This broken one is costing me about $2,000 out of my pocket. Advantage C plan paid $1,750 and this is just the implant. Next year is the Abutment. Again Advantage C will pay up to $1,750 and shouldn't be much more if anything to me.
Who does root canals these days?
- Thread starter The motor guy
- Start date
I thought I needed to have a tooth pulled, but the new dentist I went to offered to save it with a root canal and a crown. He sent me to an endodontics specialist for the root canal. Went back to the dentist for the crown.
I'm not a dentist but I know a little about implants.
There can be problems with implants. They work best for people who take meticulous care of their teeth. Implants work better in certain areas of your mouth. One problem with implants is they can loosen. And @alarmguy describes breaking one off.
The advantage of a carbon fiber post following a root canal (like I had with my broken off front tooth) is it should be possible to drill out the post and replace it if it ever breaks. But that may not be a good option or even possible for molars. [That is way beyond my knowledge.] The consensus was that this approach would be better than an implant. And if this ever fails and can't be repaired I still have the option of an extraction and implant at that time.
My root canal and gold crown on a fractured molar is doing fine at least 25 years later.
There can be problems with implants. They work best for people who take meticulous care of their teeth. Implants work better in certain areas of your mouth. One problem with implants is they can loosen. And @alarmguy describes breaking one off.
The advantage of a carbon fiber post following a root canal (like I had with my broken off front tooth) is it should be possible to drill out the post and replace it if it ever breaks. But that may not be a good option or even possible for molars. [That is way beyond my knowledge.] The consensus was that this approach would be better than an implant. And if this ever fails and can't be repaired I still have the option of an extraction and implant at that time.
My root canal and gold crown on a fractured molar is doing fine at least 25 years later.
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I'm no expert, but I would think someone could make a fortune inventing some kind of enamel replacement that could be painted on with a brush and then I don't see why the cavity couldn't be filled. I've never had a cavity in my life. Somehow this one was on the side of the tooth becaise all the knooks and crannies where cavities form were sealed off years ago on my teeth.
Hopefully you can get the thing crowned and use it for a while. One of my upper front teeth cracked. The endodontist could only do a partial root canal because of it. He said it may buy me 6 months. That was almost two years ago. Still using it. Have had three implants. One broke off and I m now down to two. A lot of my problems stem from a dentist who did poor work. I spoke with another patient of his and he said the guy was just letting his mouth fall apart.
Just to vent a little...I had two teeth that were bothering me. They had been filled previously. For 18 months I complained to my dentist that they hurt. Said he could see nothing wrong. It got so bad and infected that they had to come out. My oral surgeon who is a wonderful surgeon looked in my mouth and was alarmed. So I lost those two teeth and had implants. I was upset about having to loose them so I called the dentist and arranged for a conference with him. I asked him how did he allow this to happen? His response was "we were focused on other things" IMHO this was malpractice.
Just to vent a little...I had two teeth that were bothering me. They had been filled previously. For 18 months I complained to my dentist that they hurt. Said he could see nothing wrong. It got so bad and infected that they had to come out. My oral surgeon who is a wonderful surgeon looked in my mouth and was alarmed. So I lost those two teeth and had implants. I was upset about having to loose them so I called the dentist and arranged for a conference with him. I asked him how did he allow this to happen? His response was "we were focused on other things" IMHO this was malpractice.
My dentist and I talk a lot about materials. I also have a Master's Degree in Material Science and he's thoughtful and well read. We both believe that a gold crown (for molars) is the only way to go. Gold is soft and with chewing it's progressively beaten onto your tooth. A bit more expensive, but in this price range what's a few bucks more. I have 4 or 5 gold crowns.
One of my previous dentists (we move a lot) had gold crowns put on all her back teeth by her (British) dentist father when she was about age 16. People had poor teeth in those days. At age 55 or so, only one had ever been replaced.
One of my previous dentists (we move a lot) had gold crowns put on all her back teeth by her (British) dentist father when she was about age 16. People had poor teeth in those days. At age 55 or so, only one had ever been replaced.
And stay away from hard stuff. I fractured my molar on a pistachio shell.
Interestingly I broke off my front tooth clear on a piece of bread. The office staff said that's quite common. Apparently we all chew bread "funny".
Yeah, fortunately I had a dentist a lot of years ago talk me out of chewing ice that was left over from a drink!
Then 4WD mentioned corn nuts and I thought “Yep! Those would likely do it!”
It sounds like the safest bet moving forward is a liquid diet! No, Mountain Dew doesn’t count!
Then 4WD mentioned corn nuts and I thought “Yep! Those would likely do it!”
It sounds like the safest bet moving forward is a liquid diet! No, Mountain Dew doesn’t count!
My first root canal was about 10 years ago. I wasn't sure if I was having an earache, a stroke, aneurism or heart attack. My Blood pressure was going crazy 211/165 or something crazy. Went to a dentist first and they checked & couldn't find a problem intitially. I went to emergency & they had me hooked up to an ekg, & couldn't see any issues, & have me Tylenol 3's. I was popping them like tic tacs with no relief.
I went back to the dentist the following day, & they were able to tell that I needed a root canal with that freezing cold test they use.
I told them to just pull the thing I was in so much pain. Once they got the freezing in, the pain was immediately gone. They talked me into a root canal, but didn't bother to mention that they need to do a Crown as part of the procedure. Wasn't expecting it to cost what it did. Even with my dental insurance it was still rather expensive.
Just be aware that as far as I know, they usually crown a root canal to prevent the tooth from splitting in the future, & the cost of the crown is not included in the root canal.
I think they sent me out with a temporary crown, which broke the same day after treating myself to a Skor Blizzard at Dairy Queen.
I had to get a 2nd temporary made before the permanent one was installed.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Teeth are the one thing I don't care what it costs to take care of. If it needs to be done, it needs to be done.
Always best if you can get a root canal and cap. The natural tooth is always better if it can be used.
Implants are typically used when the remaining tooth is not viable for a cap or when a capped tooth (previous root canal) goes bad.
Proper hygiene prevents issues with implants and successful implants will most likely outlive you
I would stress a water pick is your friend with implants and actually with all things with all teeth
Beat me to it. Water Pik.
Flossing, brushing, digging OK, but even after all three vigorously, the water jet always finds something in my choppers.
Flossing, brushing, digging OK, but even after all three vigorously, the water jet always finds something in my choppers.
I purchased a water pik after one of the threads here a year or so ago; way nicer than flossing imo!
You got that right!
I have to pay for my one implant and the denture (zirconia false tooth) as my Insurance I bought doesn't cover implants unless it was the result of an accident - then I guess medicare would pick it up. The healing abutment (little flat head screw) was installed Day 1 since there was no gum flap, I guess they punched out a dot for the implant area. Small lower right front/side tooth #28.
I would like to get another someday as I feel "imbalanced" with just one implant on my right side ...
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p.s.: Pablo, that ground up cadaver bone made into pudding mixed with my blood for the jawbone graft freaks me out !
I would like to get another someday as I feel "imbalanced" with just one implant on my right side ...
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p.s.: Pablo, that ground up cadaver bone made into pudding mixed with my blood for the jawbone graft freaks me out !
It's amazing! Add that to the high school education list along with finance. Banks would go broke, dentists wouldnt be so overwhelmed with patients.
Honestly, the oral surgeon who removed it, was the first one he saw where the rod broke so I wouldnt be concerned. I have 3 others just fine. Just like a real tooth though others things can fail such as the bone wearing down and the implant comes loose but I am told if an implant is to fail it will be early on. Its not common and some carry a warranty.
Implants are not optional, meaning it's not like you say, "give me a root canal instead is an implant". The reason for an implant is because the base of the real tooth that they would do a root canal and cap on is not viable. So its 3 choices at that point,
1. Implant
2. Dentures
3. Have a missing tooth
Ps. Im not a dentist, just experienced in getting implants for one reason or another.
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