hi guys..heres my story. I went to the dentist a couple months ago for some work. Now they want to do a couple root canels as well as crowns. One tooth is so bad (tooth # 15, upper left molar tooth) they want to pull it. Another one is tooth #4 which is a bicuspid. Another one is tooth #6 which it says its an anterior. Tooth #11 (anterior) tooth #21 (bicuspid) tooth #30 and #31 (both molars) I don't have much money. In fact, I have really bad dental insurance, and I have only a $1000 CareCredit Card, which is maxed. Difference between root canels/crowns and a pulled tooth is literally a thousand dollars or more. I want to get this done as soon as possible but can't due to the money. I want to get braces asap. Would the dentist be willing to pull any of these teeth like the back molars? any input would be greatly appeciated thanks!
2006-10-04 17:25:13 · 11 answers · asked by lvtiffy69 1 in Health ➔ Dental
get some second opinion, your teeth may not need all of that procedures.
2006-10-04 17:33:42 · answer #1 · answered by 99CLOUD99 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've had 2 teeth break over the last year or so. Both would have required root canals. The first was the bottom tooth on my left side, furthest one back. So I had it pulled. Second one was top right, furthest tooth back, so I had it pulled. I just went to a new dentist this past weekend who said it's a bad idea to have teeth pulled, because your teeth will move afterwards to try and replace the pulled tooth, and you'll end up with more tooth issues. I know that root canals are expensive(in 2002 I had a root canal done, but they just finished it with a filling because I didn't want a crown, and I ended up paying almost $1,000 out of my pocket, after dental insurance), but they seem to be the best option.
I'd go for a second opinion - I find it hard to beleive you need that many root canals at one time.
2006-10-05 05:23:22 · answer #2 · answered by Moxie1313 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
first off, saving a tooth is ideal though not always feasible (ie your finances). in the end, the decision is yours as it is your mouth. first off, let me tell you teeth #6 and 11 are your upper canine teeth so pulling them makes you either toothless in the front or you will be spending money to get bridges ( about $2-3,000 each) or a removable partial. does your dentist know your financial concerns. often we treatment plan the ideal so you know, that is our responsibility but trust me, you are not the only patient who cannot afford it. all but #30,31 are on top and could be taken out and replaced with a partial if necessay . teeth 30/31 are on the lower left. you can not have a bridge placed if these are taken out as there will not be a posterior anchor and a partial may rock but,,,,,,we come back to money so.....as for braces, they really should be less imporatant than overall dental health and if you have these teeth taken out, braces will not close the space. also if you have them pulled, you cannot wear a partail during orthodintic treatment. you could ask your orthodontist to place "dummy teeth" on the wire while you are wearing your braces.
it is a bad idea to have a tooth pulled and not replace it (though 15 and 31 will not be missed much by you, the are commonly lost and not replaced). your teeth either above or below will continue to erupt trying to find something to contact with and the ones behind will drift forward. these teeth will also be lost eventually. they naturally need to be contacted in order to maintain position. teeth adjacent to lost teeth usually get periodontal problems as well. you will have sore gums from food hitting the area and it will affect your eating habits, the food will not be chewed as it should be and this in turn will affect your digestion and overall health.
so...save them if you can. if not let your dentist know your situation. call and set up a time for a consult and treatment plan review. be honest and upfront (even though you may feel embarrassed) or they wont be able to help you. like i said, you are not the only person in this situation.
GOOD LUCK
2006-10-08 02:53:03 · answer #3 · answered by hotrdh1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well if you decide to have these teeth extracted, you will have a difficult time getting braces. There teeth are very important especially the molars. Unless you decide to also have implants place which are very costly. I think your best bet is to save as many teeth as you can, if you are very interested in braces. If you are not a candiate for braces,only other option you have is to extract these teeth and replace them with a partial . That is an artificial appliance that is worn during the day and taken out at night. That may be the cheapest way to go. Good Luck !!
2006-10-04 17:42:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why not ask your DENTIST if he/she would be willing to pull some of the back molars instead of dropping a thousand bucks on each one? With the amount of damage you have to repair, it might be prudent to choose your battles and let a couple go. For instance, I mean, let's be reasonable here, your life would not be substantially different if you had #15 and #31 removed and you'd save $2,000. If you had any more pulled, though, you'd really notice how much less chewing surface you had available and you'd start to "wear out" your other teeth.
2006-10-04 18:47:40 · answer #5 · answered by Picture Taker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have horrible teeth too. My dentist is really great about figuring out priorities and what my insurance can do best for me. So I get done what's most important and put other stuff off until January! So maybe figure out when your insurance turns over. It's not that long until January.
I'm not a fan of pulling teeth, ever, and I would get a second opinion before doing that.
2006-10-04 17:38:28 · answer #6 · answered by Katherine 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With insurance , go root canal it saves the tooth and keeps you chewing happy. Pull it and the pain goes away but your teeth start to shift and get crooked, not to mention no chompers to eat properly. If its about money, get the tooth pulled and down the road get bridge work (fake tooth) done, and you'll be okay. peace.
2006-10-04 17:36:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I tell you what, you can tell the dentist to do whatever you want to do. If you can pull it off, keep your teeth even if repaired because it is a million times better than having little or no teeth and being stuck with dentures or partials.
2006-10-04 17:30:52 · answer #8 · answered by Goldenrain 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you brush your teeth at all???? 7 bad teeth that need that much work? Not just fillings???
It's near the end of the year, start with the front teeth and get them fixed if you can. Then work your way back.
Then if you have higher options on your dental insurance that you can sign up for, do it, it should be time to review/renew benefits anyways. If you have that option you can save a bundle. I did it one year for the same reason.
Or you could try to get a signature loan at your bank for a couple of grand....
And start brushing and flossing....NOW...before the rest of them go...
2006-10-04 17:38:41 · answer #9 · answered by shogun_316 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
4 root canals -ended up with those 4 puled too waiste of money in my book
2006-10-04 19:47:31 · answer #10 · answered by michael_stewart32 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't get a root canel, they don't exist. At the worst, get a root canal.
2006-10-04 17:30:42 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋