Anyone ever have root canal?

mantis · March 26

I have to go in for root canal on Friday , I have a sore tooth and it also has a hairline crack in it. My dentist thinks it's possible to save but it is also possible it will have to be pulled and I would get a false tooth. I'm out on all of this, I never had any tooth issues except when I was 18, I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed and that sucked.

F1nut · March 26

Yep, a root canal is no big deal.

Kex · March 26

I think I’ve only ever had one. It was replaced with a crown which has both functioned and looked great for years. It’s more annoying (lengthy procedure) than painful or horrendous.

As F1nut suggested, I wouldn’t worry about it. 🤞

heiney9 · March 26

Long story short when I was 10 I was doing jumps off dirt mounds on my motor dirt bike. I came down on the front wheel and my face (mouth) smacked the cross beam on the handle bars. Ended up with a nasty bloody lip and apparently a cracked (vertically) front tooth.

It was fine for years and years, it became discolored and it started dying. I had a root canal (about 15 years ago) and was able to save the tooth. About 6-7 years ago I had a veneer put on because the staining was unsightly.

About 2 years ago the tooth started to come loose and last year they pulled the tooth and I now have an implant at age 57. That cracked tooth lasted 47 years.

My point to all of this is the only pain you're going to feel is in your wallet.

Extraction, bone graft, temporary tooth, implant cost around $7500 of which I paid $4K out of pocket with pretty good dental insurance.

Root canals are pretty routine these days. More of a nuisance than anything. The implant is a long process, PITA and expensive. But for me with it being a front tooth it's what everyone sees first so I didn't have a choice unless I went toothless.

A partial didn't make sense since the teeth around the bad tooth are all in good shape. To fit a partial they would have to grind down the teeth on either side of the removed tooth and doing that to perfectly good teeth didn't make sense. A partial is about 1/2 what an implant costs.

H9

Toolfan66 · March 26

Two of them here. I can tell you, I let it go too long the first time, I was in so much pain I could have taken a hammer to my head.
I was in the dentist parking lot before they opened, walked in, the lady asked me if I had an appointment, I said no but I need help now, she looks at me and said you’re in pain aren’t you, I said very much so.
They wasted no time and took me in..
I couldn’t wait to have that needle in my mouth.
The root canal was a walk in the park compared to the pain I had through the night..
Cost me $1k and some change, worth every penny..

audioluvr · March 26

Tell them you want a gold cap. Cost more and takes longer but they will never crack and you can tell your kids that's their inheritance.

Kex · March 26

Not much of an inheritance… 😱

mantis · March 27

heiney9 wrote: »

Long story short when I was 10 I was doing jumps off dirt mounds on my motor dirt bike. I came down on the front wheel and my face (mouth) smacked the cross beam on the handle bars. Ended up with a nasty bloody lip and apparently a cracked (vertically) front tooth.

It was fine for years and years, it became discolored and it started dying. I had a root canal (about 15 years ago) and was able to save the tooth. About 6-7 years ago I had a veneer put on because the staining was unsightly.

About 2 years ago the tooth started to come loose and last year they pulled the tooth and I now have an implant at age 57. That cracked tooth lasted 47 years.

My point to all of this is the only pain you're going to feel is in your wallet.

Extraction, bone graft, temporary tooth, implant cost around $7500 of which I paid $4K out of pocket with pretty good dental insurance.

Root canals are pretty routine these days. More of a nuisance than anything. The implant is a long process, PITA and expensive. But for me with it being a front tooth it's what everyone sees first so I didn't have a choice unless I went toothless.

A partial didn't make sense since the teeth around the bad tooth are all in good shape. To fit a partial they would have to grind down the teeth on either side of the removed tooth and doing that to perfectly good teeth didn't make sense. A partial is about 1/2 what an implant costs.

H9

I'm looking at around $270 for the Root canal after my I guess not go good insurance only covers 80% of the bill. I was told if the tooth can't be saved , the implant would be the next step. I wasn't aware of the cost of that procedure. WOW that's a lot of money for a tooth.

mantis · March 27

Toolfan66 wrote: »

Two of them here. I can tell you, I let it go too long the first time, I was in so much pain I could have taken a hammer to my head.
I was in the dentist parking lot before they opened, walked in, the lady asked me if I had an appointment, I said no but I need help now, she looks at me and said you’re in pain aren’t you, I said very much so.
They wasted no time and took me in..
I couldn’t wait to have that needle in my mouth.
The root canal was a walk in the park compared to the pain I had through the night..
Cost me $1k and some change, worth every penny..

I don't know if I had experienced the same level of pain with my tooth as you did , but I can see why someone would wait outside the dentist office for help.

Last week , my tooth started to ache, now mind you I have not been back to the dentist since Covid, I went through a pretty horrific time with long covid. Once I got my feet underneath me, my wife started to put pressure on me to get back to the Dentist for my usual 6 month appointments I decided to wait and then this happened. My fault not listening to my wife.

Anyway the pain got worse last Thursday , so I called and made an appointment for Yesterday. Anyway my pain level I would say out of 10 jumped up to a 9-10 level as I got light headed, hot and I was freezing cold. It was like the flu was coming on. I also was using Orajel every few hours and I think by using that so much to dull the pain, I caused myself to have an reaction to it.

So I think I might have been in that parking lot with you after all, tooth pain is pretty bad.

billbillw · March 27

I've not had one, but a friend who has had several says that the pain of the root canal usually matches the pain of the sore tooth. The worse it is, the worse the procedure will be. Toolfan seems to say that isn't true. Hopefully, his experience is more aligned with what you go through. Good luck! Cross your fingers you have one of the good honest dentists that don't over-work for profit.

Jimbo18 · March 27

Funny you should ask, I went in to the endodontist yesterday for an evaluation on a tooth that had a small crack in it. Long story short, it had been hurting a bit for the past two weeks and it needed a root canal.

It was "hot as a volcano" according to the doc and it hurt all the way through the procedure. He gave me a lot of novocaine outside the tooth and then had to keep shooting it inside the opening he created as he went deeper into the root. It was a molar and had a long root that was in three sections so there was a lot to work on.

I have to go back in 3 weeks to have it filled after it "settles down and cools off". Weird thing, it didn't hurt that much before and had no cavity, just that crack and was very sensitive to cold. Hopefully, YMMV.

mantis · March 27

billbillw wrote: »

I've not had one, but a friend who has had several says that the pain of the root canal usually matches the pain of the sore tooth. The worse it is, the worse the procedure will be. Toolfan seems to say that isn't true. Hopefully, his experience is more aligned with what you go through. Good luck! Cross your fingers you have one of the good honest dentists that don't over-work for profit.

Today more then ever in. my life do I fear that very thing. So many doctors are so quick to write a prescription for anything and everything with a 30 second evaluation, I know this first hand when I went though the hell of long covid.

I didn't even want to go to the Dentist honestly , have I have been going to the dentist all my life up until covid hit in 2020. My last appointment was right before Covid.

Thanks man.

mantis · March 27

Jimbo18 wrote: »

Funny you should ask, I went in to the endodontist yesterday for an evaluation on a tooth that had a small crack in it. Long story short, it had been hurting a bit for the past two weeks and it needed a root canal.

It was "hot as a volcano" according to the doc and it hurt all the way through the procedure. He gave me a lot of novocaine outside the tooth and then had to keep shooting it inside the opening he created as he went deeper into the root. It was a molar and had a long root that was in three sections so there was a lot to work on.

I have to go back in 3 weeks to have it filled after it "settles down and cools off". Weird thing, it didn't hurt that much before and had no cavity, just that crack and was very sensitive to cold. Hopefully, YMMV.

I'm all out, man my tooth right now as I write this is calm, not hurting much. I'm also on a Advil 400 mg every 6 hours from my Dentist until I have the procedure.

I'm a pretty big baby about these things and don't want to have it done but want my pain to go away. If I have your experience, sounds like I'm in for a bunch of pain to come. Mine is also a molar it's tooth #30 whatever that means.

heiney9 · March 27

mantis wrote: »

heiney9 wrote: »

Long story short when I was 10 I was doing jumps off dirt mounds on my motor dirt bike. I came down on the front wheel and my face (mouth) smacked the cross beam on the handle bars. Ended up with a nasty bloody lip and apparently a cracked (vertically) front tooth.

It was fine for years and years, it became discolored and it started dying. I had a root canal (about 15 years ago) and was able to save the tooth. About 6-7 years ago I had a veneer put on because the staining was unsightly.

About 2 years ago the tooth started to come loose and last year they pulled the tooth and I now have an implant at age 57. That cracked tooth lasted 47 years.

My point to all of this is the only pain you're going to feel is in your wallet.

Extraction, bone graft, temporary tooth, implant cost around $7500 of which I paid $4K out of pocket with pretty good dental insurance.

Root canals are pretty routine these days. More of a nuisance than anything. The implant is a long process, PITA and expensive. But for me with it being a front tooth it's what everyone sees first so I didn't have a choice unless I went toothless.

A partial didn't make sense since the teeth around the bad tooth are all in good shape. To fit a partial they would have to grind down the teeth on either side of the removed tooth and doing that to perfectly good teeth didn't make sense. A partial is about 1/2 what an implant costs.

H9

I'm looking at around $270 for the Root canal after my I guess not go good insurance only covers 80% of the bill. I was told if the tooth can't be saved , the implant would be the next step. I wasn't aware of the cost of that procedure. WOW that's a lot of money for a tooth.

I went to my regular dentist and then then a dental surgeon. The main thing my family dentist did was the temporary tooth. They take the impression and send off to a lab to make. It fits similar to a retainer but there was a tooth on it. That tooth also has to be colored the correct shade to match the surrounding teeth. That's done at another lab. I believe the temporary tooth cost close to $2K

There was a long lead time (healing) between the tooth being pulled and the post for the implant into the bone and more healing time, etc, So the temp tooth was necessary since it was a couple month procedure. Again it being a front tooth the temp tooth was needed not to look like a hillbilly

H9

heiney9 · March 27

If you don't need the temp tooth it does cut the cost a bit.

H9

WilliamM2 · March 27

mantis wrote: »

I'm looking at around $270 for the Root canal after my I guess not go good insurance only covers 80% of the bill. I was told if the tooth can't be saved , the implant would be the next step. I wasn't aware of the cost of that procedure. WOW that's a lot of money for a tooth.

Don't let your dentist do it, 78% failure rate, even specialists have about 20% failure rate.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4948527/

I've had two root canals, by two specialists, and both failed within 10 years. Tried a second procedure on one (he missed a root?), and it failed too. So after about $4K in root canals and crowns, they were both pulled for $150 each (not the same year). I'll probably never have another, just save for the implant.

On the other had, I had an implant this past year. About 10.5 months total. Extraction, bone graft, Implant, and Crown. My dental surgeon is conservative, so allows at least 4 months healing for the bone graft, and 4 to 5 for the Implant. Then the dentist places the crown, which had to be remade once due to poor fit. Was just put in last Friday. A long process, made longer due to catching Covid, and having the implant delayed by a month.

About $5200 all in, it varies a lot by area. And if you think your insurance is bad, mine considers implants "cosmetic" and pays nothing for the bone graft, implant, and crown. Who needs teeth?

SCompRacer · March 27

I had my first yesterday. My dentist sent me to Endodontist. Long time in the chair. They wedge a triangular block in opposite side to keep mouth open. No pain. Raise your hand for suction at back of throat. The doctor would comment on what he was doing. Loved hearing the words sealing tooth now. Mine had four roots, one all the way to sinus cavity.

Drilling and grinding noises interesting. I was thinking they would be localized to right side but were dead center.

The stand and scan at end was pretty kewl. It showed the work performed and to see if any cracks opened up below the gum line.

No pain today. Taking ibuprofen for swelling but won't be chewing on the right side for some time.

They can 360 the video to see all angles. I'm retired. My dental supplement only paid 50% so $577 out of pocket.

Kex · March 27

My only root canal was done by a dentist when I was a student in College. A crown was added about ten years later, and that is still in place today with no issues whatsoever. It has never leaked, it has never been tweaked, and it has never hurt ever again.

mantis · March 27

WilliamM2 wrote: »

mantis wrote: »

I'm looking at around $270 for the Root canal after my I guess not go good insurance only covers 80% of the bill. I was told if the tooth can't be saved , the implant would be the next step. I wasn't aware of the cost of that procedure. WOW that's a lot of money for a tooth.

Don't let your dentist do it, 78% failure rate, even specialists have about 20% failure rate.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4948527/

I've had two root canals, by two specialists, and both failed within 10 years. Tried a second procedure on one (he missed a root?), and it failed too. So after about $4K in root canals and crowns, they were both pulled for $150 each (not the same year). I'll probably never have another, just save for the implant.

On the other had, I had an implant this past year. About 10.5 months total. Extraction, bone graft, Implant, and Crown. My dental surgeon is conservative, so allows at least 4 months healing for the bone graft, and 4 to 5 for the Implant. Then the dentist places the crown, which had to be remade once due to poor fit. Was just put in last Friday. A long process, made longer due to catching Covid, and having the implant delayed by a month.

About $5200 all in, it varies a lot by area. And if you think your insurance is bad, mine considers implants "cosmetic" and pays nothing for the bone graft, implant, and crown. Who needs teeth?

Sorry to hear all of that sounds like a nightmare

mantis · March 27

SCompRacer wrote: »

I had my first yesterday. My dentist sent me to Endodontist. Long time in the chair. They wedge a triangular block in opposite side to keep mouth open. No pain. Raise your hand for suction at back of throat. The doctor would comment on what he was doing. Loved hearing the words sealing tooth now. Mine had four roots, one all the way to sinus cavity.

Drilling and grinding noises interesting. I was thinking they would be localized to right side but were dead center.

The stand and scan at end was pretty kewl. It showed the work performed and to see if any cracks opened up below the gum line.

No pain today. Taking ibuprofen for swelling but won't be chewing on the right side for some time.

They can 360 the video to see all angles. I'm retired. My dental supplement only paid 50% so $577 out of pocket.

Well that's sorta good news, Sorry about the bill of $577, that kinda sucks, mine should be around $350-270 depending.

motorstereo · March 27

I had one done about 25 years ago. About 5 years later it started hurting and had to come out. Since then if there's a problem in the back that a filling can't fix I have it pulled.

WilliamM2 · March 27

mantis wrote: »

Sorry to hear all of that sounds like a nightmare

Not really a nightmare. I was just warning you to go to an Endodontist or an Oral Surgeon. Dentists have a horrible failure rate on root canals. And I had failures with Endodontist's. Although the one that missed one of three roots was obviously incompetent.

As far as the implant, I'm very happy with it so far, just time consuming and expensive. There was about 1 day of minor pain after extraction, and no pain at all through the rest off the process. I was surprised that the implant placement was completely painless, during and after.

I still forget that I can CHEW where the missing tooth was, got so used to eating on one side only! But it's only been 5 days.

Implants are about 98% successful. 99% if you make it to the crown stage.

billbillw · March 27

Definitely see an endodontist for the RC portion of this. They should be talking about a cubic zirconium crown when they are finished (that comes a few weeks later).

DaveHo · March 27

Good to read comments from those with experience. More than 2 decades ago, working on my car, slipped and wacked myself in the mouth. Doh! Went to the dentist, they braced it. Never a problem since. Current practice I go to thinks I should have a root canal on that tooth. I've been blowing them off. This practice seems to have a reputation for ad ons. Maybe I should take it seriously?

Kex · March 27

I would have thought that a tooth needing a root canal would always be sore. 🤷‍♂️

Jimbo18 · March 27

mantis wrote: »

Jimbo18 wrote: »

I'm all out, man my tooth right now as I write this is calm, not hurting much. I'm also on a Advil 400 mg every 6 hours from my Dentist until I have the procedure.

I'm a pretty big baby about these things and don't want to have it done but want my pain to go away. If I have your experience, sounds like I'm in for a bunch of pain to come. Mine is also a molar it's tooth #30 whatever that means.

Don't get me wrong, I am not sorry I did it, just that it wasn't a walk in the park. I have extremely long roots (not bragging, just fact and that makes a root canal worse than for most people. But it feels good now, just a little discomfort from all the work done.

heiney9 · March 27

Kex wrote: »

I would have thought that a tooth needing a root canal would always be sore. 🤷‍♂️

Not necessarily. It was my impression because my front tooth way dying because of the trauma to it they did a root canal in my early 30's. It had been traumatized about 20 years prior. I don't remember there being much pain. I'm 58 now so my memory of why I needed the root canal on the front tooth is almost non-existent.

I've had mind numbing pain from infected wisdom teeth that I will never forget and then the pain of dry socket (twice) after I had them removed also sticks with me...lol

H9

SCompRacer · March 27

Mine started as a small abscess on the gum above tooth. Probable cause was due to an old filling or crack by filling that allowed bacteria to invade the dental pulp. No pain in tooth at all, the roots were dying or dead already.

SIHAB · March 27

This thread sounds a lot like my first marriage.

CGTIII · March 28

I've had three. As others have said, just tedious, not painful after the deadening injections.
Fortunately, I do tech tradeout with my dentist, so no cost! :-)

mantis · March 28

WilliamM2 wrote: »

mantis wrote: »

Sorry to hear all of that sounds like a nightmare

Not really a nightmare. I was just warning you to go to an Endodontist or an Oral Surgeon. Dentists have a horrible failure rate on root canals. And I had failures with Endodontist's. Although the one that missed one of three roots was obviously incompetent.

As far as the implant, I'm very happy with it so far, just time consuming and expensive. There was about 1 day of minor pain after extraction, and no pain at all through the rest off the process. I was surprised that the implant placement was completely painless, during and after.

I still forget that I can CHEW where the missing tooth was, got so used to eating on one side only! But it's only been 5 days.

Implants are about 98% successful. 99% if you make it to the crown stage.

My Dentist sent me to a specialist, I think a Endodontist sound about right , I have the paperwork at home. Thanks for the tip, but my Dentist does the final cap, they put some temp cap on it after the work, at least from what I remember.

Anyone ever have root canal?

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