Which is better for the tooth cavity

L

Lea A Sievers

New Member
Hey friends,
I had severe tooth pain a few months ago, and my dentist suggested a filling. But because of my dental fear, I missed those appointments. I forget about it till my tooth starts paining again. Now I regret that the root canal was not done earlier. I suffer a lot because of my current toothache.
My dentist told me that filling the tooth is not a solution, and the root canal is needed. Also, the root canal is not possible now because of the infection. Now I am taking medicine yo get rid of the infection.
When discussed with my friend, he suggested pulling out the infected tooth rather than a root canal, because in some cases, the teeth need to pull out even after a root canal.
Now I'm in a dilemma whether to do the root canal or pull out the teeth. Please share your experiences and opinions.
Thanks.
 

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You came to the right place.
I've had a full dental reconstruction that included 30 crowns and 28 root canals. (bad teeth since birth).
When a root canal is done right, the success rate is high for saving the tooth. The key word is RIGHT. But I wouldn't ignore a dental infection. It can get much worse & mess up the rest of your health.
By the way, I never took antibiotics before or after a root canal, even when the dentist suggested it. The best way to treat the infection (in my opinion) is to do the root canal immediately. That's what drains the infection.
 

win231 said:
You came to the right place.
I've had a full dental reconstruction that included 30 crowns and 28 root canals. (bad teeth since birth).
When a root canal is done right, the success rate is high for saving the tooth. The key word is RIGHT. But I wouldn't ignore a dental infection. It can get much worse & mess up the rest of your health.
By the way, I never took antibiotics before or after a root canal, even when the dentist suggested it. The best way to treat the infection (in my opinion) is to do the root canal immediately. That's what drains the infection.
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win231 I would love to have your dental plan. I have had three root canal procedures done in my life. One in NYC, one in upstate New York and the both of them including Novocaine and Nitrous was nine hundred. My third one was here in Florida and the dentist recommended IV sedation which it seemed my WellCare insurance didn't cover. The procedure was completely covered but the IV solution alone was a whopping six hundred smackaroos. I guess it pays to have a dentist in the family.
 
FastTrax said:
win231 I would love to have your dental plan. I have had three root canal procedures done in my life. One in NYC, one in upstate New York and the both of them including Novocaine and Nitrous was nine hundred. My third one was here in Florida and the dentist recommended IV sedation which it seemed my WellCare insurance didn't cover. The procedure was completely covered but the IV solution alone was a whopping six hundred smackaroos. I guess it pays to have a dentist in the family.
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I don't have a dental plan. I paid out of pocket for the reconstruction. A dental plan is a total ripoff. When I had coverage through my job, part of the policy says, "When there are several treatment options, the insurer has the option of choosing the least costly treatment." That is a very bad idea when you need a root canal or crown because the dentist will keep replacing fillings on teeth that don't have enough tooth structure to hold a filling because it's cheaper for them. That's what my dentist did when my employer's insurance covered it. And that's what led to several infections.
 
Hi Lea,

I don't have a fear of going to the dentist, but is that something that you could manage with a dentist that uses sedation or even possibly hypnosis? Is your concern general discomfort or the possibility of pain? If so, and if it's an option for you a specialist may well be worthwhile both in the terms of success rate and complications as well as post procedural discomfort.

I've had 3 root canals in my life, and the first two were multi visit procedures. All 3 were done by different dentists in different decades, '60's, 70's, 90's. The third was done by and endodontist and was a single visit. As for comparing the discomfort of the 3 procedures about the same, getting the jab for the anesthetic was it.

Do you have periodontal disease? If you do, and depending on which tooth (teeth???) you have removed you may have to have a bridge or something to prevent shifting of the other teeth. If the supporting bone is healthy, then removing the tooth may be a better solution. What does your dentist suggest?

As someone who doesn't have all their own teeth I'd try to save it, if possible. If you have most all of your natural teeth, losing one isn't that big of a deal.
 
hollydolly said:
Just have the tooth out and be done with it..no more procedures on it, no more pain...

I had 2 root canals in my life, both didn't stem the pain, and ultimately I had to have both teeth out. I suffered through the root canals needlessly If I were to need root canal today I'd refuse it and have the tooth removed
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Definitely the result of an incompetent dentist.
 
no one had more anxiety/fear over the years than I did at the dentist especially in my younger days. I've got use to it over the years so it's not such a big deal now (I worry more about the bill than the procedure :ROFLMAO:).

pulling a tooth should be a last resort since humans only get so many teeth. once its gone its gone. I had one root canal and it worked out fine (no suffering either-- I was numb and felt no pain during or after the procedure). I think it is possible you could still lose the tooth even after the root canal.
 
macgeek said:
no one had more anxiety/fear over the years than I did at the dentist especially in my younger days. I've got use to it over the years so it's not such a big deal now (I worry more about the bill than the procedure :ROFLMAO:).

pulling a tooth should be a last resort since humans only get so many teeth. once its gone its gone. I had one root canal and it worked out fine (no suffering either-- I was numb and felt no pain during or after the procedure). I think it is possible you could still lose the tooth even after the root canal.
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I've had to have 3 root canals extracted .. you are correct, they sometimes don't last forever.
 
macgeek said:
no one had more anxiety/fear over the years than I did at the dentist especially in my younger days. I've got use to it over the years so it's not such a big deal now (I worry more about the bill than the procedure :ROFLMAO:).

pulling a tooth should be a last resort since humans only get so many teeth. once its gone its gone. I had one root canal and it worked out fine (no suffering either-- I was numb and felt no pain during or after the procedure). I think it is possible you could still lose the tooth even after the root canal.
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It's possible, but very unlikely IF the dentist does it right.
 
I've probably had a half dozen root canals, over the years. The last one was just a couple of months ago....the root under an old crown was starting to give me some pain. The dentist removed the crown, cleaned the root, then inserted a fiberglass rod into the root, and drilled into the old crown to mate with the rod, and then glued the whole thing together. Basically, it was almost like getting an implant. After the shot wore off, and ever since, No more problems with that tooth....knock wood.

The way I see it, the longer I can go without dentures, the better.
 
Lea, I'd do the root canal and try to save the tooth. I've only had to have this done once and I still have the tooth. As your friend said, some teeth might still have to come out, but most do not.

You sure don't want to ignore infections in your mouth. They can spread and cause no end of problems. Also I strongly believe that if you have tooth pain, the best thing to do is to get to the dentist ASAP. Cavities and tooth pain from abscesses, etc., generally don't get better on their own and you just end up with a bigger problem.
 
win231 said:
I don't have a dental plan. I paid out of pocket for the reconstruction. A dental plan is a total ripoff. When I had coverage through my job, part of the policy says, "When there are several treatment options, the insurer has the option of choosing the least costly treatment." That is a very bad idea when you need a root canal or crown because the dentist will keep replacing fillings on teeth that don't have enough tooth structure to hold a filling because it's cheaper for them. That's what my dentist did when my employer's insurance covered it. And that's what led to several infections.
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Then you had a bad dental plan. We have dental insurance and our dentist puts in a claim for the treatment I want. There are no multiple choices. The insurance company pays for the treatment up to $2,000 a year. Of course some things aren’t covered but most procedures are. A proper dental plan should ‘save’ you money having procedures that you’d normally get.
 
I guess that I’m weird. Never been afraid of a dentist. I had a tooth pulled once because it became infected. Last year, I had a replacement put in. I really went through with it just for the experience. Is that weird or what? My only complaint is that from the first appointment until it’s finished and no more office visits, it just takes too long. I wouldn’t want a whole mouthful of replaced teeth. It must be a p-i-t-a.
 
I always thought the trick to a root canal was to cap the tooth since its "guts" are gone...I had one in 1970 that eventually discolored and fell out( uncapped)
 
Giantsfan1954 said:
I always thought the trick to a root canal was to cap the tooth since its "guts" are gone...I had one in 1970 that eventually discolored and fell out( uncapped)
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A root canal involves drilling holes in the tooth (1, 2, or 3 depending on how many roots the tooth has) to allow the infection (pus) to drain, reaming out the tooth's roots with progressively-larger size round files, pulling out the tooth's nerve, packing antibiotic material into the roots, then capping or crowning the tooth to maintain the tooth's strength, since the procedure weakens the tooth structure.

With one especially bad infection I had, the dentist treated the root, then sent me home several times with absorbent gauze in each root & a temporary filling to continue absorbing infection between visits. He did not seal & crown the tooth until the gauze came out with no pus on it AND an x-ray to verify that ALL the infection was gone. A good dentist who takes pride in his work will do a thorough root canal & the tooth will function without any pain. Pain after a root canal usually results from the dentist filling the tooth & completing the job without clearing all the infection out - which sometimes takes time & patience & extra visits. Such a dentist is more concerned about getting the next patient into the chair - $$$$$$.
I had one such dentist. When he didn't want to admit that he completed the root canal without getting out all the infection, he (naturally) said he did a good job & it wasn't his fault (they never admit any wrongdoing). My new dentist showed me on my X-Ray the infection he failed to clear out before sealing up the tooth; infection is seen on x-ray as a darkened area.
With any infection left behind, the bacteria may multiply & cause inflammation & pain later. Often with molars that have 3 roots, a competent dentist will treat one or two in one visit, put a temporary filling in the root, then complete the job on the next visit or two.
 
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I've had several root canals, and had no problem with any of them. It was certainly no worse an experience than getting a crown on a tooth.

However, I recently chose to have a tooth extracted, as the endodontist said it was far gone enough that even a root canal just had a small chance of saving the tooth. I figured I had already spent enough time and money on that one tooth, and it was time for it to go. That's the only tooth I ever had extracted. It's in the back, so it's not visible at all, and I haven't even bothered getting a replacement.

Could a root canal have saved it? Maybe, who knows? This is an individual decision for each person, and since both my dentist and the endodontist said they agreed with my decision, it was probably the right one.
 
Keesha said:
Then you had a bad dental plan. We have dental insurance and our dentist puts in a claim for the treatment I want. There are no multiple choices. The insurance company pays for the treatment up to $2,000 a year. Of course some things aren’t covered but most procedures are. A proper dental plan should ‘save’ you money having procedures that you’d normally get.
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Here in the US of A, most people do not have dental insurance, and what dental insurance there is, isn't worth much.
 
Butterfly said:
Here in the US of A, most people do not have dental insurance, and what dental insurance there is, isn't worth much.
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Sorry. This isn’t government offered insurance. It’s employment insurance benefits. All prescriptions are paid for, counselling and alternative healing.
I am grateful.
 
Hi Lea, I am sorry you are having such an awful time with your teeth. That is very difficult.

It's true that sometimes root canals end up needing to have the tooth taken out.
It's important to try to decide if that tooth is worth trying to save it, for your future, or if you can manage without it, then maybe not put yourself through more than the one procedure of removing it.

I dont kjnow which you should do, but take care.
 
Lea A Sievers said:
Hey friends,

Now I'm in a dilemma whether to do the root canal or pull out the teeth. Please share your experiences and opinions.
Thanks.
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Hi there..... if it is possible to be done in dental procedures, I have had it done sometime in my life. There is another alternative and that is to have an implant. So, the questions run along the line of how much are you willing to pay to correct the problem, and how long do you want it to last.

Actually, the recommendation nowadays for a root canal seems to run contrary to natural health. There is a link between each of your teeth and an area of your body (something like holistic health).... I can link you to that information if you want. What I learned was that those 10+ root canals that were done to my teeth might have done more harm than good in my overall health.

I had one implant, and it failed. I am not a candidate for implants. BUT, if you are a candidate for implants, they have a much more natural appearance with the finished product. They can continue into your later years (like a full plate) if you have four implants done in appropriate areas. That was my plan.... but now, I am looking at a bridge, about $3000 for my share after insurance.

Check around for all the alternatives. I have a crown in my mouth along with a root canal that has been there for 45+ years. And I have two other root canals/crowns that have been redone/replaced three times.

I've put enough money in my mouth, I could have bought a vacation home, but hey, I like having teeth!!!!!😁
 

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