Dude, like, go to a dentist. If you feel helplessly broke, call social services and find out how to get dental care for the helplessly broke. Or suck it up the price and get it taken care of. They may just yank out the tooth (cheapest option), but it should make the suffering stop.

Seriously. Like, make an appointment now. You can't afford to worry about it too much, just do it. Deal with the fallout later, when you can think.

Me: "I need to get this tooth looked at."
Dentist's office: "And how will you be paying for this?"
Me: "I can't?"
Dentist's office: ::waves farewell::

1. Call social services
2. Pay cash

I have no cash.

Arranged for a line of credit, though. Appallingly high rates, but what choice do I have? Can I say for the record here that I wish the employment offers I KNOW I have were not tied up by government bureaucracy?

They have options. When I went the first few times, one of the nurses recommended I sign up for this CareCredit thing. If you have good credit, not the bestest and awesomest or absolutely pure, but decent enough credit... You should have no problem getting approved. It's a payment plan option that many dentists use.

If you start feeling really sick -- dizzy, hot, in so much excruciating pain that you just don't want to get out of bed -- GO! Do not put that shit off man. If it's a medical emergency, sometimes they HAVE to see you. There are also free clinics you might be able to find. Take cedel's advice and make some phone calls.

You should trust me on this. Remember? I'm the one missing 13 teeth here because of putting that shit off for so long. Save your teeth and yourself the pain while you can.

Also: If there's a Revol or Cricket in your area, you should apply there. It's what Jamie does. They offer medical and dental coverage on the first day of employment. I know it's not what you're used to, but it's a job. Cell phone companies are always hiring.

That's actually what I ended up doing, amusingly enough.

I've actually hit the too-much-pain point, but I have an appointment tomorrow to go. Then we'll go around and hit up local employers of choice, in the hopes that I can get something briefly till one of my good choices comes through.

I wish you the highest premium-grade of luck there is in ironing this out. In the meantime, remember the military axiom "Pain is weakness leaving the body." Or something.

Luck would have been not having it happen in the first place...

Oh, don't worry, you will have MANY more dice rolls before this is all over...

Luck would be any number higher than five, at this point...

Out of 20?

10, 20, or 100. I don't seem to have any luck these days.