My dentist was all about the “let’s see how it holds up” approach, which honestly made my anxiety go through the roof. I kept picturing my onlay just popping off mid-bite on a sandwich or something. He did mention that if it started breaking down, we’d have to move to a crown, but he seemed pretty optimistic. Still, every time I chew something crunchy, I get a little nervous.
Funny thing is, I actually asked about just doing a crown right away because I didn’t want to drag out the process (or the bills), but he said it was better to save as much tooth as possible. Makes sense, but I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Two years in and it’s still there… but I swear I check it with my tongue at least once a week, just in case.
Dental stuff always feels like a gamble to me. Wish my teeth would just cooperate for once.
Funny thing is, I actually asked about just doing a crown right away because I didn’t want to drag out the process (or the bills), but he said it was better to save as much tooth as possible.
I get wanting to just do the crown and be done with it. Honestly, I felt the same after my root canal—just wanted the “final” fix, no more uncertainty. But my first onlay lasted almost a decade before anything happened. I know the anxiety never totally goes away, but sometimes that “wait and see” approach really does buy you more time with your own tooth than you’d expect. Still, I wish dentists would acknowledge how nerve-wracking it feels to live with that constant “what if.”
That “what if” feeling is the worst. I’m in the middle of my first root canal and every time the dentist talks about onlays vs. crowns, I get super anxious. I want it over with, but saving more tooth sounds good too... just wish it felt less uncertain.
I want it over with, but saving more tooth sounds good too... just wish it felt less uncertain.
I totally get that. I had a similar situation and honestly, I kept second-guessing everything—onlay or crown? My dentist said onlays are less invasive if there’s enough healthy tooth left, but I worried about whether it’d last. In the end, I went with the onlay because I just couldn’t handle losing more tooth than necessary. Still kinda anxious about it holding up long-term, though. It’s always that “what if” feeling, right?
Still kinda anxious about it holding up long-term, though. It’s always that “what if” feeling, right?
Yeah, that “what if” never really goes away for me either. I remember sitting in the chair debating with myself while my dentist was explaining the pros and cons—felt like I was choosing between two bad options. I’ve actually had both an onlay and a crown (different teeth, lucky me), and honestly, I stressed more about the onlay. Maybe because it felt less “final,” if that makes sense? Like, I kept wondering if I’d just end up needing a crown anyway down the road.
But I get wanting to keep as much tooth as possible. I’m always super cautious about that too, sometimes probably to a fault. The onlay’s been fine so far, but every time I bite down on something hard, I get this little jolt of worry. Not sure if that ever really stops. Still, I guess there’s something to be said for preserving what you can, even if it means living with a bit of uncertainty.
