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Old 08-15-2017, 11:41 AM   #41
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Originally Posted by gayl View Post
yeah .... I have had too many including 1 under an old crown a month ago. Dentist tried to avoid it, wish he hadn't

My endodontist offers gas & I insist on it ($85 extra). No idea what's going on afterwards. Scenario:
Walk in
Get gas & dental dam
Wake up an hour later
Aspirin every 6- 8 hours for 2 days, abx × 10 days for infection (you're on it already)
Can't eat for an hour or chew on that side for a few days
But you are missing the cool part! The part where the endodontist sticks the puller in your tooth, wraps up that nasty little nerve and yanks it out. It really is a kind of cool, sort of like having a parasite delivered.

I asked to see it. I understand other people may be asked to be shielded from seeing it. I can understand.
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Old 08-15-2017, 11:50 AM   #42
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Just make sure they get ALL the roots. I had one where they missed one little bit of one of the roots. I then left for a week business trip to Japan (12 hour flight). For some reason the left over root woke up @ 30K feet with no Advil in sight. That was the most miserable business trip I ever had.

Got back and popped the little guy out (so small that the offending canal didn't appear on x-ray apparently). No problem after that.
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Old 08-15-2017, 11:57 AM   #43
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You don't want to hear about my root canal. I went to a specialist and he had a terrible time with it. It continued to be sensitive and two years later I had it all pulled out and a bridge made. Nothing hurts now. I hope yours goes well and you have no problems.
I had my first root canal when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. Root canals and temporary crowns put on two busted tooth. I spent the next 3 days in the hospital in excruciating pain from the infection until the IV antibiotics and pain killers started to work. The procedure was terrifying to me at the time, and more so now (first they drilled out the tooth which didn't bother me back then, but then they "filled" the hole with a "plug" thing that involved what felt like enough pressure to shove my tooth into my back). My dental experiences didn't get a whole lot more pleasant afterwards (though my massive phobia likely causes a lot of the problems psychologically, but not the 'I'm not numb so stop drilling into my tooth!' problems were surely not my fault).

I have a broken tooth right now and a toothache. I'm getting examined tomorrow so they can set up a treatment plan (root canal and crown for sure, since that's what another dentist already said I need and showed me the x-rays). Why didn't I just get it done there? Because that dentist won't knock me out. Paying ~$5-600 to NOT have to go through corrective dental procedures is well worth it to me with my severe phobia.

I hope my next root canal, and yours, go much better than my first..

Oh, I forgot, apparently root canals/crowns are "Temporary" fixes and not expected to last for life. Mine were done for after ~25 years (tooth just broke off under the crown). Had to get both extracted and implants put in. Dental insurance covered ~$720 of all that work...
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Old 08-15-2017, 12:33 PM   #44
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1. I have had a root canal. No big deal.

2. I think I was chewing on it the next day.

3. No, the rough cleaning had nothing to do with it.

+1. Have had 13 - 15 root canals. Most posts describe the procedure
very accurately.

One concern. When ever I had nerve pain, my dentist immediately called
the "specialist", root canal person, and they squeezed me in immediately
for an exam. NO 2 WEEK wait. And if a root canal was needed, the procedure was started that day. END OF PAIN.

Also, noticed. My endo specialist, always did the procedure in 2 visits.
(same price). First visit, remove nerve. 2nd visit, check for healing and
be sure entire nerve/root removed, then filled up the hole.

Some endo, do the procedure same visit. Not recommended.

Regular dentist, finishes up the work. New crown, if needed.

Here in CA, cost around $ 1200 root canal, $1000 crown.
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Old 08-15-2017, 12:38 PM   #45
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Oh, I forgot, apparently root canals/crowns are "Temporary" fixes and not expected to last for life. Mine were done for after ~25 years (tooth just broke off under the crown). Had to get both extracted and implants put in. Dental insurance covered ~$720 of all that work...
Yikes. A little searching confirms this. I have some 30 year old crowns in my head with no problems. But now you gave me something to worry about.

Looks like I'm going to add a $2k per year expense item to my ER spreadsheet. Darn it! I figure some years will be zero, some will have a crown, and I expect an implant or two somewhere down the line...
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Old 08-15-2017, 01:49 PM   #46
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But you are missing the cool part! The part where the endodontist sticks the puller in your tooth, wraps up that nasty little nerve and yanks it out. It really is a kind of cool, sort of like having a parasite delivered.

I asked to see it. I understand other people may be asked to be shielded from seeing it. I can understand.
Joe, I'm curious, what are you talking about? I've had several root canals and the endodonist uses small files to remove the pulp. Never had a nerve yanked out with puller.
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Old 08-15-2017, 01:53 PM   #47
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Joe, I'm curious, what are you talking about? I've had several root canals and the endodonist uses small files to remove the pulp. Never had a nerve yanked out with puller.
Yeah, sorry, I guess the real name is "file." Whatever it is, it comes out wrapped on the device. Looked just like this, from wikipedia

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Old 08-15-2017, 01:57 PM   #48
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Originally Posted by JoeWras View Post
But you are missing the cool part! The part where the endodontist sticks the puller in your tooth, wraps up that nasty little nerve and yanks it out.
Naw, the cool part happened in my first root canal when I wasn't really sure how the process worked and I saw something with a little wisp of smoke curling off of it heading for my mouth and it was too stuffed with equipment for me to ask "What the H is that?" I think it was the freshly- heated gutta percha. Didn't feel a thing but I wish he would have explained it!
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Non-Viable Teeth
Old 08-15-2017, 03:42 PM   #49
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Non-Viable Teeth

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Originally Posted by jabbahop View Post
Just make sure they get ALL the roots. I had one where they missed one little bit of one of the roots. I then left for a week business trip to Japan (12 hour flight). For some reason the left over root woke up @ 30K feet with no Advil in sight. That was the most miserable business trip I ever had.
I wouldn't use a dentist to get the root canal unless I had a lot of knowledge about the dentist's success rate. So, I'd go to an endodontist.
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Originally Posted by wolf View Post
My endo specialist, always did the procedure in 2 visits. (same price). First visit, remove nerve. 2nd visit, check for healing and be sure entire nerve/root removed, then filled up the hole.
Probably a good idea to go twice.

I think there's a perception issue that nerves are 100% removed... This is a biological thing and they try to clean it out the best they can, but nothing in this realm is 100%. We just hope that they get most of it, and there's not enough left for it to get infected.

Talking about infections, there are some comments concerning low grade infections in non-viable teeth (aka ones that have had root canals) that do not have obvious symptoms. But there are some "experts" that suggest having this dead tooth in your mouth isn't a great idea because these teeth are porous and harbor some really weird bacterial strains that are later found in the GI tract. Personally, I'm not sure there's anything to worry about, but wondered if anyone purposefully switched out non-viable teeth for implants.
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Old 08-15-2017, 05:25 PM   #50
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Talking about infections, there are some comments concerning low grade infections in non-viable teeth (aka ones that have had root canals) that do not have obvious symptoms. But there are some "experts" that suggest having this dead tooth in your mouth isn't a great idea because these teeth are porous and harbor some really weird bacterial strains that are later found in the GI tract. Personally, I'm not sure there's anything to worry about, but wondered if anyone purposefully switched out non-viable teeth for implants.
Wow- never heard that and,although I am very happy with the implants I have, I sure wouldn't like to pay for more to replace teeth that (to my knowledge) aren't giving me any trouble. I'm going to ask my dentist about this- he's a smart, curious guy and I bet either he or the oral surgeon he works with would know.

I'm not sure which, if any, of my remaining natural teeth are non-viable; a few have been removed due to decay and one due to an abscess at the root. I have a bridge over one and implants replacing the others. I do remember being told that a root-canalled tooth practically fuses to the jawbone and is harder to extract.
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Old 08-15-2017, 06:20 PM   #51
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Yeah, sorry, I guess the real name is "file." Whatever it is, it comes out wrapped on the device. Looked just like this, from wikipedia

Actually, that instrument in the picture is called a broach. It has little tiny barbs on it to grab the pulpal tissue and remove most of it. Files and reamers are then used to clean, shape, and widen the canal walls.

There. Now you can do your own.

There was a video on You Tube of a dentist doing a root canal on his own tooth. Not recommended.
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Old 08-15-2017, 07:30 PM   #52
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Since he was put on an antibiotic he probably had an infection, that's probably why the 2 week wait.
Well, I'm not sure that I had an infection, and I don't know how the dentist can know either, as he didn't even look at the tooth before prescribing the antibiotic. I just described the pain I was experiencing, and he nodded and said yeah, an infection is probably starting........take this antibiotic starting today, and I'll see you in 2 weeks for a root canal.

I am starting to get a little nervous about having this guy do my root canal, after reading what many of you said about making sure you have an endodontist do it. The guy I go to (a regular dentist) has done plenty of root canals, but he's not an endodontist. He assured me that it won't be a problem to simply drill a hole through the crown and do the root canal that way, and then fill in the crown.......he said it won't be necessary to put on a new crown. He didn't mention anything about the possibility of cracking the existing crown when he drills through it......
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Old 08-15-2017, 07:43 PM   #53
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Originally Posted by sengsational View Post
Talking about infections, there are some comments concerning low grade infections in non-viable teeth (aka ones that have had root canals) that do not have obvious symptoms. But there are some "experts" that suggest having this dead tooth in your mouth isn't a great idea because these teeth are porous and harbor some really weird bacterial strains that are later found in the GI tract. Personally, I'm not sure there's anything to worry about, but wondered if anyone purposefully switched out non-viable teeth for implants.
Yep, I have read about this also, and it's one of the reasons I'm concerned about having a root canal. The dentist made some comment about wanting to "save a good tooth" (by doing the root canal), and I was thinking.......wait a minute, it's not a good tooth if the nerve is dead, it's basically a dead tooth! I know that the alternative is extraction and then an implant, at much higher cost, so I'm not real thrilled with that option either. I do not have dental insurance, by the way.
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Old 08-15-2017, 07:59 PM   #54
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Originally Posted by sengsational View Post

Talking about infections, there are some comments concerning low grade infections in non-viable teeth (aka ones that have had root canals) that do not have obvious symptoms. But there are some "experts" that suggest having this dead tooth in your mouth isn't a great idea because these teeth are porous and harbor some really weird bacterial strains that are later found in the GI tract. Personally, I'm not sure there's anything to worry about, but wondered if anyone purposefully switched out non-viable teeth for implants.
Here is one link to an article on what you are talking about:
Toxic Teeth: How a Root Canal Could Be Making You Sick
I have not formed an opinion yet on this.........just passing along information. I would be interested to hear what others (including any dentists on the board) think about this.
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Old 08-15-2017, 08:11 PM   #55
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Every time I see people missing teeth, I immediately think they might have kept their teeth with a root canal--and dental insurance. Missing teeth automatically marks someone's position in society.

I have some root canals with caps. The worst part is the pain prior. Go ahead and cut my head off--it is terrible pain that never happens Mon. to Thursday (when dentists work.). Second worst!thing is paying $1700 for the root canal and a cap.

Right now, I am missing tooth #13. I hope people don't think I'm going to part.of the toothless crowd. I am ready for a dental implant which will cost $4,000+ before it is over. They should be considered a status symbol at that cost. Maybe I can beat the price in a Mexican dental clinic.
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Old 08-16-2017, 09:55 AM   #56
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I had one done about twenty years ago. I let me general dentist do it. He messed it up, big time. It wasn't done properly and kept getting infected and having discomfort in the gumline. Finally I went to a specialist another dentist recommended. He worked for a year trying to save it but ultimately I had to have the whole tooth removed.

I would recommend a specialist for any work like this as they do it all the time and know what they are doing. I would not recommend your regular dentist as they do not perform this procedure as often. It's like do you want your Ferrari fixed by joe blow at Merchants, or by the exotic car repair guy?
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Old 08-16-2017, 10:03 AM   #57
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Seeing that made my eyes water!

I had a root canal to clear an infection under a crown. The procedure in my case seemed no worse than getting a filling. Because of that, I made the mistake of being too cavalier and waving off the pain meds the doctor offered to prescribe. Also, I neglected to take any OTC pain meds after the procedure. I realized my mistake during a 10:00 meeting when the Novocain started wearing off.
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Old 08-16-2017, 04:54 PM   #58
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So, earlier I was going to say good things about the new dental practice I'm using, because they got me in this morning, and were going out of their way to schedule everything for tomorrow due to my time constraints.

Then... they waited until their office was closed/closing after 4pm today to tell me they need me to somehow come up with a doctor's note saying I'm cleared for sedation during my appointment tomorrow at 8:30am... you'd think someone in the past two weeks of me saying I wasn't doing anything without sedation beyond xrays and looking would have possibly mentioned that as a need before the night before my procedure (and after my doctor's office is closed for the day).

So, I think to myself, I have all of my medical records for the past 9 years including all blood work, stress tests, diagnosis, med history, etc. Surely any doctor can write that note (which I didn't need 2 years ago for them to sedate me for my extractions/implants).... nope, the available doctors at the urgent care clinic and tele-medicine refuse to look at my records and say "yep, he's safe to get IV sedation".

So, I get to spend 2 hours running around starting at 6 am on the very slim chance that my PCP will be in early enough, and have the time and inclination, to get around to writing something down saying I can have the sedation in time for me to then go halfway across town in rush hour to try and make my appointment... which I can't drive myself home from so I'll have to leave my car there if I do make the appointment with the miracle doctor's note saying I can be sedated...

So, for now, I'm really, really, really frustrated with the dental practice that lets me know in the evening before my work that they won't do it without a note I probably can't get... not to mention the doctors that refuse to bother looking at my medical history, labs, etc so they can say I can be sedated for dental work (just like I was 2 years ago with the same medical history and no need for a doctor's note).

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
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Old 08-16-2017, 08:13 PM   #59
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........My endodontist offers gas & I insist on it ($85 extra). No idea what's going on afterwards. Scenario:
Walk in
Get gas & dental dam
Wake up an hour later
..........
Except for routine cleanings and X-rays, I won't let 'em! do anything in my mouth unless I have my nitrous oxide! Just send me trippin' until they're finished, and then bring me back to the real world. And with a goodly dose of nitrous, and bunch of novocain, I can easily fall asleep in that reclined position. He has had to wake me up a couple times because my snoring was interfering with his work....."Sorry, Doc.".

I've had 4 or 5 root canals with no problems at all. I also have 2 crowns, and they did root canals prior to doing the crown. One of those teeth needed the root canal because of pain. When I had the second crown put in, he did a root canal first so that there would be no future need to have one done, and have to disturb the crown.....premeditated pain control.
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Old 08-17-2017, 08:36 AM   #60
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Can any of the dentists explain this to me? The way it was presented is that the circled number is what "I am responsible for". My insurance doesn't cover much (routine exam/cleaning/xray only) and I don't see anything in the "Prim" or "Sec" categories, but I'm concerned they'll bill me my "patient" amount initially then the difference between that and "UCF" once insurance officially denies any payment?

Is that a possibility or is the "patient" costs reflecting a "cash customer discount" or something? Obviously I'll ask them as well, but wanted another opinion as well.
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