Possible root canal treatment

d31b0y

Ok, this is going to be a bit vague, but I will try to include as much detail as possible.

I started getting a very bad pain in my tooth last week. It was hard to tell which tooth. It was either the one that I had a filling in about a year ago, or it was the on in front of it (at the moment the one with the filling seems to be the sorest so I am thinking it is that one that's causing the issue).

I went to the dentist when I found it hard to sleep at night with the pain. Which was Tuesday. The dentist x-rayed my teeth, but couldn't find anything wrong with the from the x-ray. While I trust this dentist, I think they were at a bit of a loss as to what the problem could be. They suggested root canal treatment but said that they would replace the filling first as that's what might be causing the issue. They said that the filling that was put in was quite deep. They put some sort of "coating" down to stop the filling from going deeper into my tooth, but if that doesn't work, I might have to go down root canal road.

What I want to know is, is root canal definitely going to work? I ask because I would have thought you would see something on the x-ray. The pain hasn't really eased off as far as I can tell. I still wake in the middle of the night with pain. I get a pretty bad migraine if I don't take any pain killers, and I get a pain behind my eye.

Any advice? I'm not looking for you to diagnose me or anything. I'm going back to my dentist tomorrow morning and will see what they say.

Thanks,

d

georgieporgy

where in your mouth is the tooth?

d31b0y

The filling is a molar in the top left. The one just in front of my wisdom tooth. Funnily enough, since I posted I haven't taken any pain killers and the pain seems to have subsided. I was at the dentist this morning and we are going to leave it until next week. If the pain goes fully we are going to put a permanent filling back in. They told me that the chances are it will flair back up again at some stage and that I will need RCT at some stage in the future, but it's up to me when I get it done. At least this way I get to start saving up.

phunkymonk

Hey,

ive been also getting a sharp pain in my tooth at the top right at the back,about 1 from the back one...i went to the dentist got an x-ray and said i will require root canal..shook when i heard it.said will be around 900 .

ive been put on anibiotics for a week to stop the infection spreading.

2 questions:

1)im going on holidays to USA in 3weeks,what are the chances the pain will have subsided so i can get it done after my holidays?or should i try (if possible) to get it done before i go?i wud prefer to wait so i could enjoy my holiday ie finish antibiotics and be able to have the odd drink..
usually get the pain when eating not so much during the day.

2) as im on antibiotics can i still exercise,go for runs etc?never really been on them before?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

You could have the tooth taken out, for 900 euro ( expensive even for a specialist BTW but could be very complex I dont know) it would be a back tooth. I always like to keep every tooth, but if 900 is expensive for you you probably wont get the 900 euro crown afterwards either and could end up loosing the tooth anyway.

Just being realistic, BTW you can exercise on antibiotics no problem.

salow

I had something similar a few months ago, after constantly going back and forth from dentist to periodonitst for months was told a root canal would sort the problem out and cost approx 1300 euro then in about 12 - 18 months another few hundred for a cap. Long story short, went to see a different dentist who said I would be better getting the tooth out as it was a back tooth and that in many cases of root canal the tooth ends up coming out within a few years anyway.
In the end I got the tooth out which was no picnic either, ended up in agony with an infection & was on antibiotics for three weeks after before it cleared. I am usually one for keeping all teeth but was a back tooth & was not just the cost that influenced me - saved about 1500 euro all in all. Both my brother and sister have had root canal treatment on front teeth that have not been a success a few years later. Other family members have had similar problems and of those who have had root canals have not been successful.
Except for that infection (which is not very unusual but not common either) I have had no problems & from personal experience would recommend against root canal unless absolutely necessary.

Big_G

This forum is not about the he said she said or my mate heard this or that or this happened to my brothers dog.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18928836 Success of endodontic therapy 90.2%
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1796394691.45% success
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20467630 84.1%-90.2% successful
And that's just from a quick search of the literature. Granted these were all specialists in the studies but I am confident of a 90% success rate in my practice and I am a general dentist. So root canal works in 9 out of 10 cases.

phunkymonk

ive decided to get a second opinion on it from a dentist back home (mayo) have an apt with him for fri just because i just booked the first dentist that could fit me in in the evenin last week...

She quoted me a price of about 900(prob specialist) but the dentist im seeing on friday quoted me about 400, it would be done by a general dentist..why is there such a big difference on price?

Is there always a crown required after a root canal??
very confused on what the best option is to take..

btkm8unsl0w5r4

phunkymonk wrote: »

Is there always a crown required after a root canal??:

Some would say its more important than having the root canal perfect to get the crown, it stops bugs leaking into the tooth afterwards and seals the tooth, its also stops the tooth fracturing which root treated tend to do due to being weakened. Still I would rather a tooth in my head without a crown than one in the bucket

Ray HA, Trope M. Periapical status of endodontically treated teeth in relation to the technical quality of the root filling and the coronal restoration. Int Endod J. 1995 Jan;28(1):12-8

res ipsa

1.5 million root canals, the majority done by general dentists, 8 years later 97% were still there.

http://drsalehrabi.com/files/38018228.pdf

btkm8unsl0w5r4

85% of the teeth that failed (3%) in that study did not have coronal coverage. Interesting study, I love these insurance company studies the numbers a massive.

phunkymonk

just got a second opinion there at the weekend and he reckons there is no sign whatsoever for a root canal..he examined and took an xray,he thinks the pain is coming from a wisdom tooth that is coming up on the bottom right hand side that is angled in towards my back tooth...

was just eatin there and chewed on my right side and got an awful pain all over my right side especially on top??still there half hour later?
Dont know if hes right or if i should get a third opinion.:(