I had a root canal over 20 years ago. A couple weeks ago I thought the molar with the root canal was hurting, it was very sensitive to hot and cold. My dentist took a couple xrays and said she saw nothing and referred me to an Endodontist. I went to him and he said there was a crack in the molar behind the one that had the root canal, so he did a root canal on that one. It did nothing for the pain and sensitivity — its just as bad. There was no infection. I still feel that it is the old root canal tooth but they’re not listening. Even mouthwash is too cold for it. What do you think I should do next?
– Karen from Minnesota
Karen,
First, it’s not very likely that it’s your old root canal tooth that is hurting, and that’s because you’re having pain to hot and cold. When you get tooth pain from hot and cold, the tissue inside the tooth is alive and inflamed. It would be very usual to have live tissue inside a tooth with a twenty-year-old root canal treatment. Possible, but very unusual.
Second, it appears that the endodontist did the wrong tooth, and that’s because your pain didn’t go away. But it’s not unusual for you to have pain that feels like it’s in one tooth but it’s really coming from another. I’ve even seen cases where there’s a problem upper tooth and it feels like a lower, or vice versa.
What to do now? I’d be inclined to try another endodontist who will be more careful. I don’t know all the circumstances, and maybe it was disclosed to you that the diagnosis wasn’t certain, but if that wasn’t made clear, I’d be inclined to try someone else. Having said that, sometimes these diagnoses can be tricky. It may even be necessary to wait for a period of time before you know for sure which tooth it is that has the problem.
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some people believe that benefits of a root canal treatment don’t last. This is owing to consequent breaking of teeth after treatment. According to veteran dental experts, this is not the treatment failure but rather the failure in restoration or construction of tooth. Breakage mainly happens to those who fail to get crowns. Therefore, the benefits can last long.
I’ve never had anything wrong with my teeth before and after few years went back to the dentist for a cleaning. However I was notified that I’ve had one of my cavities hurting and the dentist did a few tests. Within mintutes they’ve said I needed a root canal done and I’m worryed about this. I don’t feel the need for it and asked if it was truly needed. I understand the pros about it however I still hesistate since I changed dental clinics. Before my dentist said my teeth were sensitive therefore I sensed pain. As I’ve read from your blog, sometimes the pain can be from the opposing teeth. I am still unsure about having the procedure done.
What should I do? I want to go back to my regular dentist from before but unsure as well. I feel that its my teeth and I don’t need this procedure but was told by the dentist it is needed and I shouldn’t delay the treatment. I feel as if they are cheating me out of money since I have to pay this out of pocket. Any suggestions and feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you Valerie for you question. I’ll give you my best answer without the benefit of seeing you or your x-rays. Sometimes, the nerve in a tooth can go bad and you will have no pain symptoms at all. Usually there will be either a swelling in the gum near the affected tooth, or there will be a shadow on your x-ray showing a large cavity. You can start by asking your new dentist to show you the reasons why they are recommending a root canal. They should be able to answer this question easily. If the tooth in question has a large filling in it, this would increase the probability of a bad nerve. Secondly, if the tooth has a fracture and food is wedging between the teeth, this again increases the chance you will need treatment. Occasionally, tooth pain can be caused by your bite being off. The symptoms here are tenderness biting down and cold sensitivity. Many times this can be corrected by adjusting the bite and the pain will subside. Have an honest discussion with your dentist about your concerns. I hope this helps and thanks again for the question.