I woke up last Thursday morning and one of my jaw teeth was sore. I thought that was odd but I thought that maybe it was because I had started to be a more compliant patient and had started to wear my “Mandibular Advancement Device” again for my mild sleep apnea. (I had quit wearing it because it had caused my jaw to move and I continually bit my tongue or lip when I was eating.)

The sore tooth is the same tooth the “MAD” got stuck on the first time the dentist put it in my mouth. He couldn’t get it unstuck. He pried and pried and was finally able to get it out of my mouth, but he took the cap to that jaw tooth with it. Could this be a coincidence?

I didn’t think much of the soreness and thought it would go away. I was wrong. By Friday, the tooth was hurting, you know (if you don’t you’re lucky) that painful throbbing that goes with your heartbeat. It didn’t get any better over the weekend and I was managing the pain by alternating Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen every two hours. I was really trying not to exceed the recommended dosage of each (and I’m not really supposed to take Ibuprophen at all because I take the blood thinner, Eliquis) but in order not to crumple into a ball grasping my jaw, I took what I needed.

Monday morning I decided I needed to find an  “in-network” insurance dentist. I’d been lucky the last couple of years and haven’t had to have any real dental work done. My cleanings were done by an out-of-network dentist and I was willing to pay the extra amount to be able to see this dentist. But, in October, after I chipped my front tooth and decided I wanted bonding done on two of my jaw teeth (darn those receding gumlines), I was left with a $500 bill after my insurance paid its meager portion.

I found a dentist and I swear he could have been Doogie Howser (remember him), he looked that young. After taking an x-ray he said he believed the tooth was cracked beneath the crown and had developed an infection. He prescribed a five-day regime of Azithromycin (usually called a ‘Z pack’) and told me I needed to have the tooth extracted and have a dental implant. Ugh. He referred me to an oral surgery group and his assistant said they should be in-network because their office was. Wrong.

By Wednesday morning, I looked like a chipmunk with a nut in my mouth, a very much in-pain chipmunk. I called the dentist back and told him that I was still in extreme pain and now my jaw was swollen. His only advice was to continue taking the antibiotic and make an appointment to have the tooth extracted as soon as possible.

I called the oral surgeon’s office he had recommended and what do you know? They are not in my network. This began a two-day odyssey of trying to find an in-network oral surgeon. My dental insurance company sent me a list of 123 in-network dental surgeons but many of the names were repeated several times but with different dental practices. I finally found one in my area, called and made sure they were in-network, and made an appointment to see the surgeon next week. Because the surgeon would be at a different practice than the office I called (I guess they’re like traveling preachers), I was told to call that office to make the appointment. I called and what do you know? Surprise! She’s not in-network.

I went back to the list the dental insurance sent me and a majority of the dental practices I called did not take my insurance. I asked several of them why they were listed as in-network providers but weren’t. Some said they had requested the insurance company to remove their names and others said the insurance company paid too little for them to remain in-network.

I finally found an in-network (hopefully) oral surgeon, but he can’t see me until January. Guess what happens in January? My insurance plan changes from a PPO (where I can choose which physician to see) to an HMO. So it’s totally a crap-shoot if this oral surgeon will still be in-network by then. Sigh.

The antibiotics are apparently working. My pain has lessened and the swelling has gone down. I now look like I was just punched in the jaw and it’s just a waiting game to see if this five-day antibiotic regimen with take care of the infection.

On a happier note, the Great Hunter and I and our youngest and his wife went on a “BYOB Holiday Lights Trolley Tour” in St. Louis. By keeping up with my pain reliever routine, I was able to enjoy the evening.