Over the past week i've started to have pretty terrible pain in my upper tooth, turns out I need a root canal for a cavity that's gotten pretty bad. I usually brush 1-2 times a day on average, and it was in a spot right between my teeth where I couldn't floss correctly.
Anyway, The Root canal is cited at 1100$, I have no insurance since i'm over a certain age and my parents dental coverage won't insure me.
Now i'm leaving on a trip in 2 weeks and the dentist told me they can put a temporary filling on that will last me 3 months, and it may or may not help with the pain. Extracting the tooth is something that can also be done but in the long run it'll fuck up my teeth alignment even more.
So my question to you guys is this, Would you pay the 1100$ *Which I can't even afford unless I dip into my trip funds* or have it temporary plugged until I can return and get it fixed? *Doing so might still lead to an infection ,or extreme pain even tho i'm rather pain free unless I eat something / chew on that side of my mouth.*
Sorry for the wall of text, Just not really sure what I should do here guys.
TLDR: Leaving for a trip in 2 weeks, Need a root canal but don't have insurance to pay for it. Tooth only hurts when I chew / get food in the hole. Can put in a temporary filling that lasts 3 months, still might hurt / get infected.
What do /adv/?
Get the tooth extracted. Tooth alignment can be fixed later. Root canals don't always work and will lead to tooth extraction anyway.
When the dentist says "temp. Filing" i suspect one of two things:
1. He removes a part of the inflamed,and still vital pulp, to ease pain. The tooth will in 90% of cases be pain free. You will get a medicine inside the pulp chamber, most prob eugenol on a cotton pellet. This is the standard treatment of pulpittis: inflamed nerve. Works almost evry time. Takes 25 min max.
2. The dentist start the root canal treatment. You get a intracanal medication, and a temp filling, after doing a chemomechanical debridement of the canals. Part two, the actual filling of the root-canals happends no earlyer then 5 days past initial vist, this leaves time for medicament to work, and kill of remaining germs. This is the recommended treatment in cases of an AVITAL tooth. Common problem (10-15%) is "endodontic flair up". Google this.
Tl;dr: do not extract
Dentist can make you pain free
He Will have to do somthing INSIDE the tooth to make sure pain goes away
-dentist
>>16945357
The prognosis of vital root canal treatment is 80-98 %
For a avital tooth, no more then 80%
This is under normal conditions, and with a sufficient seal on top (best: full metal ceramic crown).
In less-then-optimal cases, with bendt roots,oblitirated canals and severe infection: sub-60 %
>>16945318
To actually answer your Q:
Major pain is most common in pulpitis (irreversible pulpitis).
If you expirience
-spontanous pain
-pain from eating/drinking that LINGERS for more then 30 sec
-pain that increase in night time
-that a cool drink/water actually reduce pain
..you need to get something done, no guarantee that pain wont worsen.
If there is need for root canal treatment, it is best to start with aqute treatment (see other post), with a PULPOTOMY. This will render you pain free.
Also; english not native language
Also; my advices are according to the european endodontic association (?) guidelines
>>16945427
I've had a temp filling on the tooth that is other in me before, it came off and Im going to ask for another one while I save up funds for the root canal. Would you recommend getting the temporary filling and then doing the root canal when I return?
>>16945481
Can you rephrase the first sentence
Please?
>>16945491
Sorry, I've had a temporary filling on the tooth and it came off, there was no pain on the tooth until the last of the filling chipped away, do you think that means getting another temporary filling will ease the pain on the tooth?
>>16945497
Yes. Lack of filling advocates further decay,and possible more pain. It also expose the dentin tubules, which is painful..
i suggest a material suited for a semi-permanent filling, like a glassionomer. Wears slow, and it make a tight seal for more than 3 months.
other temp. filling materials, like IRM and Cavit (most common) brake/wears off quick, and is not bacterial tight past 3 months.
there is always a chance that pain will increase. I recomend that you start the root canal treatment, at least get a pulotomy, if root c treatment is indicated.
You can google "stepwire excavation", as this is a alternative if there is pain, but the lesion (decay) does not reach the pulp on xray (and you have low tier symptoms)
Tl;dr get filling, or start r.c.t.
>>16946060
"Stepwise excavation", that is
