Root Canals

[TangoMango]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatalieMT So here's the terrible news! Dentist cancelled on me for today. I had a long phone conversation with someone in their office yesterday who said because the tooth hurts as much as it does that's a bad sign and it's likely the best course of action now is to remove the tooth. They have still given me another appointment to finish the root canal for June 26th (utterly ridiculous!), but whether it will ever be able to be truly finished they don't know, we could just keep going round in circles of opening it up, seeing it's still bad and having to keep waiting. They said I can think about having it out and they'd be able to fit me in within 1 to 2 days of me calling.

Oh no! I'm very sorry.

It's horrible that you have to wait until June 26th. Would you rather have a root canal or the tooth removed? Which ever you decide, good luck! And please update me about it, if that's alright.

 

[vocaltest]

I just hate the dentist in general. I never had a problem with my teeth being sensitive before, but then I had three fillings all at once before christmas and I can't drink anything without a straw, nor can I swivel round mouthwash, its horrible

. On Christmas Eve, where my big filling is, my tooth chipped so you could see the filling from the side, and where the tooth was, there is now a big black hole (vile I know!). I've been putting off going since christmas, I hate it so much. All the noise etc and the achey jaw afterwards, and my sensitive teeth! I think its a life long thing though... I sat on my mum's lap until the age of 10 or so when I went to the dentists, the chair scares me still!

I'm so glad your root canal went well, I should pluck up the courage to go soon!

 

[NatalieMT]

My root canal was started by a general dentist who was definitely more than qualified, in the UK I don't know if we really have the whole endodontist thing. I know there is one about an hour away from where I live but I've enquired and apparently the waiting list is terribly long. So it's just not worth it.

Luckily my dentist has now brought my appointment forward to June 10th though, which is an improvement on the previous date. I don't know I guess I'll go then, let them open the tooth up, see what they can do and if it looks like a lost cause then have them take it out there and then. I would plan after that to get an implant in the tooths place.

 

[Stormy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatalieMT My root canal was started by a general dentist who was definitely more than qualified, in the UK I don't know if we really have the whole endodontist thing. I know there is one about an hour away from where I live but I've enquired and apparently the waiting list is terribly long. So it's just not worth it. Luckily my dentist has now brought my appointment forward to June 10th though, which is an improvement on the previous date. I don't know I guess I'll go then, let them open the tooth up, see what they can do and if it looks like a lost cause then have them take it out there and then. I would plan after that to get an implant in the tooths place.

I am really glad you can get in sooner! I hope they can save the tooth, but if they can't, the implant is a great choice. LMK if you have any questions about that as well. Good luck!

 

[NatalieMT]

Aww thankyou! Well it's not looking good for this tooth I have a funny feeling it's on the way out! As far as I understand to get the implant I'd have to wait for the area of the infected tooth to completely heal. Then they'd drill into the jaw bone and put a titanium screw in place. This would then be left, although I have no idea what for and then the next appointment the implant would be fixed.

If you could tell me in a little more detail that'd be really helpful and maybe a time frame of how long it all takes and how long I'd be waiting inbetween appointments?

I'm concerned about how long it'd go on for as I'm leaving to spend quite a bit of time in Florida in August. It'd be so awful if I went with it half done and needed some sort of emergency treatment whilst I was there, which without insurance would be very pricey.

 

[kjaneb]

I've been having root canal on one tooth for almost a year now. My infection was very bad though since it became infected when my wisdom teeth were coming down. Eventually the infection made it's way into my sinus and I woke up one morning with the right side of my mouth completely swollen.

My dentist is great though and it only hurt when we found out the infection hadn't cleared fully at the root of my tooth. Right now I am waiting for my bone to heal completely around the tooth. So it should all be finished in July (I've been going to the dentist once every 3 months for it)

 

[Stormy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatalieMT Aww thankyou! Well it's not looking good for this tooth I have a funny feeling it's on the way out! As far as I understand to get the implant I'd have to wait for the area of the infected tooth to completely heal. Then they'd drill into the jaw bone and put a titanium screw in place. This would then be left, although I have no idea what for and then the next appointment the implant would be fixed. If you could tell me in a little more detail that'd be really helpful and maybe a time frame of how long it all takes and how long I'd be waiting inbetween appointments?

Sorry I haven't been keeping up on the thread! Here's how implants work....you're right, the infected tooth would have to completely heal before they extract it. They would extract the tooth and then drill into the bone to make a socket for the implant. The implant is a titanium screw that fuses to your jawbone...the fancy word for it is osseointegration.

Then, the surgeon would either suture up the gums and let the screw fuse, or he may put a healing abutment in the implant which would stick up in your gums while everything heals. A healing abutment isn't permanent. It takes several weeks for the healing and integration of the implant. The next appointment is when a permanent abutment is screwed into the implant...an abutment is what holds the crown on. After the abutment is placed, the crown is glued to the abutment. And then, you're done!

This is usually the process, sometimes it varies with timelines depending on your case.
LMK if I can answer mroe questions for you, hopefully that helped some!

 

[NatalieMT]

Ah thankyou very much, I do understand a little better now!

Sounds relatively like nothing much can go wrong.

I attended my second root canal appointment today and it's still a no go. Apparently what's happening is very rare (first time they've seen it in 10 years!) and the pulp will not die despite everything that's been packed in the tooth. They just opened it back up again today, re-packed it and I have another appointment June 26th. If the pulp has still not died by then (which is likely it won't have because it should have already if it was going to) they will open it up take a look and then take it out.

Thank goodness really, I'm so sick of being in pain and not feeling good and being on so many medications!

 

[benzito_714]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormy NO!!! Don't go for extractions!! Benzito, that's an awful attitude! Once your teeth are gone, they're gone forever! Then the bone in your jaw where the tooth was receeds and dies. Then your other teeth move and shift around to compensate for the missing one. Root canals are NOT a waste of money. It's fixing something you can never replace, unless you get implants and those can be very expensive. Dentures and bridges are NOT replacing teeth! Sorry for the rant, I just feel really strongly about this!

Dog gone Stormy-you make me want to go and brush and floss right now! it is an awful attitude but in my case I feel like its my only option when the tooth becomes a root canal candidate. one dentist really set me back and has jaded my view on dentists. dental health is very important to me and i wish i wasn't confronted with this choice but almost all of my root canals have ended in extraction. i like my teeth but it gets costly and when insurance only covers a specific amount per year i can only get so far.
by the way i do have an appt on the 24th to save a root canal tooth-i'm trying