Two-part question: 1. Chipped molar: what will be done? 2. Price: how much am I looking at here?

Question

Okay, the tooth is specifically the "first molar, upper teeth."

I had a root canal done on this tooth more than ten years ago. Metal filling was put in to fill the hole and no crown was placed over it (for whatever reason; don't ask me now why since I can't remember back ten years, you animal). I chewed on for years in blissful ignorance.

Tonight, I was eating popcorn and, as usual when eating popcorn, I was chewing on the burnt kernels. I felt like I was biting into something really hard that I couldn't chew away at like the kernels and I just spit it out. I come to find out that a small piece of tooth chipped off. Size? It's about the size of three pinheads combined.

Now, none of the filling was included. A closer inspection with a mirror stuck into my mouth revealed the chipped piece of tooth came from the side of the tooth itself.

There is now a tiny little hole on the side of this tooth and my tongue is now sometimes scraping against the side of it, which is now pretty sharp. Food getting into the tiny hole is my main concern since I don't want an infection later on.

So, what now? Simply fill in the hole with filling? A new filling altogether?

Another thing I want to add that may or may not have anything to do with this: the tooth in question is discolored and has been for a few years now. It's grayish compared to my other teeth and almost a blackish ring exists where the tooth meets the gumline. I've also noticed that the metal filling has been eroding little by little over the years. Is this tooth a goner eventually?

Second part of my question: I don't have dental insurance, so how much am I looking at here to have this chipped tooth fixed? I haven't been to the dentist in years so I'm freaking out here over what else the dentist is gonna find. He or she will see a patient with no dental insurance that already had five cavities and a root canal and now a chipped tooth and is gonna probably take advantage of my wallet, huh?

Need to look at the exact tooth in question?

Go here: http://www.oralb.com/images/learningcenter/teaching/permanent_teeth_diagram.jpg

Again, it's the "first molar, upper teeth."

Answer 1

Two options...

1. The Cheap Way to Fix it for Now

Just ask about a patch job with silver filling. This will not be the last thing you do for this tooth, but it will cost in the $80-150 range and get you through for a while.

2. The Right Way to Fix it for a Long Time

Back teeth that have had root canal treatment really need to be protected with a crown. Otherwise, they tend to crack and break in ways that often leave the tooth unrestorable. You would first need a core to fill in the center of the tooth with a strong material, if that was not done when you got the original filling after your root canal was done. This could cost a couple hundred bucks. Then, you need a crown over top of everything. You would probably want a porcelain-fused-to-metal (preferably fused-to-gold) crown, because it is so visible in your smile. This would cost from $700-1,000 or a little more, depending on where you live and the dentist's individual fee profile.

Answer 2

Hi Big D,
Take a deeeep breath first of all and don't panic. It will be a.o.k.
Teeth that have root canals will generally be darker (if no crown was done) due to the fact it is a "dead" tooth with no nerves in it anymore. Also, since the nerves have been removed, you have no way of knowing, pain-wise, that the tooth may be more decayed than you think and beginning to crumble. Yes, eventually the tooth will be a goner but it sounds like you may be able to save it a while longer. (You've had it ten years after a root canal and that's pretty darn good actually.) Just an added bit of info, sometimes a endodontist will just do the root canal on one root and not all so it's important to find out whether the tooth has has a full root canal or not as it make impact your options. Make sure to ask the Dentist something as simple as, "Can we just put a new filling in there?". That may keep you from having the expense of a whole new toothie. As far as the rough patch that's kind of sharp goes, that can just be smoothed out with the dentist's handpiece.
Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Well it's hard to give you exact advice without seeing the tooth and the x-rays but I'll give it my best shot. Yes it is true that teeth that have had root canals do turn a darker color. Since they no longer have nerves or a blood supply, they become more brittle. Being a molar that receives alot of force, most are crowned after root canals. Yes, it is possible that a filling could be placed to restore the chip and rough surface, but this could continue to happen and a crown would be the best suggestion. I don't know how much a crown would cost because they differ in different regions and from dentist to dentist but somewhere between 500-1000.

Answer 4

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RE:
Two-part question: 1. Chipped molar: what will be done? 2. Price: how much am I looking at here?
Okay, the tooth is specifically the "first molar, upper teeth."

I had a root canal done on this tooth more than ten years ago. Metal filling was put in to fill the hole and no crown was placed over it (for whatever reason; don't ask me now why since I can't remember back ten...

Answer 5

For the first part of your question, you will need to visit your dentist. They will perform what's known as a buildup, which will "fill in" the missing area of the tooth. As for your gray gumline, it's very likely due to your metal filling. Ask your dentist for a white filling (which looks more natural and stops the formation of that gray gum). To finish it off, ask your dentist whether or not they advise a bleaching. That will help minimize and recede the area where your gum is stained. None of these procedures cost much, but I'd have the white filling (the most expensive part, runs a little more than a traditional filling) done first.