Who does root canals these days?
- Thread starter The motor guy
- Start date
I had a root become infected on a upper molar that had a previous root canal and crown . It was extremely painful. The dentist extracted the tooth and put in a bridge . It was a difficult extraction as the tooth and roots basically crumbled every pull . I had fragments of enamel in the gums work their way to the surface months after the procedure . The bridge fits well and is a bit difficult to get floss under but I keep it very clean .
I'm not a dentist either. What I know about implants I learned from the dentists who worked for me. They would not approve an implant in a patient who had poor dental hygiene because of the risk of loosening of the implant.
I think it would be better if we left commenting on what is possible in a particular case to the dentists and dental specialists.
Why? I cant talk about my experiences with my implants and the various teams of dentist/oral surgeons that did the work?
Im not sure the reason for your post. Anyone who goes to a dentist about an implant will be informed by the dentist/doctor of his/her options.
It's a fantastic option vs having a missing tooth or teeth. 450,000 implants a year with a 95% success rate. * and climbing.
* Source - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4028797/
Today, approximately 450,000 osseointegrated dental implants are being placed every year, with an expectation of 95% success rate (in the case of single tooth replacement with an implant supported crown), with minimum risks and associated complications 4. III. Types of Dental Implants.
and one more up to date
https://www.2740consulting.com/dental-implant-statistics/
Last edited:
There is a growing call for implants to replace most root canals based on the fact that root canals fail for three main reasons: 1. Recurrent decay under or around the crown; 2. Persistent or recurrent infection in or around the root, 3. Root fracture post-root canal.
While implants can fail, mostly due to failure to integrate into the bone, they do not get recurrent cavities or suffer from persistent root infection or suffer from root fracture. They also have a very high success rate.
While implants can fail, mostly due to failure to integrate into the bone, they do not get recurrent cavities or suffer from persistent root infection or suffer from root fracture. They also have a very high success rate.
I had a root canal done in 2022. It was a weird deal. My teeth felt fine on Monday by Thursday my rear tooth ached and by the following Monday my gums had swelled. My dentist recommended me to a specialist that only does root canals. $1550 but my insurance covered all but $450. My current insurance is a joke.
How often do you go to the dentist ? Most dental plans pay for annual x-rays and I'll bet every dentist makes sure to get that x-ray done ! They would have seen a crack. I had a small piece of tooth chip off on the backside of one of my front teeth. I felt it when it happened and could feel it with my tongue but it wasn't visible from the front. At my next cleaning, the hygienist spotted it almost immediately.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 9,521
Not very often. I asked her if she could tell if it had cracked long ago, she couldn't tell because half of it was busted off. I'd imagine there would have been evidence, she was too lazy to look. She looked at it for all of 2 seconds
Why should she bother ? You acknowledge you don't go to the dentist very often.... How long ago it cracked is irrelevant at that point.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 9,521
Well I did make it 35 years without a cavity
An endodontist does root canal. Kind of specialized. But after the root canal the dentist needs to do a permanent filling or crown.
I would always try for a restoration vs pulling a tooth. If a tooth in pulled you need an implant.
I would always try for a restoration vs pulling a tooth. If a tooth in pulled you need an implant.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 9,521
I guess Endodontists specialize in root canals but I've had a bunch from my regular dentists over the years. I clench my teeth at night (and during the day, it turns out) and started to get pain in high school. I'm 46 now and have had quite a number of root canals and crowns...maybe it's just the area I'm in but I've never had a dentist NOT do a root canal themselves when it was called for.
In that past, before I started wearing a night guard, I ground my back molars down quite a bit and before I could get crowns I twice had to get "crown lengthening", where they take off a bit of the gum to lengthen the exposed tooth, thus allowing for a crown. That's the only procedure I had to get done by a specialist.
BTW, I just looked and there is a place nearby called "The Root Canal Guys". I guess I know where to go if I need another one some day!
Endodontist are trained to save teeth and have specialized and expensive equipment. Some root canals are more difficult than others. My last root canal was going to be normal or difficult and it's always possible they cannot complete the root canal.
It ended up being difficult and more expensive. Could a dentist who also did root canals have handled it, no idea.
I have a bunch of drills, moto tools, hammers, diamond bits and left over booze from quitting drinking before 9 AM
I did stay at a Holiday Inn a couple years so I have that training as well
I did stay at a Holiday Inn a couple years so I have that training as well
Interestingly, endodontics has the lowest overhead of any specialty in dentistry and they are relatively cheap offices to run. Even if they use a microscope and cone beam CT, these are one-time expenses that can last decades. The day-to-day supplies, the office size needed, and the staff costs are typically some of the lowest in the profession.
Getting old sucks I am 71Now that I’m older than some redwoods, I’m in the dental chair more often than I would like. I’ve had just about every dental procedure available. I take care of my teeth, but over a lifetime of miss-steps and bar fights, I’m paying the price.
Well I am 71 also. We have seen a lot. Taught using slide rules in high school and now we have small computers on our wrists. Got a draft number in 1971 but it was a little too high to be called up. Berlin wall came down, the cold war ended. For a time it looked like Russia and China might be headed towards some kind of democracy. Two state solution for Palestine has often looked close, but just out of reach. Expensive 35mm film cameras were the ones to get. Some had darkrooms and developed their own film (my Dad). Man made it to the moon, but a space shuttle also blew up as they did not listen to technicians who said it was too cold for some o-rings. Saw JFK and RFK killed, and Regan shot. Muscle cars had 4 barrel carbs. Boats had 2 cycle outboard engines. While we had TV dinners in aluminum trays, ultra processed food was not yet the way factory processed food was made. The diet soda was Tab and marketed for women. Coke soda bottles were glass. Motor oil came in a round can. Antifreeze was green and came in a larger can. Tach & dwell meeter and timing light were all the electronics one needed to work on cars. Maybe an oscilloscope like display for looking at the spark waveform. Cars switching from generators to alternators. Everyone shopped at Sears or ordered from the huge Sears catalog. Montgomery Wards was the competition to Sears. Craftsman tools made in the USA. Microwave has not been invented.
Last edited:
We’re both the same age, so I lament along with you. It was also nice to see women without graffiti all over them.
