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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/Stunning-Air-9600 on 2026-06-01 10:40:55+00:00.

This happened slowly and then all at once so bear with me. Last january my dentist told me i had a small cavity forming on my lower left molar and that i should come back in 6 weeks to get it filled before it got worse. She was very clear, "don't wait on this one!!" her exact words. I nodded, said absolutely, booked the appointment, and then cancelled it three days later because i had work stuff and honestly it didn't hurt so how bad could it be.

I rescheduled. cancelled again. Told myself i'd go after the holidays. Then after my birthday, then when things calm down at work, things did not calm down at work btw. It didn't hurt. that was the thing. I kept using that as my excuse, no pain = no problem, right? right?

So fast forward to two weeks ago. I'm eating dinner, nothing crazy, just pasta and something happens in my mouth that i can only describe as a "wrongness" not even pain immediately, just wrong. I knew immediately, the way you know. The pain showed up about 4 hours later and it was not messing around. I'm talking waking up at 3am, can't think straight, whole left side of my face throbbing, took 800mg of ibuprofen and it took the edge off for maybe 90 minutes, i called in sick to work, which i have not done in 2 years. Went to dentist the next morning because they had same-day availability and at that point i would have gone literally anywhere. Sat in the chair looking like a man who had made poor life choices (accurate). Dentist pulls up my x-ray and does this little pause that no patient ever wants to see and goes so this has progressed quite a bit.

Yeah, i know, i was there for the whole journey, thanks 👍 .

What was a small cavity in january that would've been a routine $180 filling is now a full root canal + crown situation, we're talking $1,400 out of pocket after insurance. One thousand four hundred dollars because i couldn't find 45 minutes to go to an appointment for 8 months 👍 .

I'm not even mad at anyone else, that's the worst part. my dentist told me, she was so nice about it too which somehow makes it so much worse, i wanted her to yell at me, i deserved to be yelled at.

Currently eating on one side of my mouth, waiting for the follow-up appointment, and thinking about all the things i could've bought with $1,400 👀 . Do not be me, go to your appointments, i am begging you.

TL;DR dentist told me to come back in 6 weeks for a small filling, i ghosted her for 8 months, now i need a root canal and i'm $1,400 poorer and in constant pain, completely my fault.