Fractured lower molar that had a gold crown replacement

[Lib52]

Last summer in 2008, I had been eating breakfast at a local hotel restaurant and had opened a small jar of jam to spread on a toasted bagel.  After biting down on the bagel, I immediately felt a sharp painful object impaled in my lower left molar.  Obviously, I had unwittingly bit down on a foreign object that had been in the jam jar. I removed the plastic triangular shaped jam covered object from my mouth.  I told the server what had happened and asked to file a report, but she stated she would tell management what happened.  To cut to the chase, since the server did not notify management or fill out a report regarding the incident and the fact that the server is no longer employed at the restaurant, I now have a very infected tooth that upon a routine Xray cannot be saved and will need to be extracted with future restoration options explored.  The restaurant has no documentation of the incident, so I am solely responsible for the costs to remove my tooth.  Presently, my tooth is very painful with radiating pain on the left side of my jaw and face.

As I am not financially able at this time to seek medical treatment for the tooth, how long can I "stave off" the procedure before any possible risks or complications occur?  Thanking you in advance for any information you can provide.