My mom was supposed to have one a few years ago and just had the tooth pulled because a lot of people told her root canals don't last. Wouldn't it just be better to get them pulled? I could use the extra room. Plus, I'm getting my wisdom teeth out in December, so money is an issue (we have to pay 20%)...
2006-09-08 12:47:39 · 12 answers · asked by Sarah 4 in Health ➔ Dental
I was told I needed them done beacuse they are "anchor" teeth so if I need bridges later in my life that I would need the teeth.
My grandma had root canals and now she's missing the five teeth she had done because they ended up pulling them.
2006-09-08 13:23:55 · update #1
I have teeth with root canals that date back to 1964. Nothing is as good as your own teeth, and if you are young, I would urge you to do all you can to take care of your teeth and keep them. Most adult teeth are lost due to gum problems, which can be prevented by totally removing all plaque daily. You should be flossing between and behind all teeth daily- up and down motion next to the side of tooth and under gum. Swishing 30 seconds with Listerine is good also, but doesn't take the place of flossing. When brushing, you should spend about 3 minutes doing the job well, and massage the gums with the brush also. Brush the top teeth down, and the bottom teeth up, starting on the gum. Don't push into the gum, as this may cause the gum to recede. A light vibration motion around the edges (sulcular area) of the gum will remove plaque that the brush skips over.
If teeth are lost, other teeth start to drift into the space and alter the bite. A tooth above or below the space can start to drift into the space, and teeth on either side can start to lean into the space.
2006-09-08 15:52:51 · answer #1 · answered by itwog 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a root canal 20 years ago and the tooth is still fine. Make sure you have the work done by a reputable dentist that you trust. You're better off getting them done by an Endodontist (Root Canal specialist) if you are worried about it. That is what the specialize in. If you can save the teeth definitely do everything in your power to do so. You are too young to start pulling teeth--it is a domino effect after that. Good luck and if you are not sure that you need root canals then get a second opinion. Take care.
2006-09-08 13:36:02 · answer #2 · answered by Dr. H 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If you FIX THE TOOTH after you get the root canal treatment, there is no reason to say that "root canals don't last." I many have patients in my practice who had root canal treatments done over 40 and 50 years ago and they still have the teeth. I have literally hundreds of patients who have had root canal-treated teeth for over 20-25 years. Most back teeth need to be protected with a crown after having root canal treatment. If you do that, there is no reason to think you won't keep your tooth for pretty much the rest of your life; at least as far as the integrity of the root canal treatment is concerned.
2006-09-08 13:27:22 · answer #3 · answered by Picture Taker 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Root canals are about 90% successful; that's good odds! Once you take out a tooth, that's it, it's gone forever. And it's not cheap to fill in the space where that tooth was (implants can cost around $3000 per tooth, bridges are around $2500 and partials can be around $1000). Listent to Dr. Sam! Root canals aren't the only thing that needs to be done to these teeth to save them, you'll have to get crowns done to. You only get one set of teeth so you should do what you can to keep them.
2006-09-08 14:46:02 · answer #4 · answered by justine 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not true that "Root canals don't last." The dentist will use small files to clean out the roots of your teeth. It's much much better to get the root canal and save the tooth, rather than having it taken out, and then having to replace the missing tooth with three crowns. (They have to crown each tooth beside the missing tooth to have something to attach the "fake" tooth to)
2006-09-08 12:57:22 · answer #5 · answered by AzOasis8 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Get the teeth pulled. I had 2 root canals and both hadto be pulled out anyway.One got infected 3 years later and the other one broke.
The only reason the dentist wants you to get a root canal is because its more $$$$ in his pocket
2006-09-08 12:54:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've been told by other people that it is always good to try and keep your own teeth. Personally, I had something that was darn close to a root canal (they had to fill my cavitiy twice, that is how deep it was) and it would have just been easier to get rid of it. Hope this helps, and good luck with those wisdoms, I'm having mine out soon, and I'll be glad when it is over!!
2006-09-08 14:16:32 · answer #7 · answered by Genea_80 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've have root canals that have lasted over forty years, and are going strong. They can range from no big deal to oh my god I think I'm gonna die. It's mostly dependent on how bad the tooth is to begin with, how good the dentist is, your tolerance for pain, and the quality of the pain killers.
2006-09-08 12:56:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Are you sure you need one? Did you get a second opinion? I was supposed to have one but never followed thru. Then my dentist got rid of the partener that told me I need one (at a cost of about 2,000!) The new dentist said I simply needed a cavity filled. With my insurace, that cost $75. A much better deal.
2006-09-08 12:55:21 · answer #9 · answered by jdnmsedsacrasac1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amusing
2016-03-27 03:22:05 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋