I have a root canal which has developed an abscess. 1st molar top left.

1 Dentist says extract.
1 Endodontist (specialist in root canals) says repair, the tooth is still good... he say's he has 75% chance of success on retreats, but that he won't know until he goes in... he says if it has forth canal or complication it's ~ 50%.

So if I extract the tooth its gone, nothing more to see except a fleshy space until I get a fake tooth/bridge.
If I retreat it's 3 + 2 visits for the crown. If it fails I'm back to square 1.

The cost is for a retreat + crown is ~ $4500
The cost for extraction is ~ $400 + $3000 for some kind of fake tooth.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endodontic_therapy

So should I extract or treat?

No insurance.
Cost isn't a factor here. My primary concern is having the best possible long term outcome.

1 for a treat.

Thanks.

Thailand

bye bye tooth for me.

Leave it, seriously this **** can pass. I've heard the same thing and left it, they have mortgages, yachts, private school fee's to pay.

But eat eat healthy, lots of red meat and veg, cut the sugar and chips.

I'm surprised that if a root canal has been done it hasn't already got a crown.
Best practice is to fit a crown when the root canal is done to prevent the tooth from cracking.

If it has an abcess then it tends to indicate that the root might have cracked. They can do that if you bite on something hard like a bit of a peach stone when you don't expect it. It might have happened 6 to 12 months earlier because after it cracks it takes that long for an infection to get established.
If the root is cracked there is nothing that can be done for it. It's finished.
You will know for sure if you leave it because the abcess will eventually make a small hole in your gum to drain the infection at the root.

I don't know how the endodontist can assure you that the tooth is still good.
Even if he has Xray vision, a cracked root can't be seen on an Xray so that wont help.
Maybe he means just the tooth is good and not the root.

Options are;-
1/. spend about a thousand dollars to have the root canal re-done.
If it's a cracked root it will last about 6 to 12 months and then it will go bad again. Possibly worth the gamble but only if it already has a crown.
If it doesnt have a crown then it's not worth spending 3 or 4 thousand with the high possiblility that within 12 months you could loose the lot.

2/. If you get it pulled out, don't get a bridge because the anchor points damage the tooth either side and you will later loose those as well.
Get an implant.
If your bones are in reasonable shape it should be a better prospect than a bridge.
Unfortunately, top jaw implants are not quite as reliable as lower jaw implants because the top jaw bone is thinner, but they are still good in most cases.
Cost should be between 5 to 7 thousand. They will say 5k but it will probably cost more like 7k from start to finnish.

Since you said money is not a problem, I would definitely get the implant.


If it doesn't already have a crown then I wouldn't bother with the expense of

{edit} I should add, I'm NOT a dentist. Probably you should do what the dentist advises. But i do think the implant is the way to go if you get it pulled out.

There you go mate, a bit of DIY. I would recommend a large bottle of single malt anesthetic for this one.

mate was in the same situation,

took a week off and had it done in asia (singapore i think) for about $1k which included cosmetic dentistry to his chipped front tooth too.

BTW if you get it done, get some good broad spectrum antibiotics from an offshore pharmacy - I bypassed the GP and got mine from InHouse Pharmacy Uk - they ship straight from the manufacturer in NZ and as cheap as chips.

if theres blood supply to the nerve/ tooth, then a broad spec anti biotic will kill da nasties.

log man said...

There you go mate, a bit of DIY. I would recommend a large bottle of single malt anesthetic for this one.

WTF?! you gotta be kidding... just look at his teeth ffs. Bet he has delightfully fresh breath too - NOT!

Well I had it out, and now my WHOLE FACE IS SWOLLEN like a Chipmunk. Extraction is barbaric!



I always make the wrong choice

doggie said...

HTFU, it will be ok once its healed

The mother farker had to surgically remove it cos it wouldn't budge with yanking.

Awwwwww, it hurts.... it really really hurts, really.

doggie said...

FlySurfer said...

doggie said...

HTFU, it will be ok once its healed

The mother farker had to surgically remove it cos it wouldn't budge with yanking.

Awwwwww, it hurts.... it really really hurts, really.

You whine like a little girl, harden up. Take some pain killers, lots

Yup I'm whining just like a girl, but without the high pitch squeals.
No painkillers left... it was Friday yesterday, and I'm not allowed alcohol so I extracted all the codeine, to "relax" myself.

That's a bit sad flysurfer.
The fact that if it was really hard to get out it would indicate that the root was still in good shape and well attached to the bone.
If the root is badly infected it usually infects the tissue around the root and it becomes loose and easy to pull out. It eventually disolves the bone if you don't do anything.
You can tell if that's the case because the tooth feels just very slightly loose.

Did you ask for the tooth back so you can look at it?
I would have and checked it in close detail for cracks or any other reason for the problems.
That wouldn't alter the situation now but it's nice to know what the problem was.

Anyway, to stop it hurting put half a Solprin (soluble asprin) either side of where it's sore for 10 MINUTES MAXIMUM and then wash down with water or spit it out.

DON'T LEAVE IT THERE FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE IT WILL BURN THE GUMS.
You can repeat every three or four hours for a day or two.

Oh, and if the pain persists, see your doctor (They always say that)