Will this ever stop?

[wewantfun]

i've had so many problems with my tooth over the past few months i've changed my dentist and got my abcess treated, but i was still getting pain from a back molar, so i went back and told her. she had a look and said that i have a bad cross bite due to either clenching or grinding, i have TMJ anyway but im sure i dont grind my teeth, my boyfriend told me that when i was sleeping the other night he was awake for a good few hours while i was sleeping and he couldn't hear me grinding. so maybe yes i do clench due to stress. But my dentist told me that the only way to get it fixed was to go private and that will cost me over £800, which i can't afford. if i dont get it fixed my smile may become crooked and my teeth could fall out, this scared the life out of me and i cried all the way home, and i nearly finished with my boyfriend cos of this as i didn't think he'd want someone with a crooked smile or face. also since she told me this i swear my teeth are getting more and more crooked. im constantly checking my teeth in the mirror to see any change. its really getting me down now, i have to have a tooth out under iv sedation cos of the abcess as i can't have root canal as i can't open my mouth fully due to my TMJ. I'm an extreamly nervous patient when it comes to dentists as it is and now my panic is in overdrive, with all this new infomation. i just can't relax, i would gladly have my globus, then have all this tooth worry.:weep:

[Brunette]

Hi WWF

I'm not a dentist but just a few points:

I can't find anything to say that a crossbite is caused by the grinding or clenching of teeth. I have one - but only one tooth on one side so it isn't a problem.

Any changes in your teeth happen very very slowly, you wouldn't be able to see any changes in them by constantly checking the mirror.

That your dentist only seems to have noticed it because you complained of pain suggests it is not as bad a crossbite as she says it is. It will need treatment but basicallly saying give me £800 or all your teeth will fall out" sounds of order to me.

Does your dentist offer a payment plan so that you could pay for your treatment in installments?

Can she refer you to a specialist dental hospital such as Eastmans?

[wewantfun]

hi, no my dentist says she isn't qualified to carry out that type of work, and can refer me to see a specialist in Kent, but nothing like a payment plan, she just said get a loan, or ask friends or family to help with the money. my family think she's just trying to make some money out of me, cos she says i can't get anything done on the NHS.
I'm trying so hard not to worry about it, and trying to put it to the back of my mind, but its so hard to forget.
xx

[Brunette]

I have to say I tend to agree WWF.

I think you maybl need a second opinion from another dentist?? Or maybe ring round and see if you can actually find one that does a payment plan.

I would have thought that a crossbite was something that can be seen to on the NHS (it isn't cosmetic dentistry after all!) although I imagine the waiting list could be pretty long.

Hope you manage to sort something out anyway.

Good luck

B