Okay, here's how it went down:

-Fractured tooth #4 (Upper right)
-Bogus Crown put on by Witch Doctor (Bobo insurance led to such a bad finger crossing experiment)
-Got Real Insurance, went to see trusted Dentist and was told Crown needed to go. Once removed, it was apparent that there was not much tooth exposed below the gumline to work with. He wanted to install a post and also expose more tooth so that the crown would be supported completely.
-I went to see a periodontist he recommended.
-The periodontist who I think might just be a power trip psycho that likes to cut people up just cause he can, I will further refer to as Leatherface. He stated that we would do some scaling, move along conservatively, and possible gum shrinkage as a result of better gum health might allow us to forgo gum or bone removal altogether. You can imagine I was pleased with this attitude.
-Then, one appointment, on a cold wet morning, I was given shot after shot of novacaine just before I was butchered. During the "crown lengthening" procedure, there was a time when time when something either broke off the drillingpain machine or my tooth and a sort of "woops" vibe went around the room and the assistant fished something out of my mouth.. "do you see it, did you get it? Okay good" Well, assuming they are professionals and all is well I let them soak up my blood, apply the greasy putty dressing to my face and go about my business.
-Well, skip ahead to last night, 2 weeks after the procedure when I'm brushing my teeth and the putty crap falls off.. HORRORSHOW!! I mean, Seriously, Homey cut off some serious gums.
-Now, I'm not a dentist, perhaps when I see my dentist in 3 weeks, the one that I trust, NOT leatherface, he will tell me that it went perfect and all is well.. BUT, what I think must have happened, is that my tooth broke (which I can't tell because it was under gums before so I'm not sure what it looked like) and he was forced to remove mega amount of gum. I mean, I don't even see how a "post" could fit in what's left.. how thick are those posts.. like maybe a paperclip gauge would work.. I mean, the other explanation is that Leatherface, true to his name just likes to carve flesh..

So, am I freaking out here? Is a lot of tooth normally exposed with this procedure.. I seemed to remember my dentist saying something like 1/8 or 1/4 of an inch.. I feel like an undead monster with half a grill.. My other concern, along with the innability to put in the post, is if so much gum tissue is removed, then isn't the tooth weaker.. like there is less soil for the roots so to speak is there not?

I don't know.. just freaking here... looking for someone who kmows is up with this..

Thanks,

Horrorshowfacebloodymouthcrappygums

Horrorshowmouth. You are a very talented writer.

Please don't freak out.

I am not a dentist, but in the last year I have had to undergo some major work so I know where you are coming from. As a matter of fact, during one procedure, the "uh-oh" happened to me. I told the doctor I noticed it and asked him to explain to me what happened. More of the tooth broke off than he wanted it to as he was working on it. He said the problem is the stress points in the tooth. Everyone is different, softness of teeth and such, and it happens quite frequently. So, this is probably what happened to you.

Regarding cutting of gums, the good news here is that if gum disease is caught early enough, which they seemed to be suggesting to you, gums do grow back a bit. It is probably why you are scheduled for a visit back to your regular dentist in three weeks. The gums need time to heal and he needs to reassess the situation. Hard to tell if they can put in a post because no one online can look at your mouth.

The real concern here is the temporary plug that fell out. You need to call your dentist and tell him what happened. If you are afraid to go back to "Leatherface" tell your dentist. He might squeeze you in this week to look at it and give you another temporary until everything heals. If you don't have that temporary replaced, you run a large risk of getting an infection. You need to rinse your mouth out with warm salt water, or there is a dental rinse that you can buy at a pharmacy which would probably be better than salt water, every time after eating something.

Please give your regular dentist a call A.S.A.P. He will also be able to answer your question about a post.

Hope this helped. AND, if you ever write a book, please let me know. I would buy a copy.