Root canal or extraction?

@mrcerec is the Inflamation caused by decay or what? My dentist said I had decay in the rct she cleaned it but pain persists

Devil's advocate over here. I had a rct on molar with less than 50/50 chance. Dentist actually said she doubted it would work. It took 6 months to completely settle but 5 years later its fine. Not a peep from it in years.

I currently have an horizontal root fracture of a front/side tooth. I am in the US and already spent a fair deal of money (thousands) on teeth treatment this year so can’t afford this root canal here. But I am moving back to Europe in two weeks and will be aiming for root canal. I have been warned it might fail but honestly in my case there is no way I will aim for extraction, this tooth is already crown so I am not sure of the impact of the root canal on it as I honestly just hoping for the pain to stop so I can lead a fully normal life.

I have had other root canals done and honestly of all the work I unexpectedly had to have done this year. Root canal was the easiest part of the process (and I have had zero issues).

@mrcerec thanks for replying, it's nice to hear I may get another 30 years out of it.

Admittedly though, my dentist has told me that RC does come with its fair share of failures.

My mother has always drilled it into me to save the tooth wherever possible!
They give shape and structure to your face and extraction can be ageing.
So I'd say go for RCT, even if vanity isn't particularly Mumsnetty!

[quote munchbunch12]@mrcerec Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining. Just out of interest, what is the longest lasting successful RC that you know of?[/quote]
50 years plus. Crowned of course.

I had a root canal with a crown 13 years ago (I cracked the tooth to start with, so it was not in good form). I joke it is my favourite tooth. It's lovely an white, cleans up well and is the one I do my "hard chewing". After all the pain, I remember being so relieved the day after they killed the nerve off (one week before fitting the crown). It doesn't feel like it will perish any time soon.

@mrcerec Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining. Just out of interest, what is the longest lasting successful RC that you know of?

britishendodonticsociety.org.uk/patient-public/further-information/

I had RC done, which became infected and needed re-doing, saw a specialist who wouldn't touch it said failure rate was too high. Back to original dentist for an extraction who said would give it a go re-doing as the only thing to lose was the tooth itself. Had the odd abscess since then which needed antibiotics but its been 15 years since. Roots are reabsorbing though so have been warned it won't last very much longer, but 15 years use has been worth it.

Had RCT and two weeks later the tooth split in half and had to be removed! Same as you, at the back. Should have just got it pulled to start with. Would have saved a lot of money!

I had my first rct and it failed. However I was then offered to be ferried to a specialist who did the next one which was 12 years ago and no probs since. The specialist said never to let my own dentist do it if I needed another and likened it to my go performing an operation! The experience of the two was so different..... the specialist had different equipment did so many X-rays I lost count and took three sessions. Consider asking if you have a specialist!

I had a root canal with a crown on top 20 years ago and it's still fine (touch wood). I had no idea RCs were only ment to last about 10 years!

It is always best to save teeth wherever possible. A well root-filled tooth with crown (not just a filling) has a very similar success rate to an implant. Problem is, root canal is not a simple procedure. It is nowhere near adequately remunerated under the NHS. Sometimes referral to a specialist is best. Ask your dentist what they would fo if it were their tooth - would they go to a specialist? In all cases behind the canines crowns/ cuspal coverage is a must. Fillings will not survive.

The pain after failed root canal comes from inflammation in the surrounding tissue associated with the tooth not the tooth itself.

If it’s right at the back then I would just have it pulled.

I went for extraction and if I could go back in time I'd change my mind and go for RCT, having that tooth taken out released all the pressure on my front teeth which had kept them straight and slowly they've all moved, only mm's but it's noticeable, as the next tooth up only had support from the one side eventually that one became unstable and I again opted for extraction, its now like a chain reaction, the same thing is happening again and I've only 2 teeth before I'm at my canines now. As I'm a night time tooth grinder even with a mouth guard there's no stopping it :-(

I had a root canal a year or so ago on my back molar. I agree that the toothache before treatment is excruciating but it was fine after my first session. I think I had three visits in total, it really wasn't that different to a deepest filling despite the horror stories I'd heard. It's been fine since (as has my husband's from five or so years ago).

I still remember a very unpleasant extraction from my teenage years so I was keen to avoid that if at all possible! Hope it feels better soon.

I was in a similar situation about 10 years ago. I had a root canal and it failed so I had it extracted. At first everything was fine but over the next few years my teeth started moving to fill the gap. After 5 years or so my teeth had moved so much that my front teeth were very slanted to the side where the gap was. I’ve just spent 2 years with Invisalign to make my teeth straight again. It might be a good idea to either get something to fill the gap or getting a retainer to make sure that your teeth don’t move, especially if you’ve previously had braces and have lovely straight teeth

If a root canal is supposed to kill the nerve, why would a failed root canal hurt so bad? Guess I am asking the dentist mrcerec

I had a failed root canal even with a crown - it did not last very long. The root canal made the tooth so fragile it took a whole hour for the extraction and the dentist was pulling out fragments and sweating by the end. I then had a implant put in its place.

A root canal + crown costs £££ and an extraction/implant costs £££££. If I went for the root canal + crown first, it would cost lots if it failed and I had to go for option 2. I am thinking the next time this issue arises (my teeth are falling to bits), I would consider going straight to extraction/implant.

If the patient is very keen to save I would give it a go, but wisdom teeth are quite often not worth saving.

My teeth seem to be made of chalk. I've always taken care of them but I've ended up having five root canals on four teeth. First one 30 years ago, was redone when it developed an abscess after 20 years. Another one collapsed after a couple of years and had to be removed. The hole is covered with a bridge which involved grinding down the perfectly healthy tooth in front to support it.
They each cost a small fortune, mostly when I was younger and short of money. But I would go for the root canal every time. You only get one set of teeth and in my opinion its worth doing a lot to keep hold of as many as possible.

Personally I would go for extraction given it's right at the back. I have had a failed root canal. The procedure was painful and a year or two later I had to have the tooth out anyway.