Root canal or have the tooth pulled?

[enayes]

I have an upper molar that has been filled multiple times and is still causing me discomfort. It's extremely sensitive to hot and cold, etc.

Should I have it pulled or get a root canal? The dentist will most likely push the root canal.

[Akrazotile]

I have an upper molar that has been filled multiple times and is still causing me discomfort. It's extremely sensitive to hot and cold, etc.

Should I have it pulled or get a root canal? The dentist will most likely push the root canal.


Wow, good thread timing. Im facing a similar decision.

The back two teeth on the top right of my mouth are packed really close together and stuff gets stuck in between them super easy. Unfortunately my flossing consistency wasnt as good as an adolescent as it is today and the slow deteriorating is finally catching up and theres a pretty good sized cavity on my very back last tooth. The decay is too deep now to just get a filling so I have to choose which road to go, root canal and crown or just have it yanked.


Ive been putting the decision off which probably isnt a good thing either. Need to decide soon. :(

[Meticode]

I worked for a company who scheduled soldiers for dental treatments. Rule of thumb is if you have a tooth that corresponds with that tooth in chewing (for example if you're looking to have work done on an upper molar and there's a lower molar that touches it when chewing) then you try to save the tooth. Because it's still useful. Also it might good to save the tooth if you plan to get an implant later on or some type partial denture or something. Please take into account the military is cheap when it comes to this and they'll usually go to pulling a tooth versus saving it, especially if the tooth has no job or purpose at the time.

It's up to you to save it or not if it's savable, but it's purely for your own reasons.

I've had some soldiers stress saving a molar when the molar has no job whatsoever, there's no tooth below or above to to chew anything, it's just sitting there doing nothing. They just want to keep the tooth for piece of mind.

I've had other soldiers say "Screw it, pull it, it doesn't chew anything anyway, what's the use of it being there?"

I can tell you this, pulling the tooth is a hell of a lot cheaper than saving it because root canals will only last so long. They'll probably come a time where it'll fall out, or the tooth or crack or something negative will happen to send you back in the office.

Personally if I had generally good teeth overall, and it was just this tooth giving me problems, I'd definitely save it.

rufuspaul is a dentist, so he might chime in on this, but we can only offer so much advice since we don't have access to bitewings or panorex x-rays of your mouth.

[Meticode]

Wow, good thread timing. Im facing a similar decision.

The back two teeth on the top right of my mouth are packed really close together and stuff gets stuck in between them super easy. Unfortunately my flossing consistency wasnt as good as an adolescent as it is today and the slow deteriorating is finally catching up and theres a pretty good sized cavity on my very back last tooth. The decay is too deep now to just get a filling so I have to choose which road to go, root canal and crown or just have it yanked.


Ive been putting the decision off which probably isnt a good thing either. Need to decide soon. :(
Is it a wisdom tooth? If so, pull it. I'm guessing it's not though.

[Akrazotile]

Is it a wisdom tooth? If so, pull it. I'm guessing it's not though.


Unfortunately not, already had my wisdom teeth pulled. :(

[gigantes]

i had a root canal done on a molar and it was pretty much my worst decision ever. a few years later the crown popped off, probably exacerbated by decay which had resumed underneath, and i wasn't in a position to afford more dental work at the time.

time passed, the base of the tooth cracked, and i now have three large fragments floating around the gum where that tooth used to be. what with most of my medical time being spent on other problems, i still haven't had the fragments yanked... not like i'm looking forward to it! but oh man, do i wish i'd had the molar yanked and an implant done when i had the chance.

i've had two other molars yanked in the past, and the loss of them hardly bothers me at all. fortunately the near teeth did not drift at all, which is apparently a concern. maybe i'm just lucky.

one other funny thing-- the first tooth i had yanked i didn't get much novacain injected, so it hurt like bloody hell coming out. BUT the rush of endorphins right after was pretty amazing, and the wound hardly bothered me afterward. i really did miss that awesome painkiller rush the second time around. :P

[Done_And_Done]

Ohhhhh Rufffffffffffus!!!!!


I encountered the same predicament a whiles ago. I looked in the mirror and smiled as wide as the Grinch to confirm its absence would not be visible when smiling. I also ate a cookie to ensure it would not annoy me while eating (that proved nothing but the cookie was dope nevertheless)

Had my dentist yank the effer out...

[Akrazotile]

i had a root canal done on a molar and it was pretty much my worst decision ever. a few years later the crown popped off, probably exacerbated by decay which had resumed underneath, and i wasn't in a position to afford more dental work at the time.

time passed, the base of the tooth cracked, and i now have three large fragments floating around the gum where that tooth used to be. what with most of my medical time being spent on other problems, i still haven't had the fragments yanked... not like i'm looking forward to it! but oh man, do i wish i'd had the molar yanked and an implant done when i had the chance.

i've had two other molars yanked in the past, and the loss of them hardly bothers me at all. fortunately the near teeth did not drift at all, which is apparently a concern. maybe i'm just lucky.

one other funny thing-- the first tooth i had yanked i didn't get much novacain injected, so it hurt like bloody hell coming out. BUT the rush of endorphins right after was pretty amazing, and the wound hardly bothered me afterward. i really did miss that awesome painkiller rush the second time around. :P


Appreciate the perspective here :cheers:

[Akrazotile]

Ohhhhh Rufffffffffffus!!!!!


I encountered the same predicament a whiles ago. I looked in the mirror and smiled as wide as the Grinch to confirm its absence would not be visible when smiling. I also ate a cookie to ensure it would not annoy me while eating (that proved nothing but the cookie was dope nevertheless)

Had my dentist yank the effer out...


How did everything work out consequently? Are you still satisfied with the decision?

[Done_And_Done]

How did everything work out consequently? Are you still satisfied with the decision?

Very much so.

It's still undetectable through my smile and it doesn't affect the way I eat food or vageeena in the slightest. The gap doesn't seem to retain any plaque build-up either.

So yeah, no 'regerts'

http://wtftattoos.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/noregert.jpg

[JohnnySic]

I had a tooth pulled a year ago; it had been causing me problems and had been filled multiple times over the coarse of almost 20 years.

You get used to not having it. As long as the gap doesn't show. :D

[DukeDelonte13]

yank it.

[IGOTGAME]

Get the root canal. Yanking the tooth can cause your teeth to shift. You don't want an Anthony Davis smile.

[JohnFreeman]

I have a black hole on the top of my tooth. Doesn't hurt

[tomtucker]

pull it out......it

[enayes]

I'm heading to the dentist on Monday. I'm going to try and have it pulled, we'll see what they say.

[tomtucker]

I'm heading to the dentist on Monday. I'm going to try and have it pulled, we'll see what they say.

they will try to convince you to keep it...........so much more money for them......:facepalm

[enayes]

The tooth I want to have pulled is my second to last molar on the top of my mouth. I also have a wisdom tooth that is halfway in that same area of my mouth.

If I have the tooth pulled, leaving a gap, will my last molar slide forward to fill the gap while allowing my wisdom tooth to fully come in?

[tomtucker]

The tooth I want to have pulled is my second to last molar on the top of my mouth. I also have a wisdom tooth that is halfway in that same area of my mouth.

If I have the tooth pulled, leaving a gap, will my last molar slide forward to fill the gap while allowing my wisdom tooth to fully come in?

could be, teeth could move a bit around.......i don

[enayes]

I had a week long toothache about two months ago, that mysteriously went away. Turns out the nerve of the tooth died and a few weeks after that my gum started to become infected.

I got my tooth pulled today. It was a huge relief to get it out.

My dentist tried to push the root canal but I told him I didn't want one.

[PullupJay]

I had a week long toothache about two months ago, that mysteriously went away. Turns out the nerve of the tooth died and a few weeks after that my gum started to become infected.

I got my tooth pulled today. It was a huge relief to get it out.

My dentist tried to push the root canal but I told him I didn't want one.
Do you plan on getting an implant?

[Le Shaqtus]

I had a root canal years ago on my top left molar, basically most of my tooth was already destroyed when the filling came out and only a piece was left. The process really sucked, your mouth has to be open forever and they stick this big brick thing in your mouth to keep it open, my jaw was killing me.

Then they obviously seperate your busted tooth from the other teeth with this dental dam thing, the root of my tooth was still fresh so I was bleeding forever when they were getting it out, they had to spray it with this like purple chlorine stuff that they told me not to swallow (Believe me I didn't want to), I did once on accident and it was hot as **** and hurt like a bitch, the sprayed the **** out of my mouth with water and drank that bitch up.

It really sucked to get done, but I've taken good care of my teeth ever since. And I've never had a problem with the cap they put in.

[enayes]

Do you plan on getting an implant?

As of right now I have no plans on getting an implant. Maybe in the future. It's just a molar so it's not visible when I smile.

There are a crazy amount of studies linking root canals to almost every serious illness (heart disease, brain problems, etc.) You are leaving a dead tooth in your mouth and if the dentist misses even one microscopic canal that dead tooth will be seeping bacteria into your body every single day.

I wanted ZERO chance of this happening so I did what makes sense to me: If you have a dead tooth in your mouth, remove it.

[PullupJay]

As of right now I have no plans on getting an implant. Maybe in the future. It's just a molar so it's not visible when I smile.

There are a crazy amount of studies linking root canals to almost every serious illness (heart disease, brain problems, etc.) You are leaving a dead tooth in your mouth and if the dentist misses even one microscopic canal that dead tooth will be seeping bacteria into your body every single day.

I wanted ZERO chance of this happening so I did what makes sense to me: If you have a dead tooth in your mouth, remove it.
My only concern is the nuisance of having that empty space between the other teeth after having the tooth pulled as opposed to doing a root canal(chance of bacteria coming back or staying) or implant (considered cosmetic and expensive as fvck).

Food will constantly get stuck there. Doesn't it bother you?

I had a tooth abscess, after a crown from a previous root canal fell out randomly 5 month later after the procedure.

I have to choose between root canal, or removing the tooth. Been pushing it off : /

[rufuspaul]

Say you had a cut on a finger that got infected. It's swollen, oozing puss and very painful. You go to the doctor and he/she says you have 2 options: 1. Surgically incise and drain the abcess and repair the damaged part of the finger with plastic surgery. 2. Amputate the finger. How many would choose option 2? How many doctor's would even offer option 2? People think their teeth are somehow separate from the rest of their body and they can just shuck them and forget about it.

Root canal therapy has a 98% success rate in the US, providing the tooth is properly restored afterwards. The #1 cause of failure is not getting a crown on the tooth after the root canal.


dead tooth will be seeping bacteria into your body every single day.

News flash: your body is already teeming with bacteria and other microorganisms. How are you even alive?

Implants are a viable alternative providing there is enough bone to support them. The nice thing about an implant is that it's made of titanium so you don't have to worry about recurrent decay. It's fun for me as a dentist to restore implants because I get to use these cool screw drivers and torque wrenches that aren't an everyday part of practice.

The bottom line is your back teeth are an important part of an organ system that is designed to work in harmony with the other components. Just because you can't see them when you smile doesn't mean you should neglect them. In addition to chewing the back teeth also are important in maitaining vertical dimension and aid in keeping the masticatory system in balance. You lose a molar on one side you start doing all your chewing on the other side which can cause joint and muscle inflammation. Your other teeth can drift and more stress now is being absorbed by your anterior teeth, which can put them in jeopardy.

Just my 2 cents.

[enayes]

Rufus-

I had my first upper molar removed, so behind the empty space I have another molar and a wisdom tooth that is halfway in. What are the chances that my back molar moves forward into the empty slot allowing my wisdom tooth to come all the way in? I can post a pic later if it helps.

[MadeFromDust]

There is a whole field called "holistic dentistry" that says root canals are dangerous for your health. They say it could lead to cancer later if enough bacteria got trapped in the tissues surrounding the root area. Of course I only found this out AFTER I already had 1 root canal done. Oh well :rolleyes:

[Meticode]

rufus dropping that knowledge.

[enayes]

There is a whole field called "holistic dentistry" that says root canals are dangerous for your health. They say it could lead to cancer later if enough bacteria got trapped in the tissues surrounding the root area. Of course I only found this out AFTER I already had 1 root canal done. Oh well :rolleyes:

Just the possibility of this happening was enough reason for me to push to have the tooth pulled.

[rufuspaul]

Rufus-

I had my first upper molar removed, so behind the empty space I have another molar and a wisdom tooth that is halfway in. What are the chances that my back molar moves forward into the empty slot allowing my wisdom tooth to come all the way in? I can post a pic later if it helps.

Slim to none. Those teeth have 3 roots so they are achored pretty well. What will most likely happen is that they will tilt at an angle toward the space. This creates periodontal problems as well as an increased risk for root caries. Get an implant if you can swing it. It's your best option.



There is a whole field called "holistic dentistry"

And it's complete bullshit.

[JohnnySic]

Say you had a cut on a finger that got infected. It's swollen, oozing puss and very painful. You go to the doctor and he/she says you have 2 options: 1. Surgically incise and drain the abcess and repair the damaged part of the finger with plastic surgery. 2. Amputate the finger. How many would choose option 2? How many doctor's would even offer option 2? People think their teeth are somehow separate from the rest of their body and they can just shuck them and forget about it.

.
2 important differences:

1.) You can always get a fake tooth put in later on that works just as well as the real one. New fake finger that works just as well? Unlikely.

2.) Fixing your finger would most likely be fully covered by insurance. Dental insurance tends to be less generous.

[Done_And_Done]

I had an upper tooth yanked in opposition of a root canal. Once I realized it wouldn't affect my bite and couldn't be detected when I smiled I said eff it. Take it out.

[rufuspaul]

2 important differences:

1.) You can always get a fake tooth put in later on that works just as well as the real one.

In most cases as long as you have enough bone to support the implant. Also costs $$$


2.) Fixing your finger would most likely be fully covered by insurance. Dental insurance tends to be less generous.

It's gonna cost you eventually. Either pay some now or pay a lot in the future. Your choice.

[MadeFromDust]

Slim to none. Those teeth have 3 roots so they are achored pretty well. What will most likely happen is that they will tilt at an angle toward the space. This creates periodontal problems as well as an increased risk for root caries. Get an implant if you can swing it. It's your best option.




And it's complete bullshit.
:oldlol: Such an unprofessional and ignorant response...enough to give reason to anyone to take your "advice" with a grain of salt.



"They (moslem terrorists) know how to get women to shut the f*ck up, which isn't always a bad thing."

-dufussaul

[rufuspaul]

:oldlol: Such an unprofessional and ignorant response...enough to give reason to anyone to take your "advice" with a grain of salt.



What would be unprofessional and ignorant would be spouting new age pseudoscience instead of evidence based medicine.

[enayes]

Rufus-

When I first read your cut on the finger analogy I thought it made pretty good sense. But looking back it's not an accurate comparison. An infected cut on a finger is more like a tooth that has a cavity, while a frostbit finger would be more comparable to a dead tooth that needs a root canal.

In the case of a frostbit finger you have no choice but to remove it, because it's dead flesh. I felt similar with my dead tooth.

Do you really feel that there are no dangers with having a root canal? (I'm referring to the whole the dentist is unable to get all the canals so bacteria stays in the tooth)

Also, I felt that with my molar the fact that it had a very deep filling and a crack some where that my dentist was unable to locate made it a risky root canal to perform. I just had a feeling that I would pay for the root canal, it would fail and then I would have to pull the tooth anyway.

[enayes]

Here's a pic of my extraction site the day after the operation:

http://i57.tinypic.com/w7j2av.jpg

[rufuspaul]

Do you really feel that there are no dangers with having a root canal? (I'm referring to the whole the dentist is unable to get all the canals so bacteria stays in the tooth)


Like in so many cases you need to look at the science and not the media. How many cases have been documented of these so-called missed canals causing cancer or other horrible things? There are millions, yes millions of root canals performed yearly btw.

Peer reviewed and evidence based science is the way to go imo.

[rufuspaul]

Here's a pic of my extraction site the day after the operation:

http://i57.tinypic.com/w7j2av.jpg


So sad to see a 1st molar go, especially with such a young patient. It's a very important tooth.

[MadeFromDust]

Rufus-

When I first read your cut on the finger analogy I thought it made pretty good sense. But looking back it's not an accurate comparison. An infected cut on a finger is more like a tooth that has a cavity, while a frostbit finger would be more comparable to a dead tooth that needs a root canal.

In the case of a frostbit finger you have no choice but to remove it, because it's dead flesh. I felt similar with my dead tooth.

Do you really feel that there are no dangers with having a root canal? (I'm referring to the whole the dentist is unable to get all the canals so bacteria stays in the tooth)

Also, I felt that with my molar the fact that it had a very deep filling and a crack some where that my dentist was unable to locate made it a risky root canal to perform. I just had a feeling that I would pay for the root canal, it would fail and then I would have to pull the tooth anyway.
You're right. Dentists do get it wrong, and it must be very common. It happened to me. First, a tooth that had been capped for years somehow resumed decay from the cavity underneath and the pain followed just like before. So I went to the dentist and he recapped it. Pain and decay continued. Went back and he was cornfused. He removed the cap and when he did puss and blood spewed out because it was under such pressure. Woah!

How did my tooth get into such a condition under the dentist's care? Why couldn't he get it right the first time when I went to him with the problem? Now he tells me that he didn't expect to find that kind of issue and recommended a root canal wtf? OK so I go to a root canal specialist, an endodontist. I had much preferred saving the tooth because I was ignorant about the dangers of trapped bacteria potentially causing heart disease, cancer, and other dangerous conditions at the time. The endodontist did his thing, but the tooth still felt weak and under pressure, infected but with less pain now.

Can you imagine? You go to the so-called experts in the field and they just can't figure out how to resolve, requiring multiple return visits and $ cha-ching. I had to go back to the dentist who said I need to go back to the endodontist. The endodontist "reperformed" the root canal, but this time he got it right, I guess. The tooth never felt right, but the pain and pressure was somewhat relieved now.

In hindsight now don't you think it would've been MUCH better and cheaper just to get the dang tooth pulled? Of course you do because that's the choice you rightly made.

I get the feeling root canals are some kind of a racket for them to make more money than with just a simple extraction. It's kind of like how the medical system is in such cahoots with the pharmaceutical industry that you just don't know if they care more about keeping you ill and dependent on meds than they do about curing your ailments. The dental field makes so much more money performing root canals than tooth extractions, so OF COURSE they are going to recommend the former regardless of your concerns about your overall health.

[enayes]

The fact that a dentist recommended a root canal without even looking at my tooth made my mind up for me. He literally came in, went to the computer and said, "So I see this tooth has been bothering you off an on for over a year, I say we just schedule the root canal and be done with it."

It wasn't hurting at the time so I didn't even bring up having it pulled with him but I knew I was not going to come back and do the root canal.

I know many people that have had failed root canals and I'm sure I know even more with successful ones but they don't talk about them. But in the end, there are many dentists today that look at root canals as a cure all and they perform them when the tooth is too far damaged already. I'm not an expert so I don't know for sure if my tooth was too damaged but I didn't want to take the risk and it was already infecting my gums.

[rufuspaul]

I didn't want to take the risk and it was already infecting my gums.


What happens the next time? Better get them all extracted now just to be safe.

[enayes]

What happens the next time? Better get them all extracted now just to be safe.

If my tooth only had the infection I would have went for the root canal.

Infection, deep cavity and a crack = pull the sucker for me.

[Stempel, HERB]

you really outsmarted those swindlers and used car salesmen who call themselves dentists.

:roll: new age hippie moron.

[enayes]

you really outsmarted those swindlers and used car salesmen who call themselves dentists.

:roll: new age hippie moron.

Tell that to anyone thats paid 2 grand to have a root canal fail and then have to get the tooth pulled anway, 10-15 percent of root canals fail

[Stempel, HERB]

Tell that to anyone thats paid 2 grand to have a root canal fail and then have to get the tooth pulled anway, 10-15 percent of root canals fail

Oh wow. That changes EVERYTHING. 2k? 2 freaking k? That would really cut into your promtional credit card profits http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=351484 :roll:

Now that I think about it, you've got this all figured out. I'm convinced! I can always grow that tooth back in a month or a year, but TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS? i'll never see that again in my lifetime.

[rufuspaul]

Oh wow. That changes EVERYTHING. 2k? 2 freaking k? That would really cut into your promtional credit card profits http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=351484 :roll:

Now that I think about it, you've got this all figured out. I'm convinced! I can always grow that tooth back in a month or a year, but TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS? i'll never see that again in my lifetime.


:oldlol:

[enayes]

Oh wow. That changes EVERYTHING. 2k? 2 freaking k? That would really cut into your promtional credit card profits http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=351484 :roll:

Now that I think about it, you've got this all figured out. I'm convinced! I can always grow that tooth back in a month or a year, but TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS? i'll never see that again in my lifetime.

2k is a lot of money to spend to keep a dead tooth in your mouth.

I'd much rather spend 2-3k to have an implant put in while my dead tooth sits in a garbage dump somewhere.

What I know I didn't want to do = pay 2k for root canal, then more $ to have it pulled and then maybe ANOTHER 2-3k for an implant.

Bottom line = DEAD TEETH ARE DEAD