Paranoid my teeth are going to fall out!

I have a cavity on one of my front teeth (lateral incisor to be exact), because of the way the tooth is positioned. I had already had a cavity there before and filled, but now I'm seeing what looks like another cavity there again. How long does it take for a tooth to no longer be salvageable.

I really really reallyyyyyyyyyy can't afford to go to the dentist right now, and there's no pain unless I dig at it really hard. It's been there for a while now though, and I'm paranoid that the whole tooth is rotted on the inside and is going to fall out! What if it has to get pulled out! It's one of my front teeth, can you get one fake tooth put in?

I'm scared.

i would be worried too, i would try to see a dentist as soon as possible because if it gets worse and you do have to pull it out then it would probably cost more to get a fake tooth fitted in... im no expert though! thats just what i think. but since you cant afford one right now, i would say to brush your teeth constantly, especially after sugary foods/drinks. maybe get a mouth wash that concentrates on eliminating cavities.

hope this helps!

And if it does come down to it, yes, you can have a tooth put in.

I have a bridge, which is like a permanent false tooth, due to a tooth that grew in as a baby tooth and eroded away. 

Basically, the dentist yanked the bad tooth, put in a temporary tooth-esque space holder, and within a month installed the bridge.  He had to file down the two teeth on either side of it, then plunked a cap down over them to hold in the fake tooth (thus the name "bridge" -- the two real teeth act as support for the faker).  They cast the mold for your bridge from your real tooth, so it looks real.

Warning, though: my insurance paid just under half for it (because it was considered "cosmetic") and I still wound up paying over 2K$ out-of-pocket. 

I've also had a bridge. Not for a cavity, but a break. Campbed bar hit me in the face, snapped my lower middle tooth clean in half. The dentist removed the nerve, put in a temp, and a month later I had a bridge. Looks as it did previously, and painless. Honestly. Injections for that. Whereas a cavity, if it does develop, will hurt you.

The only thing I know is that it may cost you given insurance and all. I would get it checked if you're honestly worried. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Right now it might just be a small hole or chip which can be filled and treated for a lot less than a bridge would cost.

I wouldn't recommend this, but I've had a cavity get REALLY painful before going to the dentist, and he still managed to salvage the tooth.  That said, cavities aren't THAT expensive to fill, and much cheaper than the alternative -- I'd go to the dentist as soon as I could afford it.

they can do an implant.  basically drill a titanium piece in your jaw that they then put a crown on for a missing tooth.  and sometimes they need to do a bone graft if there isn't enough bone to hold the implant. all the healing can take time so you can't always get the tooth immediately.

but it sounds like you just need a filling, so go to the dentist as soon as you can, the implanted tooth is usually costly.  and oral surgery isn't pain free.

good luck.

If there's ANY possible way, try to make a way to do a dentist visit. Filling a cavity is SO much cheaper than a root canal or a bridge! A lot of dentist offices offer discount plans, where you pay a certain amount for the year, say $100, and then each procedure has a discounted price. I think in the plans that I looked at, fillings were $60 and root canal was $600-800! Cavities caught fairly early can be filled-- if you wait until money isn't so tight it might mean root canal.

I have, in the past, obtained a credit card specifically and exclusively to use for the dentist. I wouldn't normally recommend using a credit card to pay for something that you can't afford, but in this situation it could save you sooo much in the long run that it is worth it.

You MUST go to a dentist as soon as possible. You could get a bridge later but it will be more expensive and pretty soon you are going to find yourself in a lot of pain.

I have worked for a dentist, so let me just be honest with you. The majority of regular dentists don't make a ton of money. WHy? because so many people don't go to the dentist unless they are in pain. Most will WANT to see you -- even if you don't have all the cash up front. They will work with you. Some will even let you make payments as low as 20. a month as long as you keep paying every month. 

If that is not an option for you--you might also want to check in your area for the nearest dental school. You can usually get dental work done VERY inexpensively that way.

But don't wait. Your tooth might not fall out- but it's not healthy to have decay in your mouth. Its bad for your teeth , it's bad for your heart, and its tough on your self image to have a damaged front tooth.

In the meantime-try to keep the bacteria level down in your mouth. Rinse with antiseptic mouth wash and try to at least rise your mouth out with water after you eat or drink anything. In fact- drinking water through the day will help keep your mouth cleaner too.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I appreciate the replies.

I'm thinking I'm going to wait until the beginning of next month...maybe I can get my parents to pay for it for my birthday! So hopefully it won't get any worse by then.