Question:
I'm planning to have a root canal done on an upper front tooth, and
also planning some travel...to a foreign country, for a week or two.
Would it be a good idea to stick close to home between the first
preparation of the tooth, and the next visit to place the filling
material?
How long a period would that be?
And after that, before the crown is placed, would travel be advisable?
I could wait and have the rc done after I return from my trip, but
it's probably better to look after it asap.
Also, would you recommend having a root canal done by an endodontist,
or is a gp ok for a single-root tooth, with no complications. The xray
does show a very small area of infection at the root of this tooth,
but it's not symptomatic at all.
Answer:
Many of us could do the RCT on that tooth with our eyes closed. You choose
the person who gives you the greatest confidence. Most teeth in need of RCT
will show some change on the x-ray image.
The RCT should (probably) be done in just one appointment. If the tooth
does not have lots of fillings and lots of decay, you might not need the
crown. Just a bonded filling in that case. If the tooth is broken down
enough to need a crown, schedule it ASAP, but you could probably wait a few
weeks. If the tooth is very weak, the longer you wait, the greater the
chance it make split or fracture. If your teeth do not have a lot white,
brown, yellow blotches and is rather uniform in color, you could get a CEREC
crown done in about 80 minutes flat--complete. If your teeth have
coloration requiring custom shading, add 15-20 minutes for staining and
glazing. IF the dental office has not yet discovered CEREC, you get to have
an impression, wear a temporary crown for two weeks (or more), and then get
your crown put on.
Endodontist. There's a good reason why that speciality exists: Root
canals, even ones that seem like they would be simple, are hard to do
well. (Go pick up an endodontics textbook and read it, and you'll see
what I mean.)
My guess is you aren't an endodontist. Most endodontists will readily
say that most root canals can be handled by a competent general dentist.
There's nothing wrong with going to an endodontist, but you'll pay
more. For that matter, there's nothing wrong with going to an oral
surgeon for all your extractions, periodontist for all your gum
treatments, pediatric dentists for all the kids, etc. But that will
significantly (and often unnecessarily) drive up the cost of dental care.
I would have to question the judgement of an endodontist who
claims that the average generalist can successfully complete root canal
therapy on a multirooted tooth or even a tooth with more than one canal.
And I would also question the judgement of a generalist who claims to be
able to complete acceptable root canal therapy on a
multirooted/multicanal tooth.
As for single-rooted teeth, a general dentist would probably be fine as
long as the patient doesn't mind the all-to-likely anesthesia problems,
and the higher likelihood of needing a retreatment sooner than if an
endodontist had done the job. Unless you happen to luck out and find
the one general dentist in a thousand who just happens to be unusually
good at root canals.
Every general dentist I've ever been to in the past ten years have
always referred their patients to endodontists for root canals. The
generalists only did root canals when they had to (like when they
accidentally exposed the pulp while removing caries).
That's because you're paying for a more experienced professional with a
more extensive, specialized education who will almost certainly do a
better job, which pays off in terms of a higher probability of success.
You can fork over $800 for a root canal from an endodontist... Or you
can fork over $500 for a root canal from a generalist, and then in a
couple years you can fork over another $500 for a retreatment.
