No root canal. Sigh.

[TerryJ2]

When you psychiatric yourself up for your very first root canal, clear the calendar, prepare for the worst, and find yourself in the endodontist's chair with a mouthful of equipment, it's unnerving to hear, "Lateral ... Nerve ... fill it back up." And then everything is taken out of your mouth and the dr leaves the room. All within five minutes. The assistant then fills the tooth. No needle to be seen. End of procedure.
Then, "The crack goes all the way to the root. We can't save it. It will have to be extracted."

I dropped off the referral at a surgeon's office. Same surgeon who worked on Cousin P. The receptionist okayed my insurance and asked if I wanted an implant.
Uhhh ... I don't know. I'll be happy with-a two-pump soy chai from Starbucks and a nap.
I've got a consultation in a week.

 

[InsaneCdn]

At your age, IF the dental surgeon is good, and IF you can afford it... implant is probably the way to go. Especially if the rest of your teeth are still "whole" (ie. you don't have a partial plate yet or major gaps where teeth are missing)

 

[dstc_99]

I have an implant. I had it done on a tooth I broke as a kid. First I got a root canal then I got a second root canal because it wasn't done right. Then I got told it was cracked all the way by a new dentist a year or two later. I waited for a while but I finally got it fixed about4 years ago. The implant doesnt bother me anymore. It did a bit in the beginning.

PS: They actually put a screw into the bone using a ratchet. You can hear the ratchet and that was freaky!

 

[Nomad]

There are some in the dental profession who feel strongly that in the end root canals are not good for our health. Many also believe that they aren't permanent and most fail after ten years. There is much controversy. I have also heard it said that many endodontists will do a rc whether you need one or should have one, or not. This guy was honest ; bravo! Implants seem a little creepy to me, but I think if you are in overall good health, probably better than a rc. They often look very good. If your tooth is not exposed when you smile, you might have an option of not doing it. Some dentists will say it will mess up your teeth, I personally think that leaving a hole is not as problematic as they say it is.

 

[Tanya M]

If it were me, I would go with the implant. husband had a tooth extracted and did not want to go the expense of an implant, now the tooth that was next in line is weakening. The dentist told him he should have had the implant.

They actually put a screw into the bone using a ratchet. You can hear the ratchet and that was freaky!

OK, thanks for that "visual", makes me think of the movie Little Shop of Horrors with Steve Martin.

 

[recoveringenabler]

I have an implant. I did a lot of research and got a few 'second opinions' and found a Dentist I really liked. Unfortunately, the other teeth move around when there is s space left which creates pockets which creates periodontal disease due to bacteria. The implants are not inexpensive since they require a crown as well as the implant, but they are strong and if your smile is involved, they look good too. It's a long process, so if you have insurance, you can do the extraction and the implant this year using your insurance and next year have the permanent crown done using next years insurance, thereby having at least a portion paid by your insurance. Good luck!

 

[TerryJ2]

Thank you all.
I'm not as sore today, and not as wound up.
Just that I have being thrown for a loop and having to pay for it with pain and money. Or insurance.

 

[SadAndStressed4TooLong]

I've had to have root canals and extractions due to my stress levels and clenching my teeth so hard in my sleep that I fracture them. Ouch. And I hate dentists. So, I feel your pain, literally and figuratively!

The last tooth that I had pulled was the same as yours; cracked all the way up, no option for a root canal, just extraction. Due to the overwhelming stress in my life at that time, and the fact that it was a molar in the back, I just had them pull it and could not bear any further physical pain, or stress. I also have arthritis in my jaw, which doesn't help!

I hope your next appointment goes well and you can have it taken care of with the least amount of pain (and money!)