Need some dental advice

Okay I know it's OT, but I need another opinion. A few years ago I had a partial filling done on one of my molars, and I never went back to the dentist for him to finish to job. It was a rather large cavity. So since then I've been having problems with the tooth. Before just a lot of sensitivity, and lately I'll get tooth abcess' which is extremely painful, and can be serious. It's an infection at the root of your tooth which causes the tooth to push upwards and a lot of pressure and pain. So anyway I've had this third abcess in this tooth since last Tuesday. I managed to get an old dentist of mine to call in a prescription for antibiotics and vicodin. So I've been taking the antibiotics and the pain pills have been long gone. I managed to get some more from a couple dealers around here, but it's pretty slim pickings. Anyway, the abcess is usually gone by now, and it's still here. So today I found a dentist that excepts my insurance and he (an indian doctor) looked at it, and told me I should have a root canal since I have all of my teeth and stuff. But I'm really petrified to have a root canal cause of all the old horror stories and jokes surrounding how painful they used to be.

But since I've had so much trouble with the tooth I'm thinking maybe I should just have it pulled... Is anyone missing any molars? It's like the second one on the bottom on the right side of my mouth. I am scared for either option, and I don't really trust this dentist to do a root canal. I'd rather find an oral surgeon, but none accept my insurance.

Root canal or extraction for 150 bucks? What do I do?? Please help me.

 

ouch, in the long run having the tooth removed may be best due to the fact it is already damaged from the cavity. but thats just my opinion

 

Im no dentist but I did have really messed up teeth as a kid and had a couple root canals done at the age of 10. Its really not that horrible. There are a couple times where you get a little tinge of uncomfortableness but overall its not too bad. Honestly the worst part for me was the noises and keeping my mouth open for that long. But the pain was extremely tolerable. This was about 13 yrs ago as well so things may have even gotten better since then.

 

there was a thread like this in random thoughts a while ago and majority of the people said to go with the extraction (getting it pulled right?) and that the root canal just means more money for the dentist.

Ive had a root canal done in the 7th grade and i was fine went back to school after it was done with some motrin. Besides you went through childs birth i would imagine something like this would just be a punch in the arm to you.

 

lol I've heard people say that they'd rather have a baby then have a root canal!!

Plus I couldn't finish the 15 hours of labor I was in cause the baby wasn't allowing me to dilate. I won't explain further cause you probably think it's gross, so after that I had a c section and was OUT for the whole thing so besides the contractions and the labor it was just the recovery that sucked.

Also I have heard of very young people having root canals and being just fine. A friend had to have a couple at the age of 2 because her parent's sent her to bed with apple juice every night.

Thanks for your advice guys, I guess I'll go with the extraction since it will be the easiest.

 

I think I'd go with the root canal... but hey, I've had A LOT of dental work done and I could literally fall asleep to the sound of a drill before I'm even numb.

Anyway, my root canal was on one of my front teeth (so pulling it wasn't an option) and it was a filling that another dentist fucked up, they didn't drill it out completely before filling it, so it rotted the rest of the inside of my tooth, right to the nerves, they were all rotten and festering inside my tooth... then pressure against my top jaw bone, and a lot of pain and swelling.
Since the tooth was already dead (nerves rotten) I chose not to have any novocaine or anything, and it was fine. They drilled a hole through the back, let it drain some (which smelled REALLY bad) and then stuck files up into my tooth... up to almost 2CM! Left it for a few weeks and put me on antibiotics to prevent/kill infection, went back and they filed it out a lot more and stuffed these rubber things in it until it was full, then did the hole in the back like a normal filling.
Like I said, no novocaine at all, since the tooth was already dead. I COULD feel the files poking against the bone when they pushed them all the way to the top, which was kinda weird, but no pain or anything. I'd definitely do it all over again, numb or not, with any of my other teeth.

But like I said, I've had -a lot- of dental work... most of my top/front teeth have been re-constructed from almost nothing, pretty much every few years since they were broken when I was 6. I think most peoples' problem with dentists is that they worry too much, it really isn't that bad if you're not scared.

 

ya know if your having anxiety about this just ask for laughing gas and you'll be ready for anything.

 

Id try to do some research on if its not hard to chew without a molar. If its not then i would say pull it all the way. So much easier.

O, i didnt realize it 150. It all depends on your personal financial situation for you.

 

Thanks guys, the money is worth my piece of mind so it's okay to spend that much. It's actually a lot cheaper than I thought it would be.

deathrowdisco- you sound like quite the trooper lol. I couldn't go without novacaine man. I'd probably pass out from the anxiety. You make me want to have the root canal, but it just seems like too much trouble and too much time. Plus I don't have a good dentist to do the job. Only indian doctors who accept state insurance and stuff. And I don't really trust their medical backgrounds. So that's why I'm leaning more towards the extraction.

And I will ask for laughing gas next time.

 

they put me on laughing gas when i was either 8 or 9 one time jsut for a cavity...needless to say it was pretty cool haha

 

lol that must have been fun. I've never had laughing gas.

 

seriously ask for it if they happen to have it...not only is it kinda fun, it helps with the pain a lot...more like if you do feel pain you dont care i guess