in size sometimes, thicker or thinner, but it’s always been flesh-colored and never really bled or hurt. It just sat there. Well, today I noticed some sensitivity (I think I was unconsciously poking at it with my tongue), and after lunch, it’s just... gone! It looks like it broke off and I actually swallowed it? Is that even possible? And more importantly, is it dangerous?

There’s no bleeding and nothing else feels weird right now—just pure panic because I don't know what to expect. This thing has been part of me for years; it felt like just a little extra bit of tissue, and I honestly thought the only way to deal with it would be a quick surgical removal. Now I’m kicking myself for not checking the mirror before lunch—I'm terrified that I actually ate it!

Has anyone dealt with this? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

I had a similar experience when I was a kid. My teeth feel perfectly fine in their spots, but I just notice there's less gum tissue in that specific area now. Honestly, I don't think it's a huge deal as long as you stay super diligent with brushing and flossing that specific spot.

hollowlynx6 said:Thanks for the heads-up. Honestly, I’m at a loss—not really sure who to even reach out to about this. :/
Your previous question actually answered your own, I guess. I am beyond unhappy with my current orthodontist—like, I’d give anything to just switch to someone else. I’ve already sought opinions from four different specialists, and the most frustrating part—the thing that really gets under my skin—is how everyone treats patients who are already mid-treatment like we’re some kind of liability. They just run the other way.
I get that it’s a headache to take over someone else's ongoing work, but it’s still pretty depressing. Here I am, an extremely dissatisfied patient, feeling basically stuck with a doctor I don't trust because I feel like I have no other options.
It’s honestly taking a toll on my mental health. I end up crying every time I get home from an appointment because I leave with so many unanswered questions—and trying to actually communicate with her is like hitting a brick wall, no matter how hard I try. So... yeah. If by some miracle anyone knows an orthodontist anywhere in the country who isn't afraid to take on a patient already in treatment, please let me know.

Since nobody wants to pick up where someone else left off... you’ll probably have to get the braces off and start fresh with a new set. I was actually thinking about trying out one orthodontist who seems really promising. I'll shoot you a DM via the Democratic Party

hollowlynx6 said:I couldn't find anyone else talking about this specific issue, so apologies to the mods if I'm repeating something already posted somewhere else.

So, here’s the deal—about 15 years ago, I lost my lower seven. For the last two years, I've been wearing braces, but my lower midline is shifted to the left. My orthodontist thought she could nudge it back toward the right into the space where the seven used to be, but every time we tried, the six would just shift out of alignment again. The culprit? A narrow bone structure between the six and the eight.

Basically, there isn't a fix. She told me she can't fully correct my bite because that narrow bone won't let those lower teeth move right.

What I'm wondering is—is bone grafting an option in that area? Does "narrow bone" actually mean there isn't enough physical mass there to work with?
It feels a bit frustrating—honestly, almost unacceptable—that with all the medical tech we have today, a "narrow bone" is a dead end.

I've been stuck in braces for two years now, and since I've invested so much time, I really want to see this through and get my bite perfectly aligned.

Thanks!

That should probably be doable—they can use synthetic bone grafts or even take from another part of your own body... I think recovery takes about 6 months, but I'm not 100% sure.
If you don't mind me asking, who is your orthodontist and how do you feel about their work? Also, would you mind sharing a PM? 🙏🏼

Arthur Flores2 said:So, I managed to pop my filling out—completely by accident. I was chewing on a Mentos mint and it got stuck to my tooth, so I tried to pick it loose with my fingernail... and *pop*, there it goes. Honestly, no pain or anything beforehand, just a sudden vacancy where my filling used to be.

So, I was at the dentist the other day—right in the middle of getting some work done—and things got a little weird. While she was working near the gum line, I felt this sharp, poking sensation right in the tissue above my tooth. It caught me totally off guard—I’ve been to plenty of clinics around town and I've never felt anything quite like that before. Just a sudden, strange little sting out of nowhere.

So, I just got this new filling, and my dentist immediately pulls up a photo of this bloody blister right next to the tooth she just fixed. Then—get this—she sends me off for an X-ray on a completely different tooth because of that blister. She’s talking about potentially swollen nerves and says we need the imaging to figure out if there's more work to be done... basically hinting that I might end up needing a root canal. Just one thing after another, really.

I just realized something was digging into my skin earlier—and now it’s actually starting to ache a bit. It got me thinking: is there some kind of shady setup where they intentionally cause a little injury just to create a problem for us? You know, like manufacturing a crisis just so they can charge us later to fix it?
Just so everyone knows—I went to a private specialist for this one.

.

Go ahead and take a picture—she couldn't get that little blister to heal, but honestly? That's on the bacteria that reached the nerve. Think of that blister as the body’s own little shield—kind of like a scab, really—trying to protect itself from the infection.
Look, if that decay shows up clearly on your X-ray—and I mean really stands out—you’re probably looking at a root canal. It's just how it goes.

Hey everyone,

We all know the drill—if there’s an issue at the very tip of the root, you usually have to start with endodontics. You know, those tiny files they use. But here’s what I don't get: if we think of that bone infection or granuloma as a sort of "scab" trying to protect the area, how does it just magically vanish with those little needles? It feels like there should be some leftover residue or something left behind—I mean, even when you burn something, you're left with ash, right? Those files aren't magic wands; they can't just make a whole mass of tissue disappear into thin air. Why isn't it more common to just do both—an endo and an apico together? Like, why not just remove the root tip along with that "scab" and then refill the canals during the revision? If someone were going to do that, which part would you tackle first?
The way I see it, doing just the endo feels like leaving a piece of the problem stuck inside with nowhere to go. Does anyone care to clear this up for me? Since I'm looking at a revision, doing both seems like the only logical move to me. So, what's the order of operations there? Has anyone actually gone through this combo? I'd love to hear about your results.
And honestly, why is everyone so terrified of an apico? To me, getting a tooth pulled is way scarier than an apico procedure. 🤔

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences! 🙏🙂

Ashley Johnson46 said:If I were in your shoes, I’d go ahead and grab that passing grade. Honestly, looking at the long game—it feels like you'll just be creating headaches for yourself later if you don't.

Now, whether it's an implant or pulling a wisdom tooth... man, I really don't know. You should definitely dig around for more opinions—maybe get a second look from a specialist—so they can walk you through how implants actually work and what the risks are.

Thanks so much! 😊👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Melissa Sanchez8 said:You can always try Option 3 first.
Option 2 feels a bit extreme to me—pulling a wisdom tooth just because? It seems like such a waste to lose a perfectly healthy tooth. I’ve been to a few dentists here in the States who would go out of their way to save whatever they could; they really hate touching healthy teeth when there are actual issues to fix elsewhere.
Is there any way to just get an implant for the #6 molar and leave the wisdom tooth alone?
An implant is definitely invasive, sure, but it gets the job done. How much digging have you actually done into that yet?

There’s just zero room down there for both the wisdom tooth and the #6 (assuming I can fix/implant it). Plus, my bite is all messed up—I need to shift everything over to that side—so something is definitely going to have to come out since the implant and the wisdom tooth won't fit together. 🕺
I looked into implants, and honestly, the whole thing just feels super intense—and I worry about potential complications, so I'm still on the fence...
Though, strictly speaking for bone preservation, an implant would be the best move to keep things stable—which means the wisdom tooth probably has to go... 😬

So, there are basically three ways to handle this and I’m honestly torn—except for the first option (letting the lion loose while it sleeps), which is absolutely off the table...
As for the other two, sticking with my current setup feels a bit too invasive—I'd be losing a healthy molar and that endodontic post just to get an implant, even if that might actually be the best move for my bone density in the long run.
But since I’m getting older, shifting the second molar and the wisdom tooth would be such a massive headache—though man, I am genuinely heartbroken about losing that wisdom tooth.

And that upper left premolar? The one I lost way back in elementary school? You can't even tell it's gone because the second molar and the wisdom tooth have perfectly filled the gap—not that any of the orthodontists I've seen suggested putting an implant there...

I need to make a call within the next month, so the clock is ticking and I’m still stuck trying to figure out what the smartest move actually is...

Melissa Sanchez8 said:So, an implant isn't even on the table for the future?
If I were you, I’d be way more worried about those bacteria hiding under the #6 right now. From what I've seen, leaving teeth like that is asking for an abscess—or worse, having the infection spread deep into your jaw. Seriously, get a second opinion and really weigh the risks versus the benefits of just leaving that tooth alone.

Thanks for the feedback!
The whole idea of getting an implant sounds pretty terrifying to me—I mentioned that above...
Plus, I'm thinking about how I'll lose more teeth as I get older, and how that one implant will affect my ability to fix the rest of my smile later on.
And yeah, I am scared... honestly, I feel like I need to get it pulled anyway. After my first treatment, I spent like three or four months basically walking around with an open tooth. Even if my endodontist fixes it now, I have a feeling it won't be a long-term solution... (though I did read somewhere that if they fix it right, it can stay put for years?) So now I'm just totally lost on what the smart move is...
That's why I'm asking about the wisdom tooth—it feels like a lifeline, but I know it's not a perfect substitute for a premolar. I can tell because I'm already losing bone density. It's subtle, but since I had my upper left premolar pulled, things look different compared to the upper right where everything is perfectly aligned—you can actually see the difference in my face shape...

Ashley Johnson46 said:Basically—it’s not a great swap. That molar is a huge part of your bite, but since they're already gone, what's done is done. You really need to sit down with an orthodontist; nobody can give you a straight answer until then.

The number of canals depends on how many roots there are—which, honestly, is pretty random with wisdom teeth and molars. You won't know for sure until you get some X-rays...

Have you actually seen an orthodontist yet to see what the options are for straightening things out?

Ugh, yeah, I should have realized that myself...

So, looking at my bottom jaw, I'm missing the molar on the right, but everything is still there on the left. You can totally see the difference in my jawline and face shape—the left side looks way better because everything is still where it belongs. It might not be super obvious to everyone, but I definitely notice it...

Then looking UP, everything is fine on the right, so my cheek looks fuller there compared to the left side where that molar is missing (even though my next tooth and my wisdom tooth have closed the gap completely and you can't see the hole)

Ugh, I'm literally crying over those two molars (and maybe a third one soon, too)

And yes, I've been to several different orthodontists already...
First off, I had one failed orthodontic treatment (that specific doctor was a nightmare—lots of bad reviews, keeps making the same mistakes, so I just gave up on them)
And from the others, I've gotten all sorts of conflicting advice:
1. One suggested leaving the molar with the root issue alone—basically "let sleeping dogs lie"—but I've already booked a follow-up with a top-tier endodontist to see if he can save it. If he can't fix it, it's coming out.
2. Another wanted to pull the molar and the wisdom tooth and just go straight for an implant on the 6 spot.
3. A third thought we could try using the wisdom tooth and the next one over to close the space...

That's why I'm asking for advice—I've heard so many different versions of how to fix this. I actually liked the idea of closing the gap with the other teeth, mostly because the thought of having metal screwed into my jaw terrifies me. It sounds so intense, and I'm also worried about what happens if I lose more teeth as I get older—how am I supposed to replace them all if I'm already using implants?
But then again, I feel bad about losing that wisdom tooth growing in on the bottom left because it's perfectly healthy—I just don't know!
It's all because back when I was a kid, I only brushed my front teeth—which look great, by the way—but then the back teeth ended up being a total disaster. 🤦

Hey everyone,
So, here’s my situation—back when I was a kid, I lost my upper left 6. Since then, the space has completely closed up because my wisdom tooth moved in—so now my upper left is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 (all healthy and tight).
On the upper right, everything is perfect—1 through 8 are all there and healthy.
I also lost my lower right 6 as a kid. My wisdom tooth came in, but it didn't quite fill the gap between the 5 and the 7—the 7 tilted quite a bit, and the wisdom tooth eventually grew in and fused up against that tilted 7. So, my lower right is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 (healthy, but there's still a gap between the 5 and the 7).
Right now, I’m dealing with root canal work on my lower left 6. Honestly, I’m torn on whether to just pull it. A perfectly healthy wisdom tooth is starting to come in, and this 6 is basically a wreck—it’s already had one root canal and is essentially a dead tooth. It doesn't hurt, but my X-ray shows there's still bacteria deep in the tissue. I'm wondering if I should just extract this beat-up 6 (even if I finish the treatment) and try using braces to slide the 7 into the 6's spot, and then the 8 into the 7's spot—on both sides. It feels wrong to pull a perfectly good wisdom tooth just to save a 6 that's been patched up so many times...
My big question is—is a wisdom tooth actually a good enough substitute for a 6 (or a 7) when it comes to jawbone density (both top and bottom)? I know a 6 usually has three canals, but how many does a wisdom tooth have?
It seems like a massive difference since you don't always need a surgeon for a wisdom tooth, but you definitely do for a 6. Anyway, I’d love to hear any experiences or advice you guys have (feel free to DM me too).🙏

Nicole Myers said:I actually think replying quickly is a total virtue—honestly, I don't see the issue. You knock out one task, and boom, it’s off your plate for good.

If you’re really hell-bent on procrastinating your replies, then stop staring at your phone constantly. Just leave it at home—or, you know, set a schedule where you check it maybe three times a day and get through them all at once.
And if this is just about one specific person driving you crazy? Just mute their notifications.

👍