root canal question

Just have it pulled. I don't know how you feel about alternative medicine, but most alternative people feel root canals are extremely bad for you. I would never take the chance myself. I don't which tooth it is, but certain teeth have certain ties to different organs in Chinese medicinal teaching. And those roots hook into the jaw bones. Do you really want to take a chance on systematic sepsis entering through the blood supply in that bone from an infection? Not to mention heavy metal poisoning from the mercury deep in that root. I won't have a root canal. I chose to have a 2nd molar pulled rather than take the risk a few years ago. The risks greatly outweigh the benefits of keeping one tooth.
Pull it and be done with it.

I had an upper rear molar root canal done and jsut a temp filling as that was all I could afford. A month later I'm back seeing his father [day off] who lanced the abcess and gave me another anti-biotic script.

Back to see his son he sent me to a specialist who found a 4th root by using his digital x-ray. He wanted $1,200.00 to re-do the root canal and insisted on an immediate crown as the tooth would be mostly a shell. This was after I went in debt to the tuune of $900.00 for the first try!

I chose to not do it & shortly later it cracked and a daily dose of listerine has kept the germs at bay for the past three years.

Since I have a few other gaps, I'm planning on getting it pulled and having a partial made once I go back to work...

i had an abscess in a molar and had a root canal in one appointment and never got the crown. that was 7 years ago or so and all seems well at the moment. sometimes you get lucky.

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this message has probably been edited to correct typos, spelling errors and to improve grammar...

"All that is gold does not glitter..."

Hi Dawn,

I don't have anything to add to what others have said, except I'm so sorry for what you're going through. I'm a big chicken when it comes to dentists and I've always had good, competent, kind ones.

May you come through this released from pain with a tooth that will last you the rest of your life.

hugs,


stef

Endodontic procedures, and, more importantly the patients subsequent willingness to do ANYTHING to save a tooth they've invested heavily in, both in money and excrutiating pain, have perhaps bought more dentists vacation homes than any other dental procedure. Extraction means an immediate end of income to the Dentist. Pulpectomy means a cash cow for as long as you remain a patient. By the way, has your Dentist been to Root Camp? http://www.goldsteinmanagement.com/E...l_Practice.htm

Thanks so much for all your responses,they have been great help with explaining things. Today I called 2 specialists, 1 said 950 regardless,the other said they could take an x-ray and give me an estimate after they see what they have to do. Problem is,we live 160+ miles from there so I really need to know ahead of time approximately. I also called the dentist office i'd gone too and they said 275. We just don't have that kind of money sittingdo around so I'm not sure what to do. The dentist I go to has all high tech equipment and is highly recommended,just that my root canal didn't work. I am not a complainer BUT I am going to complain about the nurse being so rude. Another thing that really upset me was the dentist didn't even come in the room to talk to me,at all. Take the money and run.As far as feeling in my tooth, it doesn't feel dead. The whole area from my gumb up is sore and always has been. Seems to me that is where the nerves would be. Anyway ,thanks so much for all your responses. I will keep you posted. Today has been a better day as far as feeling better so that is positive.

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'This too shall pass'

Best wishes, and do try to save the tooth.

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"Luck is the residue of design" - Branch Rickey

Today I had my expensive root canal tooth extracted. The original procedure was probably done 25+ years ago. I have weighed the advantage of keeping this tooth which has required antibiotics for infections and has been "reworked" by an specialist once within the last 5 years. I've had an aching above this tooth too. Honestly I tried to keep this molar because this is the last chewing surface on that side of my mouth. Dawn, please try to keep the tooth if you can while you have a choice. Years later you will regret losing the tooth.

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~~~~The best time to do something is between yesterday and tomorrow~~~~

It doesn't matter how much high tech equipment they have, Good dentists don't treat and run.

I won't go into details, but suffice to say I have horrible teeth.

I've had 2 root canals so far. One by a dentist years ago and another done by an Endodontist last year.

If I ever need another root canal I will gladly plunk down my hard earned money for an Endodontist to do it without a doubt.

The Endodontist and his assistant were a great team and they worked with No muss, no fuss. They were very careful to check their work as they went. They were concerned about my comfort and explained everything. The whole procedure was so SMMMMOOOOOOOTH that I fell asleep while they were working on my tooth. I was embarrassed to have fallen asleep, but then realized it was a real statement about the quality of their work. Having to get a root canal is no fun, but the root canal itself doesn't have to be a horrible procedure.

deb
in wi

Former dentist left a broken file in my exW tooth. Put a cap on it. It absessed. The infection around the end of the root caused de-calcification to the bone (skull) around the tooth. Had to cut the gum and scrape out the mess and get the file out from the root end. A real mess.

do not have it pulled it will cause the other teeth to move around and potentially cause more problems not to mention implamts cost thousands and are pretty complicated

Stephen your post was uncalled for. Root canals are so much better for you than having a bunch of teeth pulled. Dentists don't buy vacation homes because they do root canals, they may have more money than the average person because they went to dental school and worked hard to earn their degree.
I know you can't paint everyone with the same brush but really, to advise someone to get their tooth pulled because the dentist is too rich is ridiculous.

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misera est servitus ubi jus est aut incognitum aut vagum
(miserable is that state of slavery in which the law is unknown or uncertain)

I just had my first root canal by a dentist I totally trust. He did it in two stages, which he prefers, to make sure everything is cleaned out properly and there are no issues.

Sad part is.. is I am going to have to move again. I have been on the receiving end of Dentists that don't care and shouldn't be practicing. Seems like there are more of those than than the good ones.
My teeth aren't great, even though I take very good care of them. And I totally fear trying to find another good Dentist.

So if you can, find a Dentist you can trust, will make all the difference in the World.

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Shari

Good luck Dawn and best wishes. I have had my share of root canals in the past. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. the ones that work are great. The ones that didn't turned into extractions.

I have have only praise for my dentists. I have a rare condition called Congenital Internal Resorption. My teeth literally dissolve from the root out. If they catch it in time, they can save the tooth through root canal. The trick is that there are no symptoms until the tooth goes abscessed then it is too late. Only frequent xrays can detect a tooth going bad and sometimes they go bad so fast it can happen between checkups and then be too late.

Frankly, I won't do another root canal, not because of bad doctors, but because they are nothing more than a game of chance for me and my condition. Most of my endentologists will refund 50% if their work fails. I think that is pretty cool.

Can you find somebody to give you a second opinion without charging you an arm or a leg to do it? I know how costly these things can be.

Tooth abscesses can be dangerous if not taken care of. They can cause endocarditis.

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I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here!

Thanks so much for your replies and all the excellent advice. I can't imagine falling asleep at the endodontist but sure glad you could. I guess I just get myself already sick the day before and then to have to go through this again is just stressing me out. Badlander,that is awful that you have that. Sounds like you have been through your share of dental procedures. In order to get a second opinion it would be to drive 160+ miles. That isn't bad except i'd have to do it at least twice to set up and appointment. We don't have the money so to pay out 950 dollars up front is out of the question. Not that they are not worth it,if I would I could. Do you guys all think that if I get it fixed this time it will work or will it come back. I really hate to get it pulled and that would be my last option due to choosing already to keep this tooth but I hate to do this and have it not work. thanks again,dawn

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'This too shall pass'

There is a good chance that your tooth is cracked or has a lateral canal that exits out the side of the root higher up where the new area has shown up. Neither would be apparent to your dentist when he/she did your root canal or he would have advised extraction right from the start. Just like surgery, not all procedures are successful. I probably wouldn't sink any more money into this tooth, but I suspect your dentist did his best, and has no control over variations of the human body. Think about it. What's in it for him to do a bad job and have a patient who is in pain and disatisfied? Root canals are about 97% successful. It sucks to be in the unlucky 3%, but maybe you are beating the odds in other categories---cancer , heart disease, auto accident divorce, etc.