My jaw has been getting more and more tense over the past month. It could be one of two things:
A) I'm generally stressed
B) My final adult tooth is not happy where it is
In case I've never mentioned before, B) refers to the fact that on my upper right side of my mouth, one of my molars was a baby tooth until I was 18 years old. At that point, my dentist just ripped it out and told me that it would just come in on its own. He was partially right...
Over the past 6 years, that adult tooth has been moving its was into what I assume will eventually be it's proper resting place. At one point, I went to an orthodontist who told me that the tooth would never move unless I paid thousands of dollars to have my mouth reshaped and the tooth pulled down. While he too was incorrect, years later, if I could have afforded that then, I'd be much happier now.
I'm thinking the tension is due to B.
More recently I've also noticed that I'm having sensitivity in that area, so there is a possibility that either pressure is building on that tooth or one around it, or that tooth is suffering some decay. The tooth has been partially exposed now for at least 4 years and quite honestly, I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least some decay...
In conclusion, I need to get to a dentist... but it's going to be costly. Hopefully it will just show up as a cavity or something that can be easily rectified and then I can just continue letting the tooth shift around. If it turns out to be something more major, I'm very close to the point of just getting it yanked, but then what would I have to do to replace it - a spacer? braces?
Should I go to the University Dental School or to a regular dentist? My coverage through univ. dental plan is 70% of everything, up to $500.
Long story short, I hate teeth.