So...I got my cracked molar extracted today. I was rather stressed out about it as this is my first extraction, my first major bit of dental work, and I guess my first fairly major medical procedure. All that put together had given me a fair amount to think about. I was pretty transparent about my trepidations with the folks at the clinic, and they were pretty accommodating.
I will concede that I was more uncomfortable with the injection of the local anesthetic more than the extraction itself. Plus points to the combination of different numbing agents for helping to ensure that I wouldn't feel any pain during the procedure. The senior dentist was able to get the cracked tooth out in one move and I think we spent more time cleaning up the area and, of course, suturing the hole in my mouth left behind by my lost tooth.
As far as medical procedures go, it really wasn't that bad and I was even able to walk home on my own without assistance. The clean removal of the tooth also meant that I wouldn't need a round of antibiotics for the week, which means I should be able to celebrate decently during my birthday weekend. I just have painkillers on standby if things get weird, but thus far it hasn't been that bad.
Unfortunately, for the next 48 hours, I'm on a limited diet of soft and preferably cold food to help with the healing process and to get my gums to scab over sooner. That means I'm temporarily off keto, which is just as well since it is the week leading up to my birthday. As ordered by my dentist, I actually had some ice cream today, which is a true rarity. On the flip side, we've ordered some very non-keto lugaw, but I've had to chill it in the fridge so that it's a temperature that I my mouth can handle.
As for the future, I'll see the dentist again at the end of September to figure out next steps. The cost-effective solution, for now, is to get some sort of dentures to cover the affected area. I'll probably need to research more comprehensive solutions while waiting for my gums to heal. I'm hoping to find something that's smarter than dentures but not as expective as some of the permanent implants that the dentist has initially explained to me. But I suppose my options are limited since it was a complete extraction and not some sort of root canal. I don't have a fragment of a tooth to work around - I have a big hole and that's it. Boo.
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