Question:
Tooth was refilled. Pain came back. Different tooth. After another visit
(& second opinion) the conclusion was reached that the tooth needed a root
canal (ouch! £120 in the UK & 3 hrs 'cos it's a 3 rooted, bent rooted
tooth).
The xray suggested there was no reason for this job but the dentist is
almost sure the tooth has died (not too technical- sorry!) because placing a
cold swab-thing on it produces no reaction. On other teeth cold is sensed
after a few seconds.
Just to be sure, before doing a root canal, on Tuesday, the dentist has put
a temporary filling sandwiched with a steroid coating (type thing!). He was
fairly sure that in 48 hrs I would be in terrific pain again and therefore
it was root canal time!
It's Friday today, an the tooth feels fine. I can eat & put pressure on it
and there is no pain whatsoever.
I have left a message on the practice's answer machine asking if I should
come back in or wait until August (my next appointment).
Whilst I don't doubt in any way my dentist's tecniques, I just wonder if the
group has any fresh ideas as to the cause of all this?
Answer:
anything with the word "root canal" I'm now avidly
interested in. I'm not in excruciating pain, but it is Saturday evening and I
too, left an emergency message with the dentist that I'll be on her front steps
Monday morning. It seems to me, as absolutely a lay person knowing nothing
about the art of dentistry, that in many cases, dentists give the best opinion,
because simply, like medical doctors, sometimes they just don't know. "Let's
try this," is popular.
There are rip off dentists just like there are rip offs in any field. My own
experience has taught me to just trust my intuition and when I don't, it's more
costly [pain-wise] than when I have found the right dentist.
I have found the right dentist and it's going to cost me money I don't have,
but what to do. It must be taken care of. In any case, Monday, I should be put
out of my misery.
We call this the tooth's "Swan Song." Louis I Grossman - D'64 one of
the pioneers of endodontics!
Your nerve has become "non-vital." After this, no pain. It will most
likely develop an abscess (root infection) and will eventually require
root canal therapy.
This leads me to believe that you have 2 tooth rpoblems - one is the
one which did not repond to the ice and tyhe other is this latest one.
You might have peridontitis; I am going through four treatments with Root
Scaling and Planing. The symptoms came quickly; the dentist said my
sensivity to heat and cold and the inability to chew except with my front
teeth was all due to periodontitis.
They blasted my roots with an ultrasonic plaque remover and fed
antibacterial
medicine into the roots with a long needle. I had six shots and swear I
didn't feel much when it was done. I will have three treatments more, then
they will fix my weak fillings as well.
I was put on a periodontal nightly rinse for three weeks before the
treatment, and I will continue as long as they say I must. This is all a
lot better than a root canal for me. I am almost able to chew normally again
and look forward to the other 3 treatments.
All seems reasonable. Pain from a tooth nerve can sometimes be very difficult
to localise. Not a bad price for a (private?) root filling.
3 hours seems a bit of a long time - maybe it won't all be used.
All seems fine. In the early stages of pulp death there is no visible change
on an xray. But, no sensitivity to cold indicates a dead tooth and hence the
need for a root filling.
Fine - if in doubt temporize with something reversible and sedative to reduce
untoward symptons and wait for something "more obvious" to appear which
confirms the diagnosis. Then go ahead with the now definately correct
treatment.
If it was insensitive to cold it almost certainly needs a root filling. The
steroid based dressing is just controlling or masking the problems for now.
You should go back to your dentist so he can confirm his suspicions and go
ahead with the treatment (if it all seems 100% certain now). If the tooth
needs a root treatment and you don't go ahead you will have PAIN++ at some
point in the (probably not too distant) future.
There is no way we can tell you what is going on in your tooth over the NET.
Generally, in my office, a tooth which hurts and has no response to a pulp
test needs a root canal treatment. But,,,,,,,,,I said generally. Sorry,
but there is no way to be certain over this medium. If you are not
convinced, get a second opinion at a different office (be prepared to pay
for it.) Then, return to the first office to have the work performed.
