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I had my molar filled three weeks ago (white filling). IT's a big filling and it's still sore. I can't chew on it and I'm wondering if it's still supposed to be so tender. I called the dentist and they said that this happens ocassionally and to wait another week - if the tenderness lasts for a month they'll have to look at it. Does this mean that I may need a root canal? I've never had one before and the idea scares me. What do you think of this procedure?
In Reply to: Dr. Stoll: Tooth still tender after filling-normal? Info on Root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 05, 2002 at 13:27:22:
It has been my experience that a root canal is not so bad. Guess they have made advances in doing them. The only thing that bothered me was the anxiety about it.
In Reply to: Dr. Stoll: Tooth still tender after filling-normal? Info on Root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 05, 2002 at 13:27:22:
I have had that experience with my root canals too. I guess it just takes awhile for it to heal.
In Reply to: Dr. Stoll: Tooth still tender after filling-normal? Info on Root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 05, 2002 at 13:27:22:
Hi, Tendertooth.
Afer this long, the odds are that you are either going to have to get the filling changed or get a root canal. Your dentist should be able to make the best decision about this. If I had a root canal recommended I would see a holistic dentist in consultation (who was knowledgable about odontons) before I had the surgery.
Walt
In Reply to: Dr. Stoll: Tooth still tender after filling-normal? Info on Root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 05, 2002 at 13:27:22:
Thank you to all who responded. It's actually feeling a little better now - maybe I'll just wait awhile as they suggested. Can any harm be done by waiting? **And what are odontons?
In Reply to: Re: Dr. Stoll: Tooth still tender after filling-normal? Info on Root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 07, 2002 at 14:39:08:
Thanks, Tendertooth.
I do not think anything harmful can come from waiting.
Odontons are much too complex to explain in this context. They are a critical part of the acupuncture system.
If your librarian cannot find a reference for you, call the holistic dentist who worked with me for about 10 years: Ballard Morgan, DMD. His number is 233-7700 in Lexington, KY. The area code used to be (606) but I think it has changed. Say hello to him for me and he can give you a reference.
Let us know what you learn.
Walt
In Reply to: Dr. Stoll: Info on Root canal? (Archive in dental.) ODONTONS posted by Walt Stoll on October 08, 2002 at 07:59:55:
Thank you very much. I'm printing this out for future reference. Today I was able to eat on that side and I think I'll be okay for now. But fillings don't last more than a few years and I feel sure that when it gets replaced it will be a different story -- and at that time I'll call Dr. Morgan. I appreciate very much the information and in the meantime I'll look on the web for a definition and explanation for odontons.
In Reply to: Dr. Stoll: Tooth still tender after filling-normal? Info on Root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 05, 2002 at 13:27:22:
DONT have a root canal . ive had 2 of them, and i ended up loosing the teeth anyway.it was a complete waist of money.if its a molar, just have the tooth extracted and save yourself a whole lot of money.
In Reply to: Re: Dr. Stoll: Tooth still tender after filling-normal? Info on Root canal? posted by paula on October 08, 2002 at 15:20:17:
It is a lower molar. Right now it has a very large white (non-mercury) filling in it. All of my molars had naturally deep cavities and they were all filled when I was a child. This one's still a little sore, on and off, but it seems like it will heal. I've never had a root canal before, but hesitate at the thought of extracting a tooth. Is that the general opinion - that extraction is the preferable option? It seems that some people I know have had successful root canals.
By the way, I looked on the web and found nothing that really defined odontons and an alternative therapy to root canal. Aside from extraction what would you do, Paula, if you were to do it all over again?
In Reply to: Dr. Stoll: Tooth still tender after filling-normal? Info on Root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 05, 2002 at 13:27:22:
Thanks Walt for Dr.Morgan's number and where he is at;
Another great dentist!
Something that might help that area heal and assit you with any pain is using Wild Oregano oil, it is very effective on the out side of the jaw by tooth area, place at night in in the day sometimes. You can put in in the mouth also it does burn a little on the filling, but it is powerful. The dentist Dr. Shankland in Ohio, used it after his gum surgury with my partner, healed very well.
Root canals, if you have to have one go to someone very good that really cleans the root well; I have had good luck with the one's i've had done. I realize they say down the road one might need to have tooth taken out, but for now there working for me and grateful to have teeth;
In Reply to: To Paula and Dr. Stoll: Extracting tooth vs. root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 08, 2002 at 20:20:24:
dear tendertooth, if i had to do it all over again , iwould NOT have another rootcanal done .expecially if it was a molar. like i said i think the are a waist of money. you say you dont like the idea of having the tooth extrcted , but in the long run ,your going to spend the money to try and save the tooth ,and go through all of the pain of a rootcanal ,and then have to have the tooth extracted any way. .beause once they do a rootcanal, the tooth is dead. andwill break very easily.all i can say is that i never had a good experience w/ rootcanals .and its not like i only had one tooth done . ive had 2 done . and the same thing happened to both teeth. im only being very honest w/ you. and even my dentistwas telling me how great rootcanals were. and of course you trust your dentist. well take it from me he was WRONG. i still believe he just wanted the money. let me know how everything goes for you. good luck! paula
In Reply to: To Paula and Dr. Stoll: Extracting tooth vs. root canal? posted by Tendertooth on October 08, 2002 at 20:20:24:
Dear Tendertooth,
I worked as a chairside dental assistant for several years some time back. This is what I learned from the dentists at that time about this type of situation.
The best thing is always to keep your own tooth as long as you can. (Even a tooth with a root canal is better than none.)
If the tooth is abscessed or infected, it can usually be seen on an X-ray. The more progressed the infection, the more apparent it is on the X-ray. This is what usually causes the standard "toothache." Your on-again off-again pain might be the beginnings of this. I can't say for sure.
Getting a root canal means that the root, which is the living tissue (which is now totally infected), is cleaned out from the inside of the tooth. What you have after the root has been cleaned out is a tooth that no longer has a blood supply, a hollow shell almost. Then the tooth is filled with some material and the tooth is sealed.
Well, a bone without a blood supply eventually becomes brittle and will break. Especially, molars get a lot of pressure put on them with chewing. So, if you get the root canal, the dentist will want to put a crown on the tooth to protect it from future breakage. A crown is like a little cap. The tooth is polished down in size and the crown fits right over it like a cap and looks like a regular tooth, unless it is a metal crown.
So there's some money involved: the root canal and then the crown. I assisted for two years and saw very few root canals that failed (i.e. the dentist didn't clean out the root well enough -- and it had to be redone). They usually do pretty well. Crowns also usually do pretty well, although I'd want to make sure it was a good dentist. If the crowns are cemented on well, they can last a long time. Otherwise, if food or something gets under the crown, it can cause decay and then you eventually lose the tooth. Some people can keep a crown for only a few years, others for decades. (Get frequent regular checkups so they can check it often.)
Your option of getting the tooth removed causes bigger problems, as follows:
1) if you leave a hole there, the teeth around the empty space start to drift, and then you have crooked teeth on both sides, which become subject to easier decay plus they often have to be removed early since they move out of their sockets and become loose. Also, the tooth above the hole will tend to drift downwards since there is no longer anything opposing it and keeping it in place, and it will also become subject to earlier removal as it leaves its socket. So extraction causes a kind of a domino effect of more and more problems.
2) If you decide to fill the empty space, you will need to get what they call a "bridge." It consists of a fake tooth in the middle, surrounded on each side by either a crown or a flat something used to cement the fake tooth to one tooth on each side. They usually cost three times the price of a single crown since it's really two crowns and a fake tooth. The additional problem is, you then have two teeth with something cemented to them, with two times the potential for decay or problems.
Of course, with technology moving the way it has, there may be other options now. Talk to your dentist and ask him to tell you all of your options. Yes, dentists like to do these expensive things to make money, but some dentists are honest and have your best interests at heart.
If it was my tooth, I would ask the dentist to show me if there was an abscess visible on the X-ray. It looks like a faint, shadowy light circle at the bottom of the root of the tooth. Of course, I saw many and would recognize it easily. You have not. You could, however, ask for the x-ray (you paid for it) and get a second opinion. (Walt would tell you to be certain the two dentists are not friends.) Once I felt certain that the root was indeed abscessed, I would go for the root canal and crown.
I don't think there is any alternative therapy. Some people take antibiotics for the infection. As I have seen, it does not resolve the problem, but only alleviates the pain for a while. You could also wait a little while to see if the pain goes away. However, if it doesn't, or if the pain gets worse, don't wait too long to take care of the infection and get the root canal, because the infection destroys the bone around the tooth.
I hope this helps. Best wishes.
Happygal
In Reply to: Re: To Paula and Dr. Stoll: Extracting tooth vs. root canal? posted by Happygal on October 12, 2002 at 23:08:10:
Dear Happygal,
Wow, that was the most informative piece of material I've ever read about root canals and teeth care. I am printing it out for future reference. I can't thank you enough for taking the trouble to write all that down for me. I'm sure others will benefit too.
You make a very good case for having a root canal, and certainly explain why it's not advisable to extract a tooth. You advice is sound and I'll take it.
The pain comes and goes and on the whole it is improving. But I see a root canal in my future - it seems like it's unavoidable since the filling is so big. I know someone who had to have his done in five sessions - costing $1,000 each session, so I know what a big deal it is. I sure wish they had teeth painting when I was a kid.
Thank you again for your help.
In Reply to: Re: To Happygal: Extracting tooth vs. root canal posted by Tendertooth on October 13, 2002 at 20:32:15:
Hi Tendertooth,
That price sounds really excessive. I'd advise you to shop around. The last time I went to a dentist, I called all over town and got the prices from about 10 dentists first. The one with the lowest price sounded just fine and I went and was very pleased with the dentist's integrity and service.
Sometimes just talking to the office staff gives you an idea about whether you will like the dentist or not. Another way to find out if the dentist is good -- I'm not sure if this will work or not, but it sounded like a good idea to me -- is call the dental labs and ask for a recommendation. The dental labs know who sends in sloppy work for crowns and dentures, and who is neat and careful.
Best wishes,
Happygal
In Reply to: Re: To Happygal: Extracting tooth vs. root canal posted by Tendertooth on October 13, 2002 at 20:32:15:
Tendertooth -
If the filling is really big, there will not be enough tooth structure left to support a crown. Because, they have to grind own the tooth a bit to make room for the crown. So it may have to be extracted after all. The dentist will make that decision, usually after he starts cleaning out the tooth.
Best wishes,
Happygal
In Reply to: Re: To Paula and Dr. Stoll: Extracting tooth vs. root canal? posted by Happygal on October 12, 2002 at 23:08:10:
Thanks, Happygal.
Good summary!
Namaste`
Walt
In Reply to: Re: To Happygal: Extracting tooth vs. root canal posted by Happygal on October 13, 2002 at 23:58:09:
Great idea! Thank you.
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