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Original poster

Root canal in front teeth? Can anyone help, please?

26 replies

Judydreamsofhorses · 10/04/2018 18:55

I saw my dentist in February because of pain in my upper front tooth. She examined me, did an x-ray, and concluded the tooth was “bruised”. It had never had any decay or fillings before.Today I was in for a checkup and scale/polish, and mentioned that it was still sore, so she repeated the x-ray - even I could see a black shadow round the tooth which wasn’t there in February. She said there is infection in that tooth and its neighbour, and I need two x root canals. Neither tooth has decay or been restored previously - she thinks I have bust the nerves clenching and grinding my teeth. (This is an ongoing priblem, and I wear a custom made night guard religiously now.)

So, question. Is a general dentist okay to do this, or should I see a specialist? I have had work done by an endodontist before. The cost difference would be massive, I know, but I am also conscious that these are my front teeth and I absolutely do not want to lose them. Also, should I have been prescribed an antibiotic? (I wasn’t, and am worried about the pain getting worse - the treatment isn’t for a fortnight.)

Thanks for reading if you did. I am an anxious patient but not particularly scared of having treatment.

OP posts:
MrsMaryMooFace · 10/04/2018 18:57

I've had a root canal in one front tooth. It's been fine for 16 years so far but the tooth is darker than the others

Faez · 10/04/2018 19:02

I have had root canals in both, I'm also a terrible grinder. I was prescribed antibiotics as was in agony, my dentist did a great job and I can't see any reason to see a specialist, dentists are specialists! Was just a very long time in the chair and was over the moon to be pain free.

LIZS · 10/04/2018 19:02

Mine too, occasionally I consider bleaching or veneer but the darker part is below the lip. In the end the root canal failed and I had to have an apsiectomy (sp?) at hospital maxiillofacial dept, unpleasant but it saved the tooth.

Faez · 10/04/2018 19:03

Oh yeah the dentist said my teeth might turn darker depending on how far it had progressed but fortunately didn't happen.

SleepFreeZone · 10/04/2018 19:05

Always see a specialist please. You generally get one chance when it comes to a root canal. A private specialist saved my front tooth when one NHS dentist screwed up a veneer replacement by filing the tooth down to expose the pulp and another NHS dentist screwed up the subsequent root canal.

Specialist all the way for me.

Original poster
Judydreamsofhorses · 10/04/2018 19:11

Thanks for the replies - very reassuring other than the discolouring! The reason I asked about the specialist is that I have also knackered my back teeth with clenching/grinding and my own dentist referred me outside the surgery because the teeth were complicated with twisty roots. I am actually seeing him tomorrow after a gruelling eight hours of treatment in total (two teeth, two grand...!) where hopefulky he will discharge me back to my own dentist for crowns.

Last question - my dentist said the teeth wouldn’t need crowned, but the back ones do. I am guessing you didn’t have crowns? My understanding was that root treated teeth can break easily because they have no blood supply?

OP posts:
MaudlinMews · 10/04/2018 19:21

Been there, got the T-shirt OP.

Root-filled teeth are weaker and as a grinder, I’m surprised the dentist didnt recommend crowning them. If they go, you’d be looking at £10k for extraction, implants, possibly gum and bone grafts.

If your own teeth do discolour (mine did) they can be bleeched from inside the tooth sometimes.

You need to sort your grinding out though or this is just the beginning.

SleepFreeZone · 10/04/2018 19:42

I am a clencher (not the reason for the front tooth issue) and I had a purpose made mouth guard made by the dentist that I wear each night successfully. It’s pretty small and vost about £300 a good few years ago.

GardenGeek · 10/04/2018 19:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Judydreamsofhorses · 10/04/2018 20:02

maudline I am grinding (actually more clenching) due to stress - my partner was made redundant and still isn’t working, so things at home are really tough, plus I work in a pretty demanding job. I do have a purpose built mouthguard whuch my dentist had made for me when this all kicked off. I don’t know what else I can do until the source of the stress is resolved? (My partner has applied for jobs from ASDA to Burger King, despite being a professional previously earning a high salary, so it’s not lack of trying on his part!) I wear the guard every single night, and even if (eg) I lie down with a headache for half an hour. Did you sort yours out? Any advice? I have lost a tooth since this started (lower molar) and had four other root canals. I am now completely obsessed with my teeth, whuch never gave me any bother before - I’d gone ten years with just checkups and S&P until last year!

garden I’m in Scotland. My surgery is actually mainly private, but I am an NHS patient because I’ve been going there since I was a child and they didn’t boot me out when things changed. I do really like my dentist, but am wary because she did the RCT on the tooth which I ended up having extracted.

OP posts:
SleepFreeZone · 10/04/2018 20:23

Are you still managing to clench and grind even though you have the mouth guard? Or do you think these problems were caused before you started wearing it? I bought a hypnosis DVD that you can listen to while you sleep. I’ll take a photo of it for you incase you want to try it.

Root canal in front teeth? Can anyone help, please?
Original poster
Judydreamsofhorses · 10/04/2018 20:46

sleep I think I was doing it for a while without realising - I cracked a filling last April which was when the dentist suggested I might be, and it was July until I got the guard. So perhaps there’s some cleanup still going on. I can see it’s pretty chewed up on the bottom, but I haven’t chewed through it. But surely the guard just - allegedly - prevents damage, not clenching? I know my jaw was completely out of alignment before I got it and is now in the right place again, at least. Off to look for that DVD right now - thanks!

OP posts:
SleepFreeZone · 10/04/2018 21:09

I’m not sure what guard you have but the one I have is one that fits over my top four teeth and has a built up bit that prevents me from closing my mouth. So my teeth don’t touch at all at night. I can’t clench abs fortunately I don’t grind.

Fucking hell doesn’t it just show what stress does to us? Mine all started due to stress too and then I suspect it became a habit.

Ridingthegravytrain · 10/04/2018 21:16

I think front teeth are easy for standard dentists to do as there is only one root so they can’t miss any by accident. It gets more complicated with the molars which can have more roots than expected and they can be missed if you don’t have the specialist equipment endodontists do. I had my molar done by a specialist but canines and incisors my dentist would be happy to do. And my wallet would be happy too!

Lauren83 · 10/04/2018 21:26

My regular dentist did my front root canal and did a great job

Original poster
Judydreamsofhorses · 10/04/2018 21:27

sleep okay, mine is different. It looks more like a set of top dentures with the teeth hollowed out, in clear plastic, if that makes sense. It covers all my teeth but doesn’t stop me closing my mouth. I am going to ask her if there is another type I should try. I have downloaded that CD as an MP3 although not sure how it will go as I sleep with earplugs because DP snores. What a pair. God, yes re stress. My immune system is also borked so I am picking up every bug going.

riding that’s actually what the dentist said to me today. She was happy to have a go at the molars the specialist did, but when I asked her if she would prefer an endo to do it if they were her own teeth she said yes. I asked the same question today and she said she would be happy for a general dentist to do the work.

OP posts:
PLFDiDi · 10/04/2018 21:42

My front root canaled tooth is no weaker than it was before, it's been 10 years. You don't need a specialist, just a decent dentist, there are a lot of shockers out there. I was recommended to look out for dentists who had studied at Manchester uni - apparently it's the best training but he may have been biased.

Chrisinthemorning · 11/04/2018 05:12

If I needed a root canal I would want a specialist endodontist to do it.

Notwellbitch · 11/04/2018 05:49

I had root canal on both my front teeth with a standard dentist when I was a teenager, so almost 20 years ago now. No crowns and they are still intact. They did darken and internal bleaching worked well but they are still slightly darker than the rest of my teeth so I will get them crowned after orthodontic treatment.

MrsEricBana · 11/04/2018 19:22

MrsMaryMooFace one of my dc had this after a sports accident. We bleach just the affected tooth for one or two nights every few months and it works a treat. We did have to get moulded trays and gels from the dentist and was pricey but they are lasting absolutely ages.

Fflursan · 11/04/2018 20:37

My DD had root canal on a front tooth when she was 11. Really dark now snd she has to wait until she it 18 to have a veneer. Shes so conscious of it now she us 14.

Shes not had problems with it.

Original poster
Judydreamsofhorses · 11/04/2018 21:03

Just to update, I saw the specialist today (this was my last appointment with him to sign off the back teeth) and he said I would be fine to have my own dentist do the work. He said it was - I quote - a “bread and butter job” and that he wouldn’t encourage me to pay his fees on it. His opinion was that a general dentist was absolutely qualified to do RCT on any tooth up to a pre-molar, but beyond that the teeth are likely to be more complicated and some of them might need referred to specialists. (But equally many would be straightforward.)

I asked about crowning, and he said that because the teeth have never had decay or fillings, they should be fine, and that the “access opening” to get to the root canals will be very small and in the back of the tooth, then sealed with a white filling. He said not all root treated teeth will darken, so we shall see...

OP posts:
MrsEricBana · 12/04/2018 05:49

Fflursan have you asked your dentist about bleaching? Mine said he could only do bleaching on an under 18 if the issue was causing mental distress. It was to my dd and it sounds like it might be to your dd too.

MrsEricBana · 12/04/2018 05:49

Good news OP!

Fflursan · 12/04/2018 06:58

Mrs Eric - the Dentist mentioned it as she had to be 18.