Root Canals....

[SuzeOFan]

I'm wondering. Is it just me? Or are cavities only for children?
Why do children only get fillings ...while adults get root canals??

After having just gone through *3* root canals (2 on upper molars that showed no cavities in the xray!) I'm a bit concerned.

We had good dental insurance from my husbands job, which is unusual for most people. It cost us about $300-$400 per tooth... For the uninsured, it'll cost you $900- $1200 average for a r.c. Big bucks for one little tooth!

The crummy thing is, it's so easy for a dentist to just drill a little too deep... if the root gets exposed it's an automatic root canal! And no way to prove it.

Anyone else feel they got a suspicious root canal lately?

[34saving]

I haven't had the root canal thing, but I do think the "everybody needs their wisdom teeth out" thing is a little over the top. (My mom is 67 and they're still just sitting there.) Dh's dentist says "eventually every molar will need a crown". YIKES! I try not to think about it. In the meantime, many dentists will give a second opinion for free. You might want to double check . . .

[PRICEPLUS]

The dentists have to make money saome way or another!

[SuzeOFan]

Sure, I realize that.... But I just funded her a trip to Bermuda along with opera tickets! The entadontist that she works with thinks I like him because I see him so often....!

[PRICEPLUS]

I hear you. Everything health related seems to get more and more expensive on a daily basis!

[PrincessPerky]

do you have good dental habits? and good dental genetics?

if not you willl likely be back..

but if you think the charges are trumped up look for that second opinion.

do they say you need a cavity filled then switch? do you trust your dentist? can you switch? CAn you take the x ray to a different dentist? Did they give a reason for a root canal on a toothw tih no cavety?

[markio26]

Yeah... I Got One, Plus A Enamel Crown????????????????? Best Insurance, Still Cost Way Too Much.... But, I Can Chew Gum With It Now...

[SuzeOFan]

PrincessPerky:

do they say you need a cavity filled then switch? do you trust your dentist? can you switch? CAn you take the x ray to a different dentist? Did they give a reason for a root canal on a toothw tih no cavety?

The bottom molar I sort of expected.
But that's exactly what happened with the first one!
The second one got drilled and it was the hygenist who noticed that the root was showing....

For a woman, this dentist had the light touch of a jackhammer when it came to drilling.....

I might be able to take the xrays to another dentist though. Not a bad idea.
They took enough of them! AMOF, I was getting a little tired of all the xrays and finally asked what the last one was for. She said, I just want to make sure the crown is on correctly..... !!!

I told her to skip it because I didn't relish the idea of dying of brain cancer.
She said Oh it's perfectly safe! You get more xrays from riding in airplanes.. bla bla bla. The truth is she was going to charge up the insurance - anything she could get away with.

Markio:

Yeah... I Got One, Plus A Enamel Crown????????????????? Best Insurance, Still Cost Way Too Much.... But, I Can Chew Gum With It Now...

An enamel crown is part of the deal. I thought of asking for gold because they sure charge like its gold!

[cschin4]

I think it is worth the money. If you want your teeth to last 80+ yrs, it is not unreasonable to invest in them from time to time. Some points in life you need more dental work than others. I haven't needed dental work for years and years but did need a root canal last year and some of my other teeth are getting sensitive and cracked and will either need to be root cannaled or pulled. I am not going to put tons of money into it as i have peridontal disease but I really would like to avoid dentures and plates for awhile longer. Both my parents had all their teeth pulled before age 20. So, I do not think any dentist is trying to scam you, but just trying to preserve your teeth with the latest available info and methods.

[jodi]

Back to the wisdom teeth issue...my dentist wanted me to have mine out so I consulted an oral surgeon who was ready to pull them right out. Turns out he didn't accept my insurance, so I had to find another one. The second surgeon I went to asked if they were bothering me - when I said no, he asked me why I would want them out then! So, no surgery, no problems so far (several years later). If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Although if it IS broke, better to fix it now before it gets worse.
Everyone in my family drinks a ton of milk (we grew up on a farm) and that's what we credit out great teeth to. None of us ever had a cavity until we were in our twenties. Hopefully this will hold out...I'm not to anxious to find out what a root canal feels like!

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by SuzeOFan

For a woman, this dentist had the light touch of a jackhammer when it came to drilling.....

I have had two dentist in adult life, the first was WONDERFUL! he had an awesome touch with the drill....the second was actually my surgeon who pulled my wisdom teeth (on the one side) he didn't have a very light touch with the drill (tooth crumbled needed extra work)

so I vote two things:

1. get a new dentist, with a steadier hand.

2. get your wisdom teeth out at the first sign of trouble..pulling is easier than cutting into pieces drilling and then pulling then cutting drilling..oh and then pulling more.