root canal, or have it pulled??

[JIM S.]

Ok. . so I found a cavity and after a visit to the dentist I am wondering what would be the best. keeping it would be good ($500 later) but am wondering how long it will last. . my dad has had fillings and bridges fall out after a few years.

or just have it pulled and not have to wonder what will need to be done later??

the tooth is the small moler... . dont know whats its called... between the front ones and the molers.

anyway. . any suggestions, advise??

Jim

 

[nickleinonen]

i had a wisdom tooth go bad on me... and i had it pulled under local freezing... i thought i was going to kill my dentest. it hurt like hell...

 

[mazdarotary]

I have had a root canal recently (about a year and a half ago),and it was no real problem aside from the several trips to the dentist(they do it all in stages),and the cost. My dental coverage from work isn't very good. I was hearing all kinds of stuff about how bad they hurt and all but it wasn't that bad. There was some discomfort at times but then again there always is with dental work.



The dentist told me that after i had the permanent crown attached that I would not be able to tell the difference from it and the real teeth. Which is mostly true feeling wise when chewing but when running my tounge over the teeth I can deffinatly tell the fake one from the real ones. I would say if you can afford it get the root canal because that way you will still have your tooth under the crown(what is left of it) even though it is now a dead tooth. just my . 02$



Chris

92 D250 LE CC

74 Mazda Rotary truck

83 Mazda RX-7

 

[PaulCreamer]

Since I don't have

dental insurance, I have been getting them pulled, (4 so far) with the thought in mind of getting dentures or something later on.

What a pain in the a$$ when it comes to eating good things like steak, and if you get a pretzel cockeyed and it gets jammed into your gum, you'll see stars. :{ If you can just get a filling, it would prolly be better than getting them yanked.



Since when do they have to be root canaled just for a cavity anyhow?

 

[TowPro]

I have had 7 root canals done. Ok, I went to the dentist when I was 17 as HS required it, but then I seem to have forgot I was supposed to go, by the time I was 23 it was a little late.



Anyway, Get it done, it don't really hurt because they remove the nerve of the tooth so there is nothing there to feel the pain.



If they tell you you need a crown, don't wait. I did and and the tooth cracked, had to get it pulled and a bridge put on between the 2 teeth on either side of the hole. It would have been cheaper to just get the crown in the first place.



Now that I have survived my Teens, I go to the dentist 2X per year and never have cavaties

 

[QRTRHRS]

As a kid, I did not take care of my teeth. I have payed dearly for that but yeh well. Present situation: I still have all my wisdom teeth. I wear a partial on the lower because I have no molers other then the wisdom teeth. Everything else is capped. On the upper, I have two bridges. One bridge is for one tooth, the other is for two. Everything is capped. Of the half dozen or so root canals I have had, only one was a problem. Double roots, 90 degree angle on one or something like that, abcess, etc. No pain though, just long dentist visits and about 35K in expenses. To be honest, if I had to do over, I would have had them all pulled. If I just needed one root canal though, I would have it done ASAP. Dental insurance? Reasonable and customary? Just where on God's green earth can one find that?

 

[JohnE]

I've got enough gold crowns to foil a rap singer's car.



I have one root canal and the 2nd crown is holding well.

The root canal itself was pure he!! partly due to my fault. I had a temp that worked too well so I forgot to go back for 18 months. Well it finally wore out and I was forced to see the Endontist under agony of a tooth ache.

The Endontist ignored my warning that I don't last long numb with Lidocaine. He ending up having trouble with the other guy the Endontist was doing at the same time and my numb wore off in the delay. It was not (expletive deleted) pleasant, but certainly not the norm I hope.



A root canal is usually required if the decay breaches the pulp. I have 3 teeth where the dentist was able cap the decay into the pulp and thus prevent a root canal but still required a crown. It was a gamble (my consent) that paid off and luckily so did insurance.



Dental insurance is really ... . poor. It often times doesn't cover the things you need at the time you need it.

My 6 yo daughter (at the time) had an absess on a milk tooth. It is one of the last milk teeth shed so the dentist said it needed to stay and required a root canal to keep it or else braces would be required later. #$^ Insurance would not cover this preventative measure. I ended up paying for the extra $150 for the root canal out of my pocket. The saved tooth means my daughter will not have braces for the tune of $3,000 or more which insurance does pick up most of that tab. In the long run it was worth every nickle owing to the lack of braces, but why does an insurance company that bases coverage out of saving dollars miss this little accounting plus?



The amount most dental insurance pays for crowns is not even the cost if you go to dental schools to be a student ... patient.



OK log post. You can tell this really hit a sore spot with me.....

 

[DKayser]

Teeth, What Teeth?

Mine were pulled by a Ford Taurus while I was riding my bike. I heartily recommend you do what you can to keep them. Dentures,and/or bridges, are not any fun. Money ends up being a factor. Good luck, Don.

 

[cap-n-cray]

I have had one root canal through a crown. The woman dentist said when she was just starting after drilling through the crown. "There is a little piece of dead tissue I will pull it out. " She them reached through my mouth down to my testi... ... :--) well you know and pulled them out through my mouth. The pain killer finally started to work and there was no more pain. The first part was very painful, but I would do it again to save the tooth.



Cary

 

[crabman]

Just get it taken care of, root canal, filling, whatever. Best teeth are the ones you have now, NOT man made aftermarket ones.

Brush your teeth and floss at least once and day. (twice is better)

Get them cleaned at least once a year. (twice is better)

FLOSS ONLY THE ONES YOU WANT TO KEEP!! Dentist told me that years ago and it is still true today.

Ask anyone who has false teeth if they would rather have their own teeth back and see what they say.

crabman

PS.

Best floss to use is J & J Reach, has fluoride

 

[DJW]

Get the Root Canal, over the years I have just two, mine were $800 a piece, spend the money, Dentists also have to live, I fall asleep and let them get on with it. No teeth are like your own, face it! would you swap for a False Pecker?, it takes a lot of serious thought, it's claimed "No Pain No Gain" I have only lost one tooth from decay, and had that replaced many years later, probably the first Gift I gave myself, cost $1600, don't even know I have it. Did I ever take care of my teeth? No! just a child of the Depression, No Treats are Good Treats. Not forgetting "You Get What You Pay For" Scrum Down