How bad was your tooth before root canal ?

[Sunniehols]

Dentist thinks I may need root canal, he has offered to redo the filling first and see how I get on, if not then it’ll be root canal to save the tooth. I had no pain at all before the filling which is quite frustrating. Now I have pain in the gum around the back tooth, an aching tooth, stinging along the gumline and even into my lip almost as if I’m about to get a cold sore (which I don’t suffer from!)

Does this pain type/level sound normal for a failed filling and possible root canal?

@Sunniehols failed filing yea

It’s very subjective. Sometimes teeth need root filled if the filling is really deep, if there is a crack, if there has been trauma. Sometimes it can be elective if the tooth broken down and needs a post to help support a crown. Sometimes it can be because of an abscess. Sometimes it’s required if there is an irreversible pulpits ( inflammation of the nerve inside the tooth).

honestly, dentists generally would prefer not to have to do a root canal, although sometimes it’s unavoidable. How long ago was the original filling? A deep filling can take several weeks or longer to settle down.
what I would do is ask to get the filling removed and for the dentist to place a sedative dressing for a short while. If it settles, then get the filling redone. If it doesn’t settle then I’d opt for the root filling

About 15 years ago my dentist filled a tooth and said he couldnt say how long it would last but if it didnt I'd be looking at a root canal treatment.

Hopefully it continues to stay that way but he did a good job!