I totally get what you mean about the guessing game—especially when you’re trying to avoid unnecessary appointments (and bills). For me, I waited a bit too long with a toothache because I figured it was just sensitivity, and I was honestly hoping to save on the cost. When it didn’t go away after a few days, I finally caved and booked the dentist. Turned out I needed a root canal. Not gonna lie, I was dreading the whole thing, but it was way less painful than I expected and my insurance actually covered most of it. Now I try to give things a day or two, but if the pain lingers or gets worse, I just bite the bullet and deal with it—beats paying more for a bigger problem later.
Totally relate to that “wait and see” approach. I’ve done the same, just hoping the pain would disappear on its own... but yeah, sometimes it just gets worse. I dragged my feet on a molar a couple years back, thinking it was just a little sore from biting something weird. Ended up with a root canal too. Honestly, I was surprised at how quick it was—barely any discomfort after. Glad your insurance helped out. It’s wild how much more stuff costs if you let it sit.
That “wait and see” thing really gets us, huh? I did the same with a back tooth—figured it’d just sort itself out. By the time I finally saw my dentist, it was a full-blown infection. Needed antibiotics before they’d even touch it, which dragged things out longer (and cost more). Looking back, I wish I hadn’t tried to tough it out. Wild how fast the pain goes away once you actually get it fixed, though. Insurance definitely saved me there too... dental stuff adds up quick if you hesitate.
That whole “maybe it’ll just go away” mindset is basically my default, which has never actually worked out for me. I had a molar that started hurting last winter, but I kept convincing myself it was just “sensitive from braces adjustments.” Yeah… turns out it was a cavity that got way worse because I waited. By the time I caved and called the dentist, they couldn’t even do anything until I’d been on antibiotics for a week.
Totally agree about the cost—my insurance covered most of it but I still had to fork out more than I wanted. It’s wild how fast things can spiral if you hesitate, and honestly, the anxiety of not knowing what’s going on made everything feel worse. Once they actually fixed it, I felt kind of ridiculous for waiting so long. The pain was gone almost instantly and I could eat normally again.
Still low-key terrified every time something feels off with my teeth now, though. Guess some lessons stick more than others…
I get the whole “wait and see” thing, but honestly, I don’t think it’s always such a bad instinct—at least not for every little twinge. Maybe it’s just my experience with braces talking, but I’ve had plenty of aches and weird sensations that were just part of the process. Sometimes a spot feels sore for a week and then it sorts itself out once the teeth settle. If I ran to the dentist every time something felt off, I’d probably have moved in by now.
That said, I totally get that anxiety spiral you mentioned. There’s that line between “don’t panic over nothing” and “don’t ignore something serious,” and it’s not always clear where it is until you’ve crossed it. I did have a similar situation last year—thought my molar pain was just from my bite shifting after an adjustment, but nope... cracked filling. Ended up needing more work than if I’d gone in sooner.
But honestly, sometimes the pain is so vague at first that you can’t really tell if it’s urgent or not. And with dental stuff, especially during ortho treatment, there are so many possible causes. It’s not like every ache is a cavity or infection waiting to happen.
Cost is definitely a factor for me too. Even with insurance, those bills add up fast. That’s probably half the reason I hesitate—just hoping my mouth will cooperate until my next routine checkup.
Anyway, I guess there’s no perfect approach. Sometimes waiting bites you (literally), but other times it really is just sensitivity or a bruised gum from wires moving around. If only teeth came with warning lights or something…
