Dentist recommends me to take out two back teeth and add implants! (pulled, gums)
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I went to the dentist recently because I've been having pain in my premolar root canal with a crown. I Bit on something hard one day and it started hurting only that one night and by morning the pain was gone but the gums were swollen. Dentist says because my teeth are slanted a bit in the back positioned like this: / /| with | being the premolar root canal and // being two back teeth. Dentist says it could be because I'm putting a lot of pressure on it when eating and recommends I get the two back teeth // taken out and to put implants in to straighten them out. To say I was horrified was an understatement! I don't know what to think. Is this a good idea? I'm quite done with having so many headaches over this tooth. Literally ruining my life. One dentist says to extract the root canal if it's so uncomfortable because if antibiotics didn't work and mouth rinse didn't help then its probably fractured. She also said its a little loose too. But now this dentist is recommending something completely different! I dont know anymore. But It could be fractured but nothing shows on X-RAY and I don't want to take out two teeth for NOTHING if it ends up being fractured. He also recommends Nightguards but those are $450!!! again don't want to waste my money and time if its just the root canal that's bad... What do you guys think?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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My problem was very similar, back teeth damaged by clashing together too hard over the years. I ended up with both the implants )2) and night guard. I have good dental insurance through my employer, so the night guard was $0, the implants cost me about half, $4,000. Well worth it though, to get rid of those problems for good. If you doubt your dentist, then get a second opinion from another dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon. I don't know where you are located, but many people seem to be happy with the work of dentists in Mexico that charge as little as 1/3 as much.
He also recommends Nightguards but those are $450!!! again don't want to waste my money and time if its just the root canal that's bad... What do you guys think?
Getting a nightguard for $450 is a bargain! My first one was over $1700!! It did exactly what it was intended to do. If your teeth are being weakened or damaged by years of grinding, a night guard will help protect the ones that are left over the long term. Grinding pressure damage can be severe and obvious to the dentist. Take it from someone who's been down that road. It can definitely fracture teeth or weaken them to the point something else fractures them. Also, the nightguard can help in other ways. Wearing it regularly can result in less facial pain, headaches, jaw pain, etc. because it alters your tendency to clench those muscles.
Why focus on the fly in the room when there's an elephant standing right next to it?
Before having pieces of your anatomy permanently removed, get a second or even third opinion. Don't forget the operative word in that sentence is opinion.
You had a root canal and a crown on one tooth and it's believed the tooth has now fractured causing you pain? And is the other tooth causing pain next to it? The dentist is suggesting each be pulled and replaced with two implants?
I have had one tooth break off at the gum, and my local M.D./oral surgeon removed it--$850. He wanted to do an implant for $2250. Then after 6 months of healing put in an abutment--$850. Then my regular dentist would do a crown--$850. On the one tooth, the $850's add up to $4800 FOR ONE TOOTH! ! !
I found another dentist in another city that did the implant for $900, including the abutment. He numbed me up, but the actual implant took about 6 minutes (or less) drilling and he slipped the implant into the hole. That's it. It was easier and quicker than getting a filling. I came back in another few months and he x-rayed the tooth and said it was fine.
Now getting back to my oral surgeon. Our local dentists seldom do implants. But for a single, simple implant $2250 plus $850 for screwing in a tiny abutment is absolutely highway robbery. My regular dentist says the oral surgeon has a huge staff and a $450,000 full head MRI machine to pay for. That may be so, but I don't have to pay for them out of my pocket. I'm willing to drive 40 minutes to another oral surgeon to save big.
Find out the prices of the services they're wanting to do. And get bids from other doctors. And by all means, get a second opinion of what's needed.
Getting a nightguard for $450 is a bargain! My first one was over $1700!! It did exactly what it was intended to do. If your teeth are being weakened or damaged by years of grinding, a night guard will help protect the ones that are left over the long term. Grinding pressure damage can be severe and obvious to the dentist. Take it from someone who's been down that road. It can definitely fracture teeth or weaken them to the point something else fractures them. Also, the nightguard can help in other ways. Wearing it regularly can result in less facial pain, headaches, jaw pain, etc. because it alters your tendency to clench those muscles.
Why focus on the fly in the room when there's an elephant standing right next to it?
Before having pieces of your anatomy permanently removed, get a second or even third opinion. Don't forget the operative word in that sentence is opinion.
I have gotten 2 guards. One was about $1400 and the second was a little under $600. I am ready for a new one, but it is not in the budget right now, so I will probably wait until my appointment at the end of the year to ask about a replacement. It is still going strong (I put a hole in the first one!), but I think I am used to it and still get headaches on one side from time to time. I imagine it would be MUCH worse without it.
You had a root canal and a crown on one tooth and it's believed the tooth has now fractured causing you pain? And is the other tooth causing pain next to it? The dentist is suggesting each be pulled and replaced with two implants?
I have had one tooth break off at the gum, and my local M.D./oral surgeon removed it--$850. He wanted to do an implant for $2250. Then after 6 months of healing put in an abutment--$850. Then my regular dentist would do a crown--$850. On the one tooth, the $850's add up to $4800 FOR ONE TOOTH! ! !
I found another dentist in another city that did the implant for $900, including the abutment. He numbed me up, but the actual implant took about 6 minutes (or less) drilling and he slipped the implant into the hole. That's it. It was easier and quicker than getting a filling. I came back in another few months and he x-rayed the tooth and said it was fine.
Now getting back to my oral surgeon. Our local dentists seldom do implants. But for a single, simple implant $2250 plus $850 for screwing in a tiny abutment is absolutely highway robbery. My regular dentist says the oral surgeon has a huge staff and a $450,000 full head MRI machine to pay for. That may be so, but I don't have to pay for them out of my pocket. I'm willing to drive 40 minutes to another oral surgeon to save big.
Find out the prices of the services they're wanting to do. And get bids from other doctors. And by all means, get a second opinion of what's needed.
My two back teeth are positioned like this / /. My premolar root canal with a crown is positioned like this |. you could see when I bite down on food the pressure goes mostly to the premolar root canal. My dentist is saying because it is getting all the pressure when eating its hurting because of its a small root with a fairly big crown. That's why he is recommending that I take out two back teeth and add implants to straighten them up. But I don't believe this could be the problem. Because this just happened recently. My teeth have been like this for two years why start acting up now? I do believe its fractured somewhere because even my previous dentist said the crown is moving a little bit and showed me through a mirror.
But I don't believe this could be the problem. Because this just happened recently. My teeth have been like this for two years why start acting up now? I do believe its fractured somewhere because even my previous dentist said the crown is moving a little bit and showed me through a mirror.
Teeth are not static and they are made up of living tissue that changes. They move around and affect each other constantly. What might have been the case two years ago may not be now.
Teeth are not static and they are made up of living tissue that changes. They move around and affect each other constantly. What might have been the case two years ago may not be now.
While I agree with you about that, I still do think there is something more going on here. I'm seeking an endodontist right now near me so hopefully, I will get some answers.
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