Root Canal Filling or Tooth Extraction?

netti

Happy to read about your experience candjsmum as I am in the middle of something similar and facing my first root filling next week! It is the same tooth I had filled back in March so if it's classed as continuous treatment that would be even better. really looking forward to getting this temp filling out and being able to chew again!

lollipopsarah

ouch had the root canal thing, to be honest, the scale and polish was far worse.
but the temporary filling broke and so did the tooth, so it had to come out - grrrrrrrrr!
hope you are feeling better now
x

Devon_Home_Girl

I know this is an old thread, but someone may pick it up.

I've had a 'niggle' with a upper molar tooth for over 7 years - hot and cold affects it and when I bite down its uncomfortable. I've had the filling replaced twice and an additional filling added. (2 different dentists). X-rays show nothing.

Now my new (private) dentist wants to do a root canal, but my thyroid specialist thinks I should have the tooth extracted. He believes that root canals can cause ongoing health problems in susceptible people (such as me - with multiple health issues).

Any thoughts on this...?

Toothsmith

I think if you have someone who bases his treatments on belief rather than evidence, then you need a different specialist!

Root canals do nothing extra to a tooth - they just fix or prevent an infection forming on a dead tooth.

If they don't work, then the infection is still there or potentially there - and any harm that infection could do to a vunerable person is still a risk. But if the root filling is a good one, then it will fix the problem, and the tooth will cause no problems.

So, rather than having the tooth out, this is an extra reason to make sure that if done, the root filling is done well.

Your specialist might be basing his judgement on the poor statistical record of root fillings done on the NHS - but if you're prepared to pay to have it done privately by a specialist endodontist, there is every chance that both you and the tooth will be fine.

If your specialist is worried by potential infections in your mouth, then it's worth getting every large filling or crown in your head carefuly looked at. But I'm not sure what evidence he is basing this worry on.

Shieldmaiden

Hello,

it's an older thread, but maybe someone can help. In 2006 I had a root canal treatment on the last molar bottom left (i have no wisdom teeth and also had the 4s removed on top and 5s at the bottom when i was younger and was given a full set of 'train tracks' to push them all in to place afterwards, apparently not enough room. whoever said i had a big mouth, ha!)

I digress. So I had a rootcanal treatment done by a dentist who I believe was terrible. First he almost knocked me out with the anesthetic and as I stood outside to try and recover there were two other girls out there with me with the same issue. Then he did the whole treatment in one go but said there was a problem with one of the roots - a fork or something like that. upon my question what that means he said the tooth would die one day and have to come out. That baffled me a little seeing that i thought it would be dead anyway, but never mind.

So, about a year ago the tooth suddenly went dark. I asked my dentist about it (a different dentist, i changed immediately after the RC) and he said the xray didn't show anything, maybe we'll have to crown it. Then moved house, another I think very good (private) dentist - took an x-ray because I said that occasionally I get a bit of discomfort from it. Said there was an infection underneath it. I had 3 options - live with it if it's not too bad, try and redo the RC or extract it. She certainly did nto want to do a crown due to the infection - which is fair enough.

But then unfortunately not two weeks later I bit on a seed and the tooth cracked. Pretty low down too, through the root i think - not entirely sure. Then a bit of the filling broke out too. So yesterday I went to the dentist again and they had to extract the bit that had broken off - and of course there was so much infection that the anesthetic didn't work.. ouch. But doens't take to long, and after the 6th injection or so i figured it would be less trouble to just take it out and be done with it.

My question now - she says there is no way the tooth can be saved now since we've removed a third or so. Also, that the rest will ahve to be removed by a specialist since it's likely to break up during extraction.

I know tricky to say without seeing it - but any advice here? Is there no way such a tooth can be saved?

Thanks!

brook2jack

None of us can see the tooth or x rays, so you have to take the advice of someone who can. They are also best placed to assess if and how a tooth needs to come out.

A tooth that is root filled is more brittle and can crack. If there is not enough tooth left, or if the tooth has cracked a long way below the gum there is no way you can put a filling or crown on the tooth that will last any time. So a tooth that has a large piece broken off will have to come out if there is not enough left to hold a crown or filling on.

pollypenny

Some horrible ideas here. I have lost the best part of a large filling, from the second to back molar.

I have a horrid feeling that the tooth will have to come out. I don't want that as the bone sinks and my fave is thin enough as it is. High cheekbones are not good in your 60s!

btw: I have suffered all week, as I would not see my dentist with a heavy cold. Some have said I'm wrong on this. Surely not? Good manners, if nothing else?

brook2jack

during my working life I have had multiple infections given to me by patients. The one hard and fast rule I have is I will not do active treatment on someone with a cold sore as they are very infectious and can cause dentists all sorts of nasty problems.

The cross infection controls we have in place protect patients but we get very close and personal and NO amount of masks,gloves etc give us 100% protection.

We always appreciate when a patient suffering from an infectious problem phones us first to let us know they have a problem and ask if it's ok to attend. Unfortunately ,as happened recently when someone attended who was suffering stomach problems, didn't tell their dentist until after they'd been treated and he and his nurse had to have a couple of days off ill annoying all his patients who had their appointments cancelled, many people do not let us know.

Personally speaking if you are in pain with a heavy cold I would see you, but if you needed extensive treatment and were not too uncomfortable might suggest you wait for your own comfort, until you could breathe through your nose easier.

fiirls

I went to my Dentist on Friday as I had some sensitivity on a bottom molar which had a filling that was very old. She took an xray then informed me I had to see a specialist to have root canal work as the roots were too long for NHS equipment to reach or go to the hospital and have it extracted. She then arranged a follow up 20 min appointment on Monday where she asked me what I had decided. She has now given me until Friday to make my decision. There is no decay in the tooth. HELP!!!!

Toothsmith

To start with, there is no such thing as 'NHS Equipment' -it's whatever equipment the dentist chooses to buy, and then whichever they decide they can use on NHS patients.

A pack of longer hand files - which is all you really need to do an acceptable root filling - will cost about £5.

Of course, it's always possible that there are other factors complicating it, like particularly curvy roots - and it was a time factor of not really having the time to explain to you properly why she didn't feel capable of doing it - so she just plumped for an over-simple explanation.

If she's unhappy taking it out as well, then I would expect that it really is quite a tricky tooth - so recommending referral is probably the right course of action.