After taking X-rays he referred me to an endodontist who took pictures with highly specialized equipment I had never seen before.
Forty minutes and $385 later I emerged with a CD requiring an oral surgeon's special equipment to read, and got the news the the root of my upper left second molar (known in the trade as #15) was fractured.
The ideal solution: extracting the tooth and replacing it with an implant.
I've had this done before by the same oral surgeon since 2012 when I first went on Prolia and they have all worked quite well.
So why is this posted in JoansBackboneDisaster?"
BECAUSE (and I'm shouting right now) NOW SINCE I'M ON PROLIA THE ORAL SURGEON DOES NOT WANT TO DO THIS EXTRACTION OR IMPLANT!
I'm not sure why this cannot be done now, but I asked him to discuss this with the osteoporosis endocrinologist (fortunately both are at Northwestern) to discuss this.
Could the likelihood of jaw fracture be worse than it seemed to be a few years ago?
Right now my tooth is hurting and I can see no good end in sight for this. Will I have to choose between a painful broken tooth or a painful broken back?
So there you have it:
One more HIT from the
AMGEN HIT PARADE!
UPDATE: January 14, 2020. I just discussed this with my bone endocrinologist at Northwestern. She confirms that she knows of no SAFE way off of Prolia. We're figuring out how to have this tooth extracted sometime in March or April right before my next Prolia shot when it is least likely to cause damage. Until then I live with a toothache. Just one more example of daily life as I serve my life sentence in in "Prolia Penitentiary!"
http://www.joansbackbonedisaster.com/2019/04/serving-life-sentence-in-prolia.html
UPDATE: March 10, 2020. Oral surgeon removed the painful fractured tooth today. Many months of toothache pain finally relieved. I get next Prolia shot in a few weeks. Will I be able to have an implant to replace the missing tooth? Watch this space! (Literally!)
UPDATE: March 14, 2020. Site around extracted tooth reasonably calm. But my whole bite is off. Other teeth banging against each other. It could be many weeks before this can be addressed, and I have no idea whether I will be able to have an implanted tooth in the extraction site because of being on Prolia.
Itchy skin continues and not much to do about that.
I'm reading many more online accounts now about Prolia-related disasters. I'll compile a list of these shortly. So watch this space (not the space where my tooth should have been!)
UPDATE: March 10, 2020. Oral surgeon removed the painful fractured tooth today. Many months of toothache pain finally relieved. I get next Prolia shot in a few weeks. Will I be able to have an implant to replace the missing tooth? Watch this space! (Literally!)
UPDATE: March 14, 2020. Site around extracted tooth reasonably calm. But my whole bite is off. Other teeth banging against each other. It could be many weeks before this can be addressed, and I have no idea whether I will be able to have an implanted tooth in the extraction site because of being on Prolia.
Itchy skin continues and not much to do about that.
I'm reading many more online accounts now about Prolia-related disasters. I'll compile a list of these shortly. So watch this space (not the space where my tooth should have been!)