ABOUT fifteen x-rays ......

I am extremely fastidious about not over-radiating folks ..... I hav
checked the literature and have calculated how much radiation i
extant.

As of today, there is no problem. What may be discovered in the future
who knows?

Joel

PS~ Modern x-ray generators are way low compared to older systems, an
compared to medical exposure ...

--
Joel34

Well I know for a fact the tooth is abcessed I can feel it. It is
swollen on one side. They gave me antibiotic. The other factors are
that I have schizoaffective disorder which is a cross between
manic-depression and schizophrenia (some psychiatrists say it IS
schizophrenia). This makes it hard for me to take care of myself when
I'm symptomatic which is often. It also causes errors in thinking. I
realize now that my medication gives me dry mouth. I had thought I had
motivation problems and 'couldn't get a glass of water when I needed
it'. However the reason I needed it, which I didn't realize, was that
my mouth was dry, I wasn't thirsty. Also I think I have an acid reflux
problem which I was trying to treat with antiacids, however I ran out
and I have problems going to the store because it's overstimulating
and I get paranoid. And third, I don't think I get enough citrus so I
think I'm suffering from some kind of scurvy. Also I don't brush as
much as I should because I forget and can't establish a regular
routine and I don't floss. It all kind of gets back to the
schizoaffective disorder, motivation problems and having a hard time
taking care of myself, keeping track of things, and the medication (I
now realize) causing dry mouth. Plus problems of concentration,
thought, and putting two and two together. I didn't notice that my
gums were receding badly. I know they measured all around, the length
of the tooth in millimeters, and I think the final number was in the
30's. I hope this gives you a clearer picture of the situation. They
also took a lot of pictures for Medi-Cal  (Denti-Cal) so the deep
cleaning could be authorized.

I guess I'm a concerned about how bad it's gotten. I've been sitting
here living in my head, hiding, frequently listening to my voices,
while my teeth rot. I'm afraid they're going to pull them all or
something if they figure I'm a 'lost cause' in the tooth department in
terms of the gum situation.

I am also concerned about my heart (I have a history of heart disease
in my mom's side of the family and they said my blood pressure was a
little high, sometimes I lose my breath for no reason though this
could be related to anxiety, I don't know) giving out while they're
performing these complicated procedures. Can they knock me out with
nitrous oxide or do they use that anymore? I will talk to them about
this.

I guess I'm just scared, given Western Dental's online reputation, and
the fact they have me sign a malpractice waiver saying I can't 'sue
them in court' if anything goes wrong... but I feel I have no choice
but to go there and have noticed there really haven't been many
complaints in the last 5 years so I wonder if I can trust them.

-=-Phin

Hey Phin!

Here is standard of care:

1. ADDRESS emergency (pain management) issues.

2. Evaluate entire mouth.

3. Go from there.

If you need one tooth yanked, or if you need root canal therapy, cal
around. Get a dentist to handle #1 above tomorrow!

Joe

--
Joel34