root canal necessary? (teeth, pulled, implant, dentist)

[immelody333]

Yesterday I was at the dentist for a cracked tooth. I asked him to call in an antianxiety because I have a lot of trouble at the dentist so I was 'drugged' during the meeting so they couldn't talk to me regarding anything I would need to make a decision on. They told me they needed to talk to me so I called them today. He put on the 'onlay' (I know nothing about dentistry) but said the tooth was absessed and that I would need a root canal. They said they removed part of the nerve but that the nerve was 'dying' and that I would need to get a root canal. I don't know; I'm completely oblivious. What does that mean that they removed 'part of the nerve' and what will happen if I don't get the root canal. Geeessss... we just spend SOOOOO MUUUCHHH money on the dentist!

[SoCalTwinkie]

Never heard of removing part of a nerve. A root canal is done in one session, all the canals are cleaned out, then you get a crown to protect the tooth. I had a cracked tooth, had it root canaled but it eventually failed (continual discomfort) and I had to have it pulled. Not saying that to discourage you but cracked teeth can be unpredicable. If the crack runs down the root of the tooth, then I would have it pulled. They cant always see the whole crack in an xray. At least they didnt with me until they pulled the tooth. I replaced mine with an implant and crown and very happy I did.

[wit-nit]

OP read this about removing the nerve and root canal procedures.

Root Canals: Process, Causes, Problems, Surgery, Recovery, and More

[Rangerdude_Charlie]

I had a root canal surgery today. It was miserable and I am in pain. I have to go back on Saturday to add the temporary crown. My tooth had a big cavity and it chipped while I was eating food. The cost is so damn expensive to get it repaired. I am wondering if I should invest in dental insurance. May update on my progress.

Charlie.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by Rangerdude_Charlie

I had a root canal surgery today. It was miserable and I am in pain. I have to go back on Saturday to add the temporary crown. My tooth had a big cavity and it chipped while I was eating food. The cost is so damn expensive to get it repaired. I am wondering if I should invest in dental insurance. May update on my progress.

Charlie.

Insurance is a form of gambling. The insurance is placing the bet that you will -not- have medical expenses in the next year. You are betting that you -will- have medical expenses in the next year.

You have to decide then, if you think you'll be getting more root canals, needing more dental work that the insurance covers, over the next year.

Then you have to compare the expense of your projected dental needs, with the cost of the insurance.

For my husband, for example, insurance was a HUGE waste of money over the past 10 years. Why? Because he refused to go to the dentist. Just flat out and out refused. So $12/month for 12 months for 10 years - $1440 we could've spent on other things.

This year however, it's worth it for him to have it. Why? Because all of his teeth are loose, he has periodontal disease, and he'll have to have all his teeth removed and replaced with dentures. Insurance covers 50% of the removal, but nothing else. Even so, that 50% will be more than the $144 we paid for his insurance this year.

Dental insurance typically has extremely high out of pocket expenses - deductibles, procedures that aren't covered at all, and they generally only cover 50% of the costs that they -do- cover. So if you're only thinking of getting the insurance for one root canal, I wouldn't waste my money or effort in signing up. If you don't take care of your teeth, or have a medical condition that's causing them to fail, then it might well be worth it to you.

I don't know what the new rules are about pre-existing conditions with regards to dental. You'll want to look that up before making your decision. Dental and vision care aren't regular health care and they are covered on separate insurance policies. So they might be obligated to conform to a different set of rules than the ACA has for regular health insurance.

[Michael Way]

Originally Posted by immelody333

Yesterday I was at the dentist for a cracked tooth. I asked him to call in an antianxiety because I have a lot of trouble at the dentist so I was 'drugged' during the meeting so they couldn't talk to me regarding anything I would need to make a decision on. They told me they needed to talk to me so I called them today. He put on the 'onlay' (I know nothing about dentistry) but said the tooth was absessed and that I would need a root canal. They said they removed part of the nerve but that the nerve was 'dying' and that I would need to get a root canal. I don't know; I'm completely oblivious. What does that mean that they removed 'part of the nerve' and what will happen if I don't get the root canal. Geeessss... we just spend SOOOOO MUUUCHHH money on the dentist!

I can't address why they removed part of the nerve. But for whatever it's worth I will tell you that I had a root canal done once, and aside from a little prick from the needle for the anesthetic it was completely painless. There was no real discomfort during the procedure and no complications afterward. If the dentist says that you need to have a root canal then it is in your best interest to have it done and head off future problems that might result if you don't get it taken care of.