When I was a child I fell with my front teeth on the ground (milk teeth) didn't break any, everything was fine but my adult teeth grew crooked. I never had any major issues with me teeth, maybe 2 holes in total that I had to get fixed. At 17 I got braces to fix my teeth. I had them for about 3-4 yesrs. Again, no teeth issues. But because of the pressure my jaw sometimes cracked really badly, it stopped when I got my braces removed. No issues since then.
I'm now 24. One year ago i started feeling some pressure on my right front tooth and the smaller tooth next to it. I went to the dentist and they told me I have no tooth decay. Afterwards I went to the orthodontist and he gave me a night guard because he noticed I grind my teeth. He also noticed that my mouth moves in C-shape when I open it and sometimes still cracks and told me that's possible still a long-term side effect from having braces (Craniomandibular Dysfunction). One has to do physiotherapy to fix that, it doesn't really affect me at all and is really expensive so I haven't gotten into it yet.
As I STILL feel the pressure on my tooth I went to the dentist again and he made a cold test on some of my teeth. I didn't feel anything on both front teeth (also some other teeth) but I felt a lot on that small teeth next to my right front tooth. He made an x-ray of my right front tooth and the small tooth and there was a dark shadow on the root of my tooth and you couldn't really see any roots or chambers in the interior of my right front tooth. So the dentist told me he thinks the tooth is dead and I need to have root canal treatment to mantain the tooth (probably booth front teeth) and remove the shadow on the root (inflammation).
The weird thing is, the color of my teeth is completly normal and I wouldn't say it hurts. It just doesn't make sense to me and I really can't figure out how this could have happened.
My boyfriend once accidently hit my mouth with his elbow but it wasn't bad at all and only hurt for like 2 minutes. Also, I already felt "pressure" on my tooth then I think. And It wasn't the first time I've lightly hit my front teeth.
I know it's not the end of the world but I'm really under pressure with university and exams and also have other not related (mental) health issues and this really does feel like the end of the world for me. I also went through really painful treatments with my braces like having a metal plate drilled into the palate and for me hearing that my front teeth are dead means I went through all of it for nothing. I was really anxious about my crooked front teeth and having them fixed was a huge relieve and boosted my confidence and now...gone.
I've read root canal treatment can mantain your teeth for some years - and after that what? I have to remove my teeth even tho I've always done everything for them to be health? I hate everything about this thought.
And just the thought of my FRONT teeth being dead is messing up my mental health. I'm the biggest overthinker and not knowing what the cause is and what the future brings kills me. Also, I hate that i have this thought, but what if this makes me turn ugly in my boyfriends eyes?
I sound like an hysterical stupid chicken (I know that, I'm sorry) and I know there is much worse than this...I'm just really upset and afraid...