freak180 Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I keep hearing mix results of post-complications and my dentist said it was necessary to save the tooth especially its its cracked and has a cavity. I'm just scared and i dont know if i should go through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raa Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Well put it this way, if you don't have it done or extracted, you're going to be in a lot of pain - or worse. If you get a good doctor to do it, there shouldn't be any problems. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symal Taneous Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I've had several and haven't had any complications following any of them. I've been lucky to have had most of them done by a very skilled dentist and didn't feel anything while he was doing them. I've had one done though where the dentist didn't notice in the x-rays that I had an abscess on that tooth until after he'd started and it hurt like hell, but that's because the freezing part didn't work like it should have due to the abscess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark-Heart Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Hi, I've had 3 Root Canals (not all at once, though)... sometimes it can take a few trips to the dentist before the root canal is complete, but it's better than getting an infection in your gums and having to have the tooth removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dot Matrix Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I have. It wasn't that bad. I was in and out in ~two hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blerk Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I keep hearing mix results of post-complications and my dentist said it was necessary to save the tooth especially its its cracked and has a cavity. I'm just scared and i dont know if i should go through it. Generally when you get to the point where a root canal is necessary, the only other option is extraction. Root canals generally have excellent success rates (85-95%+ ish depending on the precise definition of success). By the sounds of it, the tooth is restorable. That's good - because the cost (money, effects on other teeth, etc) of regaining the function of that lost tooth - bridges, implants, dentures is high and depending on the particular replacement for a tooth - not optimal. Other things about a root canal: - 1 or 2 visits is possible depending on the dentist. Depending on the tooth, expect about 90 minutes at most. - The definitive restoration for a root canal is a crown. You can survive without a crown (i.e. white filling composite or amalgam metal) just fine if you don't have the money but the best option is a crown. - Pain/anaesthesia is not generally a problem. - Sedation is always an option. After you've had the first visit - you won't feel any pain in that tooth anyway, it will be 'dead'. If you're really frightened, go talk to an endodontist (the root canal specialists). freak180 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streetw0lf Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 A root canal is often less painful then a thorough cleaning by a dental hygienist. Keep in mind that a tooth with a root canal needs to have a post and crown. Removing the dentin/nerve leaves the tooth brittle and will break in time without them. freak180 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freak180 Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thanks for all the good feedback. However, wouldn't a 'tooth cause the possibility of more infections? I've been looking up a lot of information about it to calm my nerves. But it doesnt help where i come across some replies where it caused pain for years or even cancer. How do some of you guys know so much about this stuff? lol Any Dentist here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praetor Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thanks for all the good feedback. However, wouldn't a 'tooth cause the possibility of more infections? I've been looking up a lot of information about it to calm my nerves. But it doesnt help where i come across some replies where it caused pain for years or even cancer. How do some of you guys know so much about this stuff? lol Any Dentist here? to calm your nerves? do a root canal then, that will calm your nerves... :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarvis123 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Had a root canal about 5 years ago and its not the most fun thing to do. It doesn't hurt as bad as most people exaggerate it too, and I say that as someone who is generally resistant to the numbness medicine they give. They gave me three or four of the numbness shots and I still felt pretty much everything, but I would rather do that than live with the eventual infection that will hurt way worse, or have them remove the tooth. It took me 3 visits to get mine done, and tomorrow I'm going to another dentist, or rather specialist, to completely redo my root canal as they missed a canal the first go around. So my experience could chalk up to a bad dentist, but even still it's not that big of a deal. I don't have any pain in that tooth now, except when I get a sinus infection and then sometimes I can feel the rods they pushed up in there. But other than that, I never feel anything. I'm sure after tomorrow, I won't even have the sinus effection problem. It's not that big of a deal really. Any surgery carries a risk, but I wouldn't worry about it too much as millions of these are done every year and I've never heard of anyone having any major complications from it especially later. I would say a Root Canal is less invasive than having to extract the whole tooth and that's really your only options once you've reached the point of needing a root canal. I was nervous the first time too, but it's far better than the alternatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blerk Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thanks for all the good feedback. However, wouldn't a 'tooth cause the possibility of more infections? I've been looking up a lot of information about it to calm my nerves. But it doesnt help where i come across some replies where it caused pain for years or even cancer. How do some of you guys know so much about this stuff? lol Any Dentist here? There is a possibility of recurring infection, but research shows this is comparatively rare, the big research papers all consistently show around 90% success of initial treatment - these studies followed patients for up to 10 years. Clinical research has consistently validated this over the years. If there is recurring pain, symptoms - the chance of retreatment success is reduced, but still reasonably high. I wouldn't worry about complications though as the initial treatment is so effective. Cancer from a retained tooth is ... a suspect story at best :P Also a root canal - it'll do more than calm your nerves. It'll completely remove them from the tooth :D COKid 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COKid Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Hope you have some good insurance. What they charge for dental work is a joke. At least in the US. My wife needs a crown. $1000 w/out insurance. Still going to be 500 with. But the dentist's offices are so stiffy and they drive such nice cars. ;) It's all a racket and as usual, the little guy pays. Good luck with the canal. I'd go with the extraction myself, especially if it's a back tooth like a wisdom. Remember, crowns WILL wear out and break off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddman Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Why do you even ask? You've got two options; either a root canal or extraction, right? I think it's clear what should be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaP Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I keep hearing mix results of post-complications and my dentist said it was necessary to save the tooth especially its its cracked and has a cavity. I'm just scared and i dont know if i should go through it. Scared of what actually? Root canal is simple. The dentist do a local anesthesia. He destroys the nerve. He replaces the nerve with a small rod. Then he closes the tooth. The tooth might eventually break but if it does it will takes a while. It's root canal or extraction the choice is easy to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotenks98 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I keep hearing mix results of post-complications and my dentist said it was necessary to save the tooth especially its its cracked and has a cavity. I'm just scared and i dont know if i should go through it. Your not really saving the tooth, its more like putting it out of its misery when you have a root canel. Essentially a root canal is the equivalent of having a taxidermist work on your teeth. The procedure it self kills the tooth because they remove the pulp and the nerves. They fill it with stuff so its doesn't break away and its still some what useable. My advice is this, if the tooth is all the way in the back its just cheaper to have them pull it instead. I wish I had done that instead. While I don't have problems now it just took forever to get the fitting of the crown to be decent. Took them like 5 tries to fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streetw0lf Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 My son is a dentist and has done a few root canals on me. The key to a good root canal is to remove the nerve down to it's apex. This is where it exits the bottom of the tooth. Failure to do this can lead to infections. There is a machine called an Apex Locator which tells the Dentist if he has reached the apex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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