This story begins a couple weeks ago when DD2 began complaining about a tooth ache. DD2 is a bit more of a whiner than her older sister is, and it can be difficult for DW and me to discern when the pain is real, and when it is being exaggerated.

The pain persisted, and DW set up an appointment for her with our dentist. That appointment was set up for one week ago.

Last Wednesday, the day before the appointment, I got a call from DW. She was on the road with DD2. The pain was unbearable, and she was hoping I could get an appointment yet that day. I called around, and finally found a dentist who could see her that afternoon.

The dentist claimed that the pain was superficial, and nothing to worry about. Just keep on with the ibuprofen as needed. Not hard to believe, given DD2's history. So, we cancelled the appointment with our regular dentist. Bad move.

The pain persisted and persisted, so we set up another appointment with our regular dentist. That was this last Monday. Turns out that the previous dentist had not set the X-ray low enough to see the entire root and nerve. The tooth is dead, and needs a root canal. (I should add that this tooth had a deep cavity about a year ago). Our regular dentist prefers to not perform root canals on young children, so DD2 was referred to a dentist in a larger town.

Fortunately, the first, and last good turn of luck was realized when the appointment was set up for first thing the next morning. That dentist decided the tooth was too young and immature for a root canal. The dentist also claimed that while he is not typically an advocate of pulling teeth, he saw no alternative. This dentist did prescribe an anti-biotic, which has helped with the swelling and healing. But, this dentist does not pull teeth, that is below his pay grade, and our regular dentist would have to do that.

So, her appointment with the regular dentist was today. Our regular dentist strongly disagrees that the tooth is not a candidate for a root canal. We would, of course, prefer for her to keep the tooth. So, we're going with that. The dentist also did some prep work for the root canal today that has further relieved the swelling.

My insurance covers 1/2 the cost of dental procedures. So, our out-of-pocket for the root canal will be $650.