2300 bucks for a root canal
back upper tooth
i think i should just get it pulled, but OF COURSE the dentist said i will regret it. this is the same guy who said i didn't need a crown 6 years ago when my old dentist recommended it.
please vote: root canal or extraction?
21 comments:
They all sound painful.
Do you like pain?
I vote for extraction, unless you positively cannot chew without the molar.
Root canals never seem to be permanent. The ground-down tooth is still subject to decay and seems to continue to have problems over time. If you need the tooth, however, I suppose the root canal path is better than implants.
I've had two root canals - two front teeth on the top. Later, I needed veneers. No problems since.
Other than the annoyingly long appointments to get them done and the re-tell of the story for the need to have root canals.
emeraldcite: :D
i'm wondering if i should have asked about the good stuff. that might make it all worthwhile.
jason: i was leaning that direction, but then i started googling.
stay-c: but there's the drill... and the nerve. and the drill. I know people who've had awful root canal experiences, but that was back in the Dark Ages.
I've had neither procedure, so I'm not a reliable voter. BUT, the thought of missing a tooth creeps me out somehow.
Pull the sucker. No way would I have a root canal. No friggin' way. I'm not joking either! lol.
Ouch. I was there last fall. The root canal failed and they ended up having to extract the thing. I went with an implant. Not too bad but it cost a bundle.
For the $$$ I asked the oral surgeon if he could at least install a satellite radio or a cyanide capsule for really boring meetings.
He said my insurance wouldn't cover it.
I'm not a dentist, but extraction would certainly be less expensive and you would get used to the missing tooth fairly quickly. One missing upper molar would not interfere with chewing and not be noticeable. However, if the tooth is not loose or cracked, and in otherwise good condition, a root canal can be an effective way of stopping it from hurting.
There are a variety of very good anesthetic drugs and techniques now available for oral surgeries such as root canals that can make the procedure virtually pain-free. :)
jamie, a satellite radio would be nice. not sure about the cyanide. maybe a nice happy drug that doesn't kill. :)
jeff, it doesn't hurt. :D you'd think it would, but no. it just felt funny a few days ago. i thought the filling was loose. nope. it's cracked.
yeah, i should probably ask about nitrous oxide, but i think that makes it more expensive. it would at least make it fun. when my daughter was about 8 she had to have some teeth pulled. they used nitrous oxide and it turned her into super bitch. i was waiting for the split-pea soup. hehe
I'm having a root canal done tomorrow morning. I didn't have to spend a lot of time thinking about extraction vs. root canal, since I've already had two teeth pulled and want to keep the rest.
The worst pain I have ever experienced came from this tooth when it got infected recently. I'm a pretty big guy and can stand quite a lot of pain, but even vicodin didn't help.
I can't wait to get to the endodontics office tomorrow so they can take care of this sucker.
Speaking of alleviating pain, my insurance covers all but $180.
patrick shawn: good luck tomorrow! funny how the dentist is our friend when we are in agony, our enemy when we aren't. :D
I'm all for saving teeth if possible. And I worry that you'll end up needing a bridge in there if you get it pulled -- and that can be more of a problem/hassle, etc. according to my dad. Haven't heard dire stories about root canals recently (but maybe I go to the right dentist for a change). Linda just had a crown put in after six weeks of the temporary falling off on an almost daily basis. That was entertaining. Maybe you should ask about that option!
Yuck. I've got dental fear and terrible teeth (damn those genetics!) so I'm probably not the best person to even comment. I've had 3 root canals, two of which failed. Basically I spent a shitload of money to have the root canals done & then the teeth cracked and ended up having to get pulled anyway. If you don't need it for chewing, I'd vote for pulling the sucker. Just make sure your dentist gives you really, really good drugs.
angie, i think fear is behind my desire to just have it pulled. it's not so much the pain of the root canal --- who am i kidding? it IS the pain. but it's also hanging upside down for a hour and a half, feeling like i'm choking and smothering. ahhhh!!
oh, i love your avatar! :D
Well, it's done. And it hurt. A lot.
oh, SHIT!!
i was thinking about emailing you.
i looked in on mystery circus and saw you were still alive. :D
update on the root canal.
this is for anybody who googles about root canals and ends up here.
i had mine done on a monday.
ZERO PAIN. that's right. ZERO. apparently there's a new novocaine in town, approved two years ago. some soreness afterward, but not much. i took two tylenol the next day, but nothing else. got fitted for the crown Thursday. again, NO PAIN. i think a lot of it has to do with how far gone the tooth is, and the skill of the dentist. my dentist was amazing. this is saturday, and as i type this the only sore place in my mouth is my cheek where i bit myself when i was numb.
Hey - thanks for telling people that. I actually have an appointment with an endodontist in the morning and had googled pulling vs. root canal, so knowing that really helps make that decision! I'm hoping it's not too expensive - we have to pay 25%, ins pays 75, so we'll see. Hopefully the bille won't hurt either.
good luck, anon! after getting my root canal, i discovered the price i was changed was outrageously high, so i'm guessing you root canal won't be nearly as expensive.
As an endodontist I vote root canal. Its not as painful as it used to be thanks to dental innovations in instrumentation and anesthesia. Having the tooth pulled is OK for short term relief but the expenses that pile later are high because you will be looking to replace that gap with either an implant or a bridge.
cheer www.dentalcenterindia.com
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