Root canal or extraction?

[FancyARoot]

Posting here for voting rights!

I have a hole in my back tooth. It’s started being really quite painful. Saw the emergency dentist today who said I need a root canal or extraction.
The catch is - I can’t have a root canal until lockdown is over. And who knows when that will be? The extraction I can have tomorrow.
Either way I’m terrified of the dentist.

Any experiences most appreciated!

YABU - wait for a root canal
YANBU - tooth ye be gone tomorrow

[Batfurger]

Wonder if there's anyone on this thread from the "I bought 2kg of sweets from amazon" thread.

[mrpumblechook]

I’m also facing this decision so do you mind if I jump in with a question? Those of you who have had extractions, what do you have there now? Have you just got a hole? What are the alternatives?

I just have a gap as it's at the back. You could have a dental implant if you want to spend the money when the dentists are open again though

[AgeLikeWine]

I’m also facing this decision so do you mind if I jump in with a question? Those of you who have had extractions, what do you have there now? Have you just got a hole? What are the alternatives?

I have a gap. The alternative is an implant, which is not normally available on the NHS. Done privately, the cost is approximately £2.5k per tooth.

[SchoolNightWine]

I have a gap too, but the alternatives are a denture, a bridge (replacement tooth fixed in place by a crown on the teeth at either side, or implant. With any of these options you need to give the gum time to heal after the extraction, so don't need to make that decision right away.
I was bothered about having a gap before I had the extraction, but don't notice it now. Everyone I know that's had the same has just ended up leaving the gap.

[notangelinajolie]

I recently had a tooth with a root filling extracted. If I was given the choice today I would forget the root canal and go straight for extraction. This is because all root fillings fail in the end and mine was starting to crumble.

The original root filling was only partially successful because the dentist had been unable to locate and kill of all the roots and I was fed up of pussyfooting with food and not being able to eat on that side. I put up with it for 10 years and in the end decided enough was enough and it had to go.

I won't lie it was a bugger to get out but the extraction itself was totally painless. And it took a great deal of time and skill from the dentist to get it all out. She had to break the tooth into pieces in the end.

Despite all that I am so glad it has gone.
If you can't see it when you smile I would say get rid.

[doughnutmuffin]

I had a wisdom tooth extracted and was shocked at how little it hurt and it healed so quickly!

[redsky75]

I won't go into details about my tooth extraction but it was lengthy with a long recovery period afterwards. If you do go for the extraction I would strongly recommend taking your phone with headphones for music with you. Someone recommended this to me and it was so helpful. I had it turned up loud and it helped take my mind off what was happening to an extent. Good luck with whatever you decide

[QuestionableMouse]

My tooth extraction was the best thing I've done dentally. Only took a few minutes and recovery was easy.

[callmeadoctor]

There is a possible other option OP, but only if the dentist is willing. Have it filled (if indeed that is possible) and you leave with an antibiotic prescription available if it doesn't settle. Sometimes it settles with a filling (even if it looks hopeless it might be worth a try). You have nothing to lose really as it has only delayed your choices if it fails. But it may just work. We have often suggested this on a "last hope" basis.

[Piglet89]

This depends largely on the tooth’s position really.

that far back, I’d get it removed, particularly in current circs when you have to wait for root canal and the tooth pain could flare at any moment, risk of abscess etc.

I had the UL6 extracted (it’s a bit further forward and in my mouth sits right behind my premolar) after a RCT failed. It’s JUST inside the smile zone and as I have huge teeth I really miss it because the chewing function on that side of my mouth is vastly reduced and I subconsciously put more pressure on other side to chew now. My bite has also never been the same since its extraction.

But yours is further back - get it out I say!

[MilkLady02]

Dentist here, it’s a tough decision and especially now when you don’t know when treatment could be (we don’t either!)
I always remember something I was taught in training for these situations: consider the tooth, the mouth and the patient.
Tooth: how decayed is it, how big a job will it be, how many roots does the tooth have, is it worth saving it or is it too badly damaged to have a good prognosis?
Mouth: does it bite against other teeth, are your gums and other teeth healthy/good prognosis, is it visible, are there other teeth that would “take over” its job if it was missing?
Patient: are you ok with lots of appointments, cost implications, fitting around work/commitments, are you bothered about a gap, have you any medical conditions that would make one option more of less suitable?
There are loads of other considerations, but this is why you will always get mixed results from asking lots of people. They’ve all had different advice because they’ve presented with their own individual situation. It’s not a one size fits all solution. So have a think about the above and check with your dentist again if this throws up more questions. Bear in mind it’s more likely months than weeks before root canal treatment will be available and the tooth you mention will need a crown afterwards too.

[Piglet89]

Great summary there from Milklady!

[Ilovecats14]

I've had root canal twice it was completely painless both times. I had my wisdom tooth removed, also painless. If your in pain get it out, if not I'd wait.

[MilkLady02]

There is a possible other option OP, but only if the dentist is willing. Have it filled (if indeed that is possible) and you leave with an antibiotic prescription available if it doesn't settle. Sometimes it settles with a filling (even if it looks hopeless it might be worth a try). You have nothing to lose really as it has only delayed your choices if it fails. But it may just work. We have often suggested this on a "last hope" basis.

Except that all treatment should be evidence based and not just a stab in the dark and cross fingers! If a specific problem has been diagnosed, the correct evidence based treatment options should be offered. Patients are not there to be experimented on and seeing if something might work is not justifiable or defensible clinically.

[Busydrinkingcoffee1]

I also had to have a root canal then ended up needing an extraction anyway. Personally, if it's a tooth you can't see, I would just opt for extraction but that's just based on my experience. I just have a hole now but can't see it and got used to it very quickly. Good luck OP, toothache/pain is the worse 😩

[Piglet89]

I think @Busydrinkingcoffee1 and my differing experiences are interesting. We both had failed root canal therapy then extraction. Her experience is that she got used to her missing tooth, but I miss mine every day. I’m only 39 but I have a little denture to keep the gap open so my other teeth won’t shift further and mess up my bite more - but that denture really annoys me and I find it embarrassing to have one so young. 🙈

Our differing outcomes are because the factual circumstances (the answers to the list of questions Milklady asked) are different.

[HoldMyLobster]

I’ve had 4 wisdom tooth removal experiences. (They came through at different times over 15 years.)

1 - in hospital, painful recovery, chipmunk face, couldn’t eat solids for several days
2 - at the dentist, quick and easy, no pain after
3 - at the dentist, spent 45 minutes trying to pull the tooth, failed leaving me with a torn mouth, bruising and much pain
4 - in hospital under GA, no pain during the procedure but a fairly long painful recovery.

[Whitney168]

I had this exact scenario, same tooth, bendy root. Tried root canal and it failed anyway, so now it needs extraction. On that basis, I voted 'cut out the middle man' LOL.

[stillathing]

I had an extraction on an upper back tooth in hospital. I was petrified. The dentist & nurse were so lovely and listened to my fears and nervous wittering. Barely felt a scratch with the local anaesthetic and then moments later it was over. I hadn't even realised they'd taken it out.

[callmeadoctor]

Milklady, hardly experimenting if you have one last try at saving it with a filling!! particularly when often it works and saves the patient an awful lot of trouble and expense. Obviously I was only suggesting it as an option if the dentist would consider it a possibility. Really no need for your snide comment.

[AppleGarden]

If you have an extraction will you replace the tooth? I have had the root canal done just before lockdown and now waiting to have a crown to put on the top. Mine was also the last second tooth from the back. My surgery phoned last week and offered me an appointment in mid July. So they may open in a couple months can your tooth wait for that long?!

[callmeadoctor]

"Experimenting on patients" can't believe anybody would say that.......................

[callmeadoctor]

And lets face it, root treatments on molars are always experiments, wonder what the odds are?

[imoment]

Wait for a RC. You wont be growing any new teeth and a RC will keep it healthy for decades

[MilkLady02]

@callmeadoctor
Litigation from patients is rife and real! Every treatment must be justified and able to be defended if things go wrong. No offence intended by my above comments, apologies if it came across that way.