You want h-how much?! in Vulnerability

I honestly do not know what to do.

I just spent $151 on a consultation for a dentist to tell me that if I want the tooth that is causing me pain fixed, it’ll set me back around $2400.

I told her I’ll think about it over the weekend. So, I’m still in pain and the idea of forking out that much dough over one fucking tooth just seems preposterous.

It’s what I thought it was. Decay and bacteria are causing the pain. The only way it can be saved is via a root canal, which are apparently $2400 these days!! I’ve had one of those before a few years ago and it sure as hell didn’t cost that much!

The other option is I can get it removed for $320. Great. Then I’ll have a big gap in the bottom of my mouth.

Christ I miss having a health care card. I should go back to casual hours!

I’ve been at home looking up dental-tourism websites and health provided websites (which are useless with the 12-month waiting periods). Even the policies are all pretty much shit, because the price of dental is so outrageous in Australia, the health insurance companies won’t even offer decent options, and cap their benefits at a certain (pathetic) amount each year, AND to even get the decent high-capped amounts, you have to fork out $200 a month in premiums. Errrm, so in 11 months of (ongoing) payments, that’ll be the cost of the root canal itself paid for. Hmmmm.

Maybe I should just get another quote from another dentist. But forking out $150 for each consult is gonna bloody-well add up too.

I don’t know what to do. I don’t earn enough to go forking out 2.5k willy-nilly.
I could have gotten the tooth removed there and then, but I didn’t want to make an on-the-spot decision and have a huge gap in my mouth. It’s out of the way of my smile-line, which is a good thing, but it’d take a heck of a lot of getting used to.

I just read that tea-tree oil apparently calms gum nerves. It says to either rub it on the gumline where the sore tooth is, or make a mouthwash with it. I’ll probably try both. The person who suggested this even said the tooth eventually fell out on it’s own accord. Not sure I believe that, but if it saves me $320, then sure! I’ll give anything a go at this point, until I’m sure I’ll probably not be able to stand the pain anymore and go get her to rip the damn thing out :(

Of course there’s other teeth that need saving - ie, her to take my money with.
I’ve always hated my teeth. I really have, since I was a kid. Now they are hating me back.

I’m off to get some tea tree oil.

Last updated February 18, 2016