Toothache....am i in need of a root canal?

Question

I have recently been to the dentist for pain on my lower left molar area. After xrays the dentist told me there was no sign of a cavity there but i do have deep fillings on those teeth. He said that i need a root canal. My second to last tooth on the left lower side is extremely sensitive when i poke my finger at the gum line/ tooth line. It feels like a nerves shooting when i poke at the gum/tooth line. What could this mean. I dont like pain and i really dont want a root canal or extraction. Help!

Answer 1

I think you should seek another opinion and maybe two. A root canal is painful and expensive so don't just jump in there without more information from another dentist.

Answer 2

You probably need the root canal on that first tooth, the problem with deep fillings is that the filling rests very close to the nerve, so all the pressure the tooth takes when you chew goes to the nerve. As for the gum line, is there inflamation? Is it sensitive to hot/cold water or air? When you chew does it hurt? It maybe an infection, was your dentist aware of this when he took the xray? You probably won't need an extraction though.

Answer 3

I have a same problem. US dentists easly advice for root canal, and than crown will be needed as a standard it's about $2000 so everybody win. Dentists, techs, labs.
Long time ago, when I wasn't in the US. I had a deep decay. While my dentist was cleaning the tooth, she told about , there is a crack which reaches to nerves and if she fill it with filling, filling material will cause pain on nerves but there was another buffer material can be used on nerves and also it can be withdraw of nerv area. but I have %50 chance.
So it's done. It worked.
This week went to dentist who will kill my nervs and put a new shiny crown on it. I said no. clean it and fill it. I told the story and I don't want neither extraction nor canal process. I said clean it. She clean and said it's too close to nerves also she can see nervs as red dot. so she left some decay on it. And put some antibacterial something and filled with temp filling. She said decay may stop and it doesn bother me in 3 week She will put composite on it. now it disturbs but not a pain. I'm still curious about not cleaned well. How? Because I never had anesthesia and I know pain when they work very close to nerves, you can tolerate for onlt 1 sec. but this time I didn't feel serious pain. Probably she don't want to close to much.
Visit couple of dentist and ask their opinion. and alternate tecniques But since US dentists don't want to take a rist and follow standart procedures most of them gonna say same.

But if there is no chance and decay is reach bad. You should choose root canal. Extraction will left these area empty and than restorations like bridge will result of cutting neighbour teeth.

Answer 4

I had to have my one and only root canal a few years ago for a situation very much like yours. It was diagnosed as a "dying nerve" whatever that means. Anyway, I always heard how torturous root canals were and I was petrified when I found out I needed one myself. The truth of the matter was though that the state-of-the-art in dental equipment and anesthestics made my root canal one of the best dental experiences I ever had! I went to a specialist and before he even began, he promised me I wouldn't feel a bit of pain and he was right! I would do it again in a second if I needed it. Don't fear a root canal. They really are much easier and more comfortable than the horror stories you've heard.

Answer 5

Depending on your age (usually people over 25) it could be gum recesion where there is less enamel where the gum meets tooth and dentin is exposed which is highly sensitive.
Try rubbing some sensodyne toothpaste on that area with cotton bud for a couple of days if the shooting pain gets better this is probably whats up, this can be fixed by bonding white filling material over the area.

Answer 6

It really depends on the nature of your pain. If it is induced by temperature (cold drinks, ice-cream, etc.) it means that you have caries under your filling and/or the pulp tissue is swollen. If it hurts when you bite down or by poking (try with the tip of your toothbrush very gently) it means that your periodontal tissue (that supports your teeth) is swollen. Probably your filling is too high.
In any case, I suggest you see a dentist soon, because if you stall the problem will most likely get worse and then you will definitely need an extraction.