u/DanielCoates

NAD I had an upper second molar that was impacted by a wisdom tooth and became infected. Root canal specialist said he wouldn't do it because it was too far gone. Um-ed and ah-ed about it for a year worrying about extraction complications and eventually decided to extract because the infection was getting larger. The oral surgeon removed the wisdom tooth at the same time. The surgeon didn't mention bone grafting nor anything post-op. I feel a bit dumb for not thinking about it myself. I had the surgery done a week ago. Is it still going to be possible for me to get an implant?

Just thought that I would make a post given my situation. I'm late 30s and up until now I thought we were doing OK financially and might be able to get by through life with our children and being careful with money, saving a lot, etc.

However recently my teeth have started failing for no apparent reason (age?). I've always gone to the dentist, had cleanings, brushed twice a day, flossed, then suddenly one day I have a cracked tooth and need a root canal (£2k) and a crown (£1k) to save it. Apparently the crown will need replacing eventually so thats £1k every x years. The next year I have an chronically infected molar and need complex extraction (£3k). I possibly need an implant (£5k?) to replace it which will also have a crown (£1k) that needs replacing every x years. Not to mention the consultation fees in between. I'm haemmoraging money to the dental industry through no fault of my own.

If you're like many people I know in the UK and scraping by with not much left in the budget for expenses like this then I suggest you should not have children.

This is only ME! Imagine the cost of dental problems for your partner and children. How much are braces going to be for a child in the future NHS? Personally I regret having children at this point. They have to watch me become miserable and bitter over my teeth and I've signed them up for the same torment.

Some of you might say you've got perfect teeth and haven't had a cavity in 30 years. I would've said that 2 years ago as well. I think you'd need to be extremely lucky to go through life without having problems like this.

NAD in UK I've never been told about fluoride varnish or had it recommended for me or anyone in my family and yet the internet is saying it's highly recommended even for children with no issues. What's going on?

I'm 37 and have a 7 year old only girl and I'm really stuck in thinking about whether she will benefit from a sibling. I know the gap is big, might not get on, blah blah but it really, really breaks my heart thinking of her watching us get older, more frail and losing us. I know I'm not too old yet but I feel on the precipice with a few niggles and dental problems. I know that I never paid attention to my parents getting older because I had a sibling and was kind of getting on with my own life. I don't know if she will be able to do that by herself. 

The way things are going at the moment we might be able to pay off the mortgage and have a meagre retirement if all goes to plan so my existing child will be okay. But I know that's not how life goes. I could lose my job and become poor, one or both of us might get dementia and get all money wiped out my care homes, etc and then all of a sudden my child is left with nothing. 

It's in these examples where I feel like a sibling will be like a lifeline when we go. Someone that will always be there in this lonely, isolated world. Even if they end up with nothing maybe they could have each other. Maybe if she ends up getting in a relationship with a creep the sibling could help her out of that. 

On the other hand the thought of complications and disabilities is putting me off because it would destroy any chance for my existing child's future.

What would you do? Is this just a pure gamble or am I missing something? 

EDIT: I wanted to add an example in my life where my friend of similar age died recently and I thought about his children and how they would feel. Earlier in life he had an only child but later decided to have another two even though he was broke. I imagined how that only child would feel losing their Dad if they hadn't had siblings.

I earn £35k and my partner earns about £12k, minimum workplace pension contributions. We have one child and £550k house, £280k mortgage with low rate deal expiring this year, £180k savings across cash ISAs, £15k SIPP. We are in late 30s. Assuming that our salaries probably won't be able to increase much over our lifetime, what do you recommend we do to make the most of this situation? Maximize SIPP? Pay off mortgage? Invest everything into high risk funds?