My car is fixed. It didn't cost me anything. And I can still spend the day in RI like I planned to.

Good news, sj!

Great news, sj!! Drive on!

Okay, I'm looking for confirmation of something I've decided to do.

After the root canal I had before vacation, when I got back from vacation and had the appointment for the temporary crown, I had a lot of swelling and tenderness of the gums, and so they put me on antibiotics and didn't do the temporary crown. (This was last week.)

Today, after 6 days of a 10-day antibiotic course, the swelling and tenderness is a little better but not gone. I had a follow-up appointment to again try to do the temporary crown. But because of the continued swelling, they took an x-ray. The root canal is fine -- it didn't fail -- but the dentist says the infection looks worse than it did on the pre-root canal x-ray, and the only solution is to pull the tooth.

I ask, can't we try another antibiotic first -- because if whatever is causing the infection isn't susceptible to the antibiotic, then of course the antibiotic isn't going to work.

The dentist says no, you should be better by now. I say, I'd like to keep my tooth if at all possible, and trying a different antibiotic seems like a reasonable option. Dentist says no, finish the 10 days of your current antibiotic, and maybe it'll get better, but you probably have to have the tooth pulled.

I say okay, leave, and lose my shit totally. I have a real weak spot around my crappy teeth, because I feel like it proves I am a hick who doesn't take care of myself at all. (This is irrational, and I get that.)

(I'm still at home, BTW. I needed to calm down before going in to work.)

But I did calm down, and here's what I'm thinking. Every time I complain about my dentist, Tim tells me to go to his dentist here in the neighborhood. His dentist is not on my insurance, so I've stuck with the tooth-pulling, criticizing mean dentists who are on my insurance.

But I'm annoyed enough at the refusal to try another antibiotic before just yanking my tooth out -- a tooth which, I need to add, DOES NOT HURT at all -- that I want to go to Tim's dentist ASAP to get a second opinion.

So, I'm wanting validation for this. And I guess I do have a question -- is it a bad thing to switch dentists mid-procedure? Like, I had the root canal done, and it has a temporary filling, but it still needs a crown. Is it bad to switch dentists in the middle of this? (Well, I guess it's not the "middle" according to my dentist, because she wants to pull the tooth to end all this. So I guess that's my answer.)

So -- call Tim's dentist? See if *he* will try another antibiotic, or at least give me a second opinion about the NON-HURTING tooth needing pulled?

And I'm headed in to work now, so I will check back for validation later. Any insults you care to heap on my current dentist are welcome, too.

you have my validation. it seems to me, no matter what, that if you feel strongly you want to keep your tooth and feel like dentist #1 is not exploring all options, you need to get a second opinion.

no reason why NOT to.

If your budget can absorb the out-of-network costs, I don't think there's any strong argument against it. And maybe that dentist can recommend a simpatico colleague that is covered for subsequent routine care.

Tep, it's your body, your teeth. If you're not satisfied with the care you're getting, by all means, see someone else. You are always your own best advocate, and sometimes the only one who's going to advocate for the care you want.

What le nubian said - any doctor that's being dismissive of what you'd like to have happen with your own body is not someone who deserves your loyalty. And I totally get you on wanting to keep your own teeth - I got my first crown this year and was all, "But it's not Original Parts! I liked having all my original parts!" So I absolutely validate you going to Tim's dentist.

So, I'm gonna be Birthday Attention Ho now - because I'm at work. And I NEVER work on my birthday. But my boss really needed this week off, and we can't both be out (because we're the only two who can manage the software I'm in charge of), and I've had my last 7 birthdays off, so I had to be a grownup and let my boss have it this year. But no one's paying Birthday Attention to meeeee! t /whine. I am, however, wearing a spangly "Princess" shirt, and crown hairclips from Disney, and every piece of jewelry with a crown I could find this morning (which is kind of a lot). I decided I really needed to embrace my own ridiculousness.

Anyway, 41 today - only one more year till I finally have the Answer!

I'm 42 and there are no answers. just more body creaks.