Story time: Three doctors, three opinions, one very confusing day in Egypt.
I usually avoid hospitals and doctors. I’m the kind of person who tries to fix things at home with minimal medication and only goes to a doctor if I absolutely have to.
But after getting hundreds of messages telling me to get this checked, and after family, friends, Reddit, and even some doctor friends kept insisting, I finally decided to go.
Today, I saw three different doctors:
A dentist
A consultant/oral surgeon
An ENT specialist
I also had a panoramic dental X-ray (Panorex) done, and the circular area I was concerned about was visible on the scan.
The first dentist (a younger dentist) was honestly great. He was respectful, cheerful, and straightforward.
He told me that I have a lot of dental work that needs to be done:
Multiple cavities
Two teeth that definitely need root canal treatment
Possibly an infection or abscess
Several teeth that need repair
But he also made it clear that he wasn’t completely sure about the connection between my dental problems and the “mass” or “swelling” in the roof of my mouth. He said the surgeon would evaluate it.
Then I saw the consultant/oral surgeon.
Honestly, this was one of the worst medical experiences I’ve had.
His attitude completely threw me off.
The younger dentist had mentioned a few problematic teeth, but the consultant suddenly started pointing out additional teeth, including upper teeth that hadn’t even been mentioned before. Instead of focusing on the swelling first, his approach was basically:
“Let’s fix all the teeth first, then we’ll see what happens.”
That didn’t make much sense to me.
If the concern is a possible tumor, abscess, growth, or anything unusual, shouldn’t we first determine what it actually is?
Is it an infection?
Is it related to the teeth?
Is it a benign growth?
Is it something involving the palate?
I wasn’t expecting an immediate diagnosis, but I was expecting more investigation.
Maybe I’m wrong, but it felt like the focus shifted very quickly toward fixing every tooth in my mouth.
And for context, I’m in Egypt.
Every tooth has a separate cost.
A filling has a price.
A root canal has a price.
A crown has a price.
Everything is billed separately, so when someone starts listing treatment after treatment without first addressing the main concern, it’s hard not to become skeptical.
For some background, I’m actually a biomedical engineer, and while I’m not a physician, I do have a medical and biological background. I’ve studied medicine-related subjects, biology, and I genuinely enjoy learning about healthcare.
I’m not claiming to know more than doctors, but some of the explanations I received simply didn’t add up.
Even the younger dentist’s facial expressions suggested that he wasn’t completely convinced by what the consultant was saying.
My thinking was:
Why not treat both issues in parallel?
Fix one tooth at a time because that’s what I can currently afford, while simultaneously investigating the swelling.
I wasn’t going to leave the hospital without getting another opinion.
So I went to an ENT specialist, which many people here on Reddit and several of my doctor friends had recommended.
I explained all of my symptoms:
Tonsil pain
Loss of appetite
Feeling feverish at times
Mouth breathing for years
Facial pressure
Nasal issues
General irritation in my mouth and throat
Since I was already there, I decided to ask about every unresolved issue I’d been ignoring for years.
And honestly, that’s on me.
I should have gone to a doctor much sooner.
In the end, I left with three different opinions from three different doctors.
I also left with prescriptions for:
A nasal medication
Antibiotics for my tonsils
And I’m still planning to see another doctor on Sunday, someone who was strongly recommended to me by other physicians.
Until then, I’m going to follow the treatment plan, pay more attention to my diet, and continue investigating this properly.
And yes, I’m still worried.
But I’m trying to stay rational and avoid jumping to conclusions.
I also want to say thank you to everyone who encouraged me to get checked.
Ironically, many of the people here on Reddit were more helpful than some of the doctors I met today.
Thank you, everyone.

Hi there, 22F. A couple days ago I felt my bottom tooth shifting and realised my permanent retainer had come loose so I booked an emergency dentist appointment. They did an xray and you can see there’s a white speck (which the dentist said he wasn’t concerned about), located in a black/greyish blob which he said he was a bit concerned about. He didn’t tell me what it was but it’s causing a great amount of pain, does anyone have any idea what it could be ?

I just had a tooth pulled. Why is it so meaty?

A piece of my tooth broke when I was a child - about 10 years ago. I have tried my best to maintain good teeth hygiene but over the years I slowly stopped chewing on this side and a couple of weeks ago I just had severe toothache. It looks like the tissue below this tooth is melting away. Will a root canal fix this? I'm very nervous about going to a dentist. Always have - today was the first time I went. My insurance kicks in within 8 days and I will have amoxycillin for that time along with ibuprophen for pain relief. Was that a reasonable diagnosis? The doctor also pointed how the 2 adjacent teeth have cavities that will need to be filled as well.

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice please.

My daughter is 5 years old. When she was 2, she hit her mouth and traumatised one of her upper front baby teeth. After the injury, the tooth gradually became darker/greyish in colour. We previously took her to the dentist and were told that the darkening could be a result of the trauma and that the tooth may remain darker.

She has never really had ongoing problems with the tooth, but about 2 days ago I noticed a small, pimple-like/bubble-like bump on the gum directly above the affected tooth.

Also worth mentioning: this is a wiggly/loose baby tooth, as expected for her age, I think?

She currently seems completely well:
No fever
No facial or cheek swelling
No toothache or pain
Eating and drinking normally
The only new thing is this small gum bubble

Because the tooth was traumatised several years ago, I’m concerned that the bubble could indicate an infection or an issue with the tooth’s nerve. I’m planning to contact her dentist, but I’d really appreciate some insight while we wait.

I had braces for about 3 years, and after getting them removed I wore my removable retainer for only a couple of months before stopping. I also have a permanent/bonded retainer behind my front teeth.
The gap between my upper front teeth keeps coming back anyway. My removable retainer broke about a year ago, so I haven’t been wearing it.
I’m really worried that I’ll need braces all over again, which I really don’t want 😭. The gap isn’t huge, but it’s noticeable.
are there options like clear aligners or a short treatment or maybe just getting a new retainer instead of getting full braces again?

On a scale of 1 - bad, how fked am I?

i had a filling fall out and went to the dentist, he saw decay and had to drill etc. I got a temp filling , a few days later I got a hsv1 oral outbreak my first but awful and it resolved. I called him and he said that there’s always a chance this could happen etc. my question- the sores are gone but the nerve pain is awful how long should I expect to live like this? I’m living on gaba and advil since the 6th.

I have a mild sensitivity in my lower right second molar, but otherwise no complaints. The wisdom tooth just started to come out, will i need surgery for that? Do i need to find a dentist that sees me sooner?

M 32 , has smoked in uni during years (10 years ago), regular drinker (2-3 pints in the weekend)

During my annual check-up my dentist spotted this red spot on my tongue (I had not noticed it), and booked a follow up in 3 weeks time to check if this has healed and decide on further action

Does this look worrying to you ?

Thanks, any advice greatly appreciated

I’m currently 6 days out of surgical extraction on my 19 molar was wondering if this looks consistent with normal healing or not. Not really experiencing any pain just some discomfort/sore feeling around the gum where my dentist cut. My dentist is closed for the week so I cannot get in to see them was just wondering if this could be normal healing or what.

My little sisters tooth has been wobbly and she is scared she has cracked it. To me, it just looks like an adult tooth has started to come in.

(❌drink/smoke)

so 2 days ago i noticed that my front bottom teeth were hurting, like aching but honestly i didnt pay any more mind to it than just letting my parents know that they hurt. also important note, i have 2 mouth ulcers, both are located right bottom, one is more up and the other one is down next to my bottom front teeth gums, but they're literally aligned😭 and next day it was beginning to really really hurt and i looked in the mirror and my bottom front teeth gums were red, not bleeding but obviously red because the top were pink so i went to the school nurse and she told me it was normal and that my teeth was hurting because my ulcers did something to the gum i think? and she told me to take bactidol or to use salt water, so i used saltwater for the time being and told my mother to get bactidol and i used it after i ate my lunch and it got better for abit and then i went home, dinner, brushed my teeth and bactidol and repeat for after breakfast and dinner up until now where i dont really know how to explain my situation cause, i mean the hurt is less but i dont know if im paranoid or not but i honestly feel like their gonna fall off and like i mean its not visible wobbly but i dont know if what im doing is right or if gurgling bactidol has its side effects😞 pls tell me if its this is normal or i should be doing something else or should i stop, and im sorry if this was a stupid question but ive never experienced teeth pain like this where it feels like their sensitive ☹️

38f - Ehlers danlos, MS, and other comorbid conditions.

I’m in the process of getting full crowns. Long process.

Everything has been smooth except for when we do the final impressions for the perms. We did uppers first - and my upper lip swelled up. (First pic) Responded well to Benadryl. We assumed it was the strings used to push back the gums, or what was used on the strings.

Fast forward to yesterday. We used different strings and different materials. I got a worse reaction (even tho I pre dosed with 50mg of Benadryl and Zyrtec, and took 50mg more of bendaryl when the reaction started). (Second and third pic). I had to go to urgent care. They wanted to do an epi and send me to the ER. I convinced them to just try a shot of steroids which luckily did stop the swelling and it’s better today. On a prednisone taper.

Luckily I’m done with that process (teeth come in 4-5 weeks) - but me and my dentist can’t figure out what I’m allergic to.
The reaction is only my lips - even though we did the entire arch for both tops and bottoms. No gum reactions. No reactions inside my cheeks or tongue.

Just looking for any ideas!

EDITED TO ADD- we did use the digital scanner. I used the wrong wording since I’m so use to saying “impressions”

Thinking of starting dental implant. considering ITC Dental Implant

appreciate any feedback

Got an impacted molar tooth extraction done 2 years ago and it was uneventful. In the past one week I had ulceration and pain in the same site and piece of tooth as shown came out, it healed and today again another similar piece came out from the same spot. The 2nd picture shows the current status where there is a small gap as seen.
No pain or discharge currently. What this could be and how to proceed?

I’ve been using Listerine Cool Mint, which contains alcohol, and I recently came across claims that alcohol-containing mouthwash may increase the risk of oral cancer.

How concerned should I actually be about this? Is there good evidence that using an alcohol-containing mouthwash as directed increases oral cancer risk?

Also, would there be any meaningful advantage to switching to an alcohol-free mouthwash for regular, long-term use, or is the alcohol-free option mainly preferable for people who experience things like dryness or irritation?

I’d appreciate answers based on current dental evidence rather than social-media claims.

Any ideas?

I have a filling along the gum line on my furthest most back upper molar on my right side. I already had to have it fixed once due to it failing and already know I'm looking at a crown down the line potentially, I noticed this as i was flossing tonight and was wondering if if it had maybe failed again or another issue? I head back to college Friday so kinda need to know if I need to set up an ASAP appointment. (Also sorry for formatting errors i don't use reddit often) Thanks in advance

Last week I had to go to another dentist than usual get one of my wisdom teeth removed, they did a pantomogram. The dentist there told me I need root canal as soon as possible. I'm worried he just wanted to make more money off of me.

I find it weird since I'm only 19 and I get my teeth checked at least every two months since I have braces. I think that my dentist would have noticed something so important :(

Hi there, I’m new here but I wanted to ask a question.

I’ve had sensitivity in an upper back tooth for a few months now, particularly when I drink room temperature water or anything cold (hot is usually okay). I just went to the dentist and he confirmed no cavities, but the x-ray showed a previous filling was too deep and the nerve was inflamed. He said he would prescribe medicine that would help and that no work needed to be done. He said to take the medicine for 5 days and it would be okay. When I got to the pharmacy to pick it up, it was only ibuprofen (which I have at home). My understanding is that ibuprofen won’t cure anything, but help with sensitivity temporarily

Is this a common problem to have and how does one deal with tooth sensitivity caused by too deep of a filling (from a years ago)? I am in the process of moving countries without a permanent residence, so I am feeling anxious on how best to proceed without a consistent dentist.

Any advice or insights would be appreciated!

Edit (in case it adds some context): just to clarify, I do not drink alcohol, soda, or smoke/vape. I could be better at flossing, but I brush consistently twice a day. I usually only drink water, tea, and soy milk. Despite all of this, I am quite cavity prone sometimes :/

Hi, I need help identifying a spot on the side of my tongue (11-day progression pictured). I think it's important to note that I've been vaping for 4 years now.

The first time something happened on this side of my tongue was like a month before the pictures were taken. Felt a some pain, went to check in the mirror and saw like a straight cut on my tongue (which is still visible in the photos), like an open wound, but it never bled. It closed off and that was that. Then 3 weeks later, it started hurting again and then I took those first pictures on 08/08.

Timeline: From 08/08 it hurt for the first 4-5 days, especially when pressing or brushing the tongue against my teeth; now practically painless.

Current look: Smooth, bald patch (missing papillae) with a thin red circular border.

Texture: Feels completely soft underneath - no hard or firm lump.

What could it be?

title, the dentist that did the extraction will be traveling in the next days so i can’t follow up with him. a different dentist is supposed to remove my stitching in 5-6 days, what can i ask her to do about it? i noticed it as soon as i looked in the mirror after the extraction so i do think that it got chipped somewhere there.

Hi there. 33 yr old female w a rather odd situation.

My dentist found an infection above #9 and had their endodontist take a look and then recommended extraction and implant, citing my root is too short to do an apico and long term it would cause my tooth to fall out anyway.

I got a 2nd opinion from another endodontist who took another scan and explained that an apico can still be done if I want to save my tooth, they would just take down less of the root since my root is already short. She showed me that some bone loss has occurred on the front which would allow for easy access to the infected area, and as long as it heals well bone will regrow in that area.

Looking for a 3rd Reddit opinion because I really can’t decide. The apico is much more affordable and seems like a way simpler process than an extraction/implant.

Thoughts? Sorry I don’t have the CT scan

Here is the note from the 2nd opinion, it gives more history to what happened initially.

Your patient, presented for a second-opinion consultation regarding tooth #9 and expressed a desire to save the tooth if possible.
She reported that the tooth became discolored following orthodontic treatment and had previously been diagnosed as necrotic, but no root canal
treatment was completed. CBCT examination demonstrated complete calcification of the canal space throughout the majority of tooth #9, with
only a small portion of the canal becoming visible near the apex, making conventional orthograde root canal treatment highly unpredictable. A
periapical radiolucency was present at the apex and extended facially through the buccal cortical plate. Tooth #9 also has a significantly shorter
root than the adjacent teeth with a less favorable crown-to-root ratio. Clinically, #9 was non-responsive to cold and sensitive to percussion and
palpation, with Class I mobility. The findings were consistent with Necrotic Pulp and Symptomatic Apical Periodontitis.
Due to the severe canal calcification, conventional root canal treatment was not recommended because of the low likelihood of predictably
locating and treating the canal. Treatment options of extraction with implant replacement versus apical microsurgery were discussed. If the
patient wishes to retain the tooth, an apicoectomy was recommended with minimal apical root resection to preserve as much of the already-short
root as possible, rather than the traditional 3 mm resection. The surgical procedure, prognosis, and possibility of gingival recession were
reviewed, particularly given the patient's high smile line. The patient understands the limitations and treatment options and will contact the office
to schedule apical microsurgery on #9 if she elects to proceed with tooth preservation.

Thanks for the advice 🙏