Root canals

[Bakiryu]

Hello guys!

I've recently got insurance and as you know (if you have bothered to read my blog ) got some dental work done. Now my dentist say I need a root canal.

Do they really hurt? Should I get it? Or it's just a scam to swindle me out of 500 $ what do you think? Have you ever got one?

[LadyWentworth]

Well, I will tell you how it was for me. I was 15 when I got a root canal. I broke my tooth (on a creamy peanut butter and jelly sandwich - of ALL things!!). I have a crack that is on a diagonal with this tooth, also. Now I honestly don't remember the main reason for the root canal, but I think it had something to do with that crack. I don't really remember. Anyway, for me, it all started as an insurance issue. He didn't want to pull my tooth. So he tried to talk the insurance company into paying for a root canal (it wouldn't pay for it unless I was an adult). Eventually he got them to go as along with it.

Here is what I think is odd. Everyone complains about how they hurt. It did NOT hurt me at all. I honestly don't see what people complain about. Of course, I am not anyone else. So I don't know how it would be for someone else. Having said that, I know that a root canal is supposed to basically "clean" you out. You no longer have any nerves there. At least that is what I was told. I have a crown on that tooth now, of course. What is odd, though, is that the tooth hurts. I go through phases where it hurts a lot, and then I can go for a long period of time where it doesn't bother me at all. So I don't know what happened to the tooth. It didn't hurt when I was having it done (like people say it does) and it hurts now (like people say that it won't). It is just weird (if I am going to listen to what other people say).

What is the reason that they suggest that you get a root canal?

I suppose, in the long run, root canals do help. There must be a purpose for them, right? I just don't know why it is that my "dead" tooth still hurts. Although, that beats having to get my tooth pulled.

[Bakiryu]

What is the reason that they suggest that you get a root canal?

The tooth that's between the incisors and the canine teeth is naturally misshapen at the crown. I didn't usually floss, so I got a cavity (now it's just a small hole they made) but they keep saying I have to get it but I don't really feel any pain in that tooth and my mum (who used to be a dentist) says there's no apparent necrosis.

[papayahed]

The tooth that's between the incisors and the canine teeth is naturally misshapen at the crown. I didn't usually floss, so I got a cavity (now it's just a small hole they made) but they keep saying I have to get it but I don't really feel any pain in that tooth and my mum (who used to be a dentist) says there's no apparent necrosis.

If you don't think your current dentist is on the up and up I would get a second opinion?

[SleepyWitch]

I'm with papaya. get a second opinion.
I've had a root canal and it took them a year to do it. It didn't hurt at all, but it was a lot of hassle. in my case, I think it was a scam, because the first dentist who brought it up badgered me to let her do it and demanded I should pay 300 Euros in cash. I think she was criminal, because I've got health insurance that covers root canals and it's not customary to pay doctors in cash in Germany anyway, insurance or no insurance. So I saw a different doctor and he finished the root canal therapy, but he put in a provisional filling and didn't tell me it was provisional. He said the crown would go on top of the filling and I'd have to wait for 3/4 of a year. So the filling fell out of my tooth before the end of 3/4 of a year and I changed doctors again. This time I went to the university's dentistry clinic because you get treated by dentistry students there and everything is for free. They had to redo everything and I still haven't got a crown on that damn tooth after a whole year.
the point is, this tooth NEVER hurt and the first doctor just started drilling away at it without really asking my consent. She kept threatening me "Of course you don't need to get the root canal but you will be in PAIN!!!" and I told her "No, I won't you've already removed the nerve. That tooth is dead, I won't be able to feel any pain and it never hurt anyway."
So, as I said get a second and if necessary a third, fourth, ....100th opinion

[SleepyWitch]

I suppose, in the long run, root canals do help. There must be a purpose for them, right? I just don't know why it is that my "dead" tooth still hurts. Although, that beats having to get my tooth pulled.

I think root canals are done to stop infections from spreading. when a tooth is inflamed + infected the infection can spread on to uninfected tissue and cause lots of trouble. I think it's the nerve that's infected, so that's why it's removed. the root canals are filled with a material similar to rubber called gutta percha to keep them from re-infecting. but when the tooth is cut of from circulation by removing the blood vessels etc it gets brittle and would crumble without the crown

[LadyWentworth]

Yeah, reading what you wrote there, Baki, I would have to agree that you should get at least a second, maybe even third (just to be sure), opinion. I am just not understanding why they don't attempt to fill the cavity rather than jump straight to wanting to perform a root canal. Did they show you any x-rays while explaining it to you?

I think root canals are done to stop infections from spreading. when a tooth is inflamed + infected the infection can spread on to uninfected tissue and cause lots of trouble. I think it's the nerve that's infected, so that's why it's removed. the root canals are filled with a material similar to rubber called gutta percha to keep them from re-infecting. but when the tooth is cut of from circulation by removing the blood vessels etc it gets brittle and would crumble without the crown

Well, then, I guess that would make a little more sense for why I got one. Maybe with the way that my tooth broke that would've led to some sort of infection eventually. He was going to pull it but decided that the root canal was best. I am sure he had the right reasons for it.

[djy78usa]

I've had two root canals, and niether one hurt. On the second, however, the dentist did not seal the hole correctly, and an absess formed... that hurt like an SOB!

[sprinks]

A friend of mine from school had one recently. Wasn't much fun, but I don't think it hurt her incredibly bad or anything.

[Bakiryu]

Yeah, reading what you wrote there, Baki, I would have to agree that you should get at least a second, maybe even third (just to be sure), opinion. I am just not understanding why they don't attempt to fill the cavity rather than jump straight to wanting to perform a root canal. Did they show you any x-rays while explaining it to you?

No. I mean, they showed me a digital imagery of my skull, where all the cavities and such where marked in red but last summer I went to dentist in Cuba (people who have been dentist for over 20 years) and they checked my teeth and they where fine.

Yeah, I think I'm getting a second opinion, since my insurance doesn't really cover it and I don't have $500!