emptynestmom
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Post by emptynestmom on Jul 17, 2017 11:07:07 GMT -5
I have had a crown on my front tooth for about 20 years and have had to have surgery on it a couple of times and as a result the root is very short...I have once again having issues and my dentist said the surgeon might be able to do something but he felt it would only last 1-2 years max...so he suggested a bridge in the front which he could do or having a tooth implant...I am having both options reviewed by insurance to see what they will cost...anyone have either of them done and have some advise or recommendations? I need to make a decision in the near future as my tooth is constantly throbbing...and a person really should not be downing 4-8 ibuprofen on a daily basis...
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Post by wallycat on Jul 17, 2017 11:39:37 GMT -5
Dental angst/pain is the WORST!
DH has had 3 implants (2 lower and one upper) and only one (upper) failed after 8-10 years. I just recently had a dental implant (lower) and it is a virtually painless procedure (for me). My molar had a double fracture so I was unable to do a root canal.
The bad thing about bridges is that you need to crown two healthy teeth that will support the bridge...unless they are doing it a new/different way these days. The good thing about implants is that they maintain the jaw bone integrity, where a bridge can cause loss of bone in that jaw area.
The bad thing about uppers is the sinus cavity and you need someone very well versed on doing them. "They" say uppers are more prone to failure if they fail, but that is not carved in stone.
Can they do a root canal and recrown it? It sounds like there is an infection and it will continue to cause pain until it is dealt with. I'm so sorry to hear your issues. I hate teeth.
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emptynestmom
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Post by emptynestmom on Jul 18, 2017 11:46:45 GMT -5
I have had 2 different surgeries on this tooth's root, the issue with having it done again is that the root is very short...so I need to get something done. I am leaning towards the implant, but don't have an appointment to explore it until next week...luckily the pain is not as bad as it was the first couple of days...I'll let you know once I decide which way I am going...
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Post by wallycat on Jul 18, 2017 13:31:23 GMT -5
Hope you can figure it out. I'm no dentist but not sure I understand why a "short root" is of significance. A root canal means NO root is left.
Keep us posted. I'm hopeful you can get resolution and be out of pain.
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traildoggie
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Post by traildoggie on Jul 19, 2017 10:37:13 GMT -5
My cousin just went thru an implant procedure for a front tooth. he had a condition causing the root of his tooth to deteriorate. he was told it could spread to other teeth, so the tooth had to be removed. the implant was a several month procedure between extraction and attachment of the final crown ...implant.. his other teeth were good but a front tooth... I would go with an implant. use someone who has done the procedure many times. I wouldn't want to mess with a bridge for a front tooth. My DH has horrible balsa wood teeth.. he has bridges, implants, on and on. I don't even want to know how much it all cost! the cousin who got the implant had decent teeth until now. think carefully about how you look if the bridge is removed at night. an implant is very much like a real tooth. it is not in a jar on the sink. DH has a bridge that is not removable easily and eventually may need something else done. |
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emptynestmom
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Post by emptynestmom on Jul 31, 2017 15:57:16 GMT -5
My pain has subsided although I can still get it to hurt pretty good. I am waiting on insurance estimates to come in for both. For the implant I need to get one from the dentist and one from the Oral Surgeon who has to prepare the tooth/bone and plant a piece into my bone, which is to be the support for the post which the dentist puts in and then after many months the crown is put over the post...while I wait they will provide me with something similar to a bridge but with just one tooth that hooks behind my molars...it is going to cost quite a bit even with insurance, but I think you are right traildoggie, I would rather have the implant...but still going to wait on insurance responses to see what I will have to out of pocket pay...I wish it was a faster process to get responses back...
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Post by mcgee on Jul 31, 2017 17:49:00 GMT -5
Hope you can figure it out. I'm no dentist but not sure I understand why a "short root" is of significance. A root canal means NO root is left. Keep us posted. I'm hopeful you can get resolution and be out of pain. I've never had a root canal but was curious about your comment that a root canal means no root is left. That actually isn't the case - here is a definition: What is a root canal?A root canal is a treatment of the pulp of the tooth that is inflamed, infected, or dead. The pulp is a soft substance in the center of the tooth that consists of the nerve, blood vessels, and connective tissue. The pulp chamber is the hollow part in the center of the tooth that contains the pulp, and it continues down canals that extend through the roots of teeth and into the surrounding bone. Some roots have more than one root canal, but all have at least one canal. www.medicinenet.com/root_canal/article.htm |
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emptynestmom
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Post by emptynestmom on Aug 1, 2017 8:26:38 GMT -5
I think the two surgeries I had after I had the root canal scraped off the infection (or something like that) and it has left the root that is in there short and weak...since I have the infection back again the dentist felt that oral surgery would be only a bandage and I would need to have either implant or bridge in about 18 months...I am not absolutely sure but I do trust this dentist and what he says. I am going to see an oral surgeon next week and will ask his opinion on what is going on...
I am sorry I am confusing...if he clarifies next week I will let you know... |
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Post by wallycat on Aug 1, 2017 9:52:23 GMT -5
McGee, your definition of what a root canal (physical structure) is correct. The PROCEDURE of a root canal typically cleans out and eliminates the nerves/roots in the canal to prevent future/current infections. Most dentists--endodontists who specialize in root canal procedures (from the research I did when I had my own tooth disaster a year or two ago) would never consider leaving any roots in a "sick" tooth. Once the procedure is done, many dentists crown that tooth. To have to remove or drill through a crown is less desirable than just cleaning out the whole tooth at once.
From your own link, the last sentence states:
When the root canal is treated, the pulp of the tooth is removed and all the canals and pulp chamber of the tooth are filled and sealed to prevent bacteria from entering.
Of course, that's the stuff I read and I am not a dentist and things always change.
Now they crown teeth totally differently than they used to as well so my comment was from at least last year.
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Post by mcgee on Aug 2, 2017 15:59:22 GMT -5
I guess the difference is how you define root. For me the root is the part of the tooth that resides below the gum line and anchors the tooth. The root canal is in the center of the root and contains the pulp that gets infected. Now I may not be correct but that's what I've always considered the root  . www.webmd.com/oral-health/picture-of-the-teeth |
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