Biting The Dentist

On Skin Cell Forum I have a thread called Biting The Dentist. Sort of an indictment of a dentist. I don't do links much but if you want the backstory go to
http://www.skincell.org/community/index.php/topic,21164.0.html

I have a lot of curiosity about what is happenning with the front post tooth. The major sharp stabbing pain that I had for some days every once in a while has not returned, but I still get a small indicator of it, maybe 1/20 of the pain might happen every couple of days if I'm gnawing on something hard.

It also occurred to me that the occasional indicator might be occurring because the bridge is solidly bonded to that tooth and has no give to it, no shock absorbtion as it were. Another factor here is that the dentist said the bridge could not be removed without destroying it. He was quite clear and unequivocal in this assessment. The bridge could not be reused. So if I take it off intact, what does that say about Dr. Kh-----?

Well, I guess I'll go remove some teeth. Always fun to do some real research. I'm hoping to get the bridge off without pulling or weakening the post teeth too much.

Uh, I think I should say something here about maybe you shouldn't try this sort of thing without a pretty good grounding in anatomy. I anticipate a certain amount of... unpleasantness.

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Well, I removed the bridge last night. Pretty nice bridge. I don't know how long I have had it, but I doubt it cost me more than $500 for the three units. Otherwise I would have remembered. So maybe forty years or so. But whoever or where ever that dentist was, I guess he was one of the good guys, or he had a good toothmaking subcontractor working for him.

I took my time and had a few timeouts so that I wouldn't get impatient and overly aggressive. I guess it took about an hour. The bridge itself was absolutely pristine. As pretty as when it was new.

I can't say the same for the posts though. I don't think they will be doing a lot more gnawing before one or the other gives up the ghost. Anyway, I did a deep sterilization (H2O2 3% soak followed by virtually pure C2H5OH).

Next, I inserted about a 2mm ball of the better of the two temporary filling materials I was talking about over on the thread Broken Fang. Then I pressed it back into position after I scrubbed the posts in the same way.

If I were to bet on it, I would be betting that one or the other of those posts will give out in a matter of days, even with the give of the filling material, since I chew as aggressively as I do.

So I guess all I got out of this little exercise is that the bridge COULD be removed intact, contrary to what the dentist told me. That and the ability to carefully examine the underlying anchor teeth. At least, for now, I will be able to remove the bridge with virtually no trouble if I feel the need to.