How much of a ticking time bomb is my split tooth?
Both, my dentist and an endodontist have confirmed that my upper left first molar has split into two and can't be saved. I need to have it extracted and also ideally get a bone graft done at the same time. My new dental insurance kicks in July 1st so I really need to wait until then to get the procedure done. I'm also traveling for 5 days in June.
I've already lived with this split tooth for a month now. The pain is manageable and I've been chewing solely on my other side. Don't get me wrong, it still hurts with the chewing motion, but it's not debilitating. I think it's been manageable because the dentist filed it down out of the bite about 3 weeks ago. I basically live in discomfort day and night, but not unbridled pain. Also, it's not infected yet. I'm being super cautious and salt-water rinsing after meals and using an antiseptic mouthwash morning and night.
My question is - just how much time do I have before I need to have the extraction done? Can I safely sustain this until July?
Also, is there a temporary fix that a dentist can do that might help stabilize the tooth until July? Some sort of temporary bonding or something? I might be able to afford a temporary fix now, but I'll definitely need the insurance to cover the actual extraction and bone graft in July.
Edit to add: I don't smoke and am generally in good health