Hello all and thanks in advance for checking out my question.

Years ago (2003), I broke a front tooth in a fall. A large portion of the back was extracted, leaving only a small portion of the front. It was so badly damaged, I needed a post put into my gums to support the bonding. I recently knocked this structure out (in June of 2010) and finally went to a dentist to have the damage repaired. I was hoping for another post and bonding.

Unfortunately, the dentist told me that the impact caused the post to break my tooth at (or below?) the gumline and a fragment of what was below has now been exposed. Although these past 2.5 months have been painless, she told me that the tooth may become infected in the future and as a result, she recommended that this tooth be extracted immediately.

Naturally, I am not at all happy with this diagnosis, as the bonding looked fine. Because I am unemployed and only have Medicaid, my only option is a flipper or leave it as is (A bridge would be 3K out of pocket and I imagine an implant would be just as expensive). Based on what I've read thus far, I am not crazy about getting the flipper mostly because of cosmetic reasons, but also because of discomfort.

My questions are...

1) Should I get a 2nd opinion and/or see if a different dentist could just do another post and bonding?

2) The dentist I went to actually recommended leaving it the way it is (broken) as opposed to the flipper. Why? I don't know. If I am going to leave the tooth the way it is, won't I be at risk for infection just as I would be with bonding?

3) Does anyone have any 1st hand experience with a flipper on a front tooth (upper) that can tell me their experience, keeping in mind that it may take me a year plus to save money for an advanced procedure such as a bridge or implant?

4) If I get bonding on the tooth now and it becomes infected in the future, can't I just have the tooth extracted then? If I can put off an extraction, I would rather have it bonded now and look good until that horrible day, if it even comes at all.

Thank you to all who have read and will answer and sorry for making the post so long!

Hi trainwreck,

I know making a decision that will have such an impact on appearance, speech and self esteem is a tough one.

In answer to your questions,

1. A second opinion is always a good idea when it comes to something major like what you are facing.

2. Leaving it broken is usually not a good idea unless she is afraid that with the root cracked placing bonding (filling) could cause the tooth to flare up and cause you excruciating pain.

3. I've never had a flipper myself but many people have them and yes they can be a nuisance (any appliance that is removable is) but it is a good (and least expensive) alternative to give you a chance to save your money to replace the tooth properly (implant is the ideal way to go).

4. That is true but you could be setting yourself up for a more difficult time when it comes to extracting the tooth. When teeth are badly infected it is sometimes impossible to freeze the tooth well and you would then have to go on a dose of antibiotic to clear the infection up before it can be removed.

I hope these answer your questions.