Tooth extraction

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thraashman

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
11,112
1,587
126
if the root canal is a front tooth it's not so bad...i had one of my molars and it was pretty excruciating..apparently it's an awkward spot and the front teeth have 1 nerve ending whereas i think the rear have 4...OUCH

Interesting. That could make sense. I've had two root canals. One was in my upper left canine and it didn't hurt. The other was in an upper right premolar. Neither really hurt. However I did learn a lesson with the last one. Out of curiousity I asked for a mirror post root canal, pre fill to see what it looks like. And I've learned that seeing a bleeding hole in your own mouth is a bit unnerving and unpleasant.
 

moshquerade

No Lifer
Nov 1, 2001
61,504
12
56
I paid £0 for my root canal but that is not the most important part of the procedure...

I've been shot and would rather be shot again than have another root canal, the pain is the most excruciating pain you can possibly imagine.

I suggest 60mg's of oxynorm and a couple of tramadol 100's for good measure.
No. The pain is not from the root canal procedure itself. The root canal therapy actually destroys the nerves in the tooth so you essentially then have a dead tooth in your mouth and will never again have pain in that tooth. The pain you felt was from prior to the procedure and was from the nerve dying.

The root canal procedure itself shouldn't hurt as you should be sufficiently numbed with local anesthesia and therefore feel nothing. If you felt something during the procedure you needed more lidocaine.


I wouldn't say I have an extremely high pain tolerance, but I had one and had no pain during the procedure or even after the Novocain wore off.
This is the norm.
 
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rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
10,433
110
116
Interesting. That could make sense. I've had two root canals. One was in my upper left canine and it didn't hurt. The other was in an upper right premolar. Neither really hurt. However I did learn a lesson with the last one. Out of curiousity I asked for a mirror post root canal, pre fill to see what it looks like. And I've learned that seeing a bleeding hole in your own mouth is a bit unnerving and unpleasant.
Um yeah. Why would you want to see that.
 

Bacstar

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2006
1,273
30
91
I had a root canal couple years ago. I did it in two stages. I was transitioning to a new job so I put it off until the tooth became infected/absessed.The dentist drilled it out, and put in the filler. He didn't require me to get the cap right away since I didn't have the money, so I went for a year before finally getting it. He did warn me though that until the time i get it capped, any damage or re-work he needed to do would cost me.
 

borisvodofsky

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2010
3,606
0
0
As you may know things have not been a barrel of monkeys for me healthwise lately and so far Ive spent over $100,000.00 (insured) this year on surgeries (next one is December 28th), monoclonal antibodies, other medications, etc on various maladies that have long plagued me.

Now I have the choice between a root canal or getting the tooth pulled permanently. The root canal procedure on the upper left molar in front of the wisom tooth has an OOP of $1000. Or I can get an extraction for $80. The extraction would not be wise as most food is chewed with the back teeth.

In the meantime, Im looking for ways to setup payment plans or negotiate the fee down by shopping around. I already have three gold crowns and at least 20 fillings going back a couple of decades. Just when I think I got a handle on things, one damn thing after another pops up! D:

Has anyone had one of these things?

Yes it hurts.. alot.. GO DRUGSSS. :D:D:D:D:D
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
As it turns out, its going to be closer to $1500. F that. Too many bills right now and the pain is pretty bad. May just get the abstraction.

Most dentists in my town charge 1300 for the crown and 300 for the "core work" to get ready for the crown. Fucking ridiculous. Sometimes I wonder if having a city full of illegals contributes to the higher costs for everyone else.
 

FelixDeCat

Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
31,002
2,681
126
Most dentists in my town charge 1300 for the crown and 300 for the "core work" to get ready for the crown. Fucking ridiculous. Sometimes I wonder if having a city full of illegals contributes to the higher costs for everyone else.

no
 
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moshquerade

No Lifer
Nov 1, 2001
61,504
12
56
As it turns out, its going to be closer to $1500. F that. Too many bills right now and the pain is pretty bad. May just get the abstraction.
extraction.


are you seeing a general dentist for the root canal or a specialist, aka endodontist?
 

fustercluck

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2002
7,402
0
71
They are really no big deal. Maybe they used to be. I remember going in for mine thinking it was like the worst thing I could have done dentally, but it was almost easier than getting my teeth cleaned. The thing that hurts is the damage to your wallet :p
 

moshquerade

No Lifer
Nov 1, 2001
61,504
12
56
My dentist Ive had since the late 90s for the extraction. Assuming I survive, Ill update the thread. :D
Well... alrighty... but I think you got taken for a big ride with the $1500 quote for a root canal by a general dentist who isn't even a specialist in root canal therapy (endodontist). Sounds like he talked you right into the extraction?
 

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
If you have a good dentist(yes I know not the correct term but whatever) they are pain free. I had two done last year and it was no different than getting a filling. Between the root canal and cap it wasn't cheap at close to $3k all together but it was pain free and you can't tell they are natural teeth. Mine were in the front so pulling them wasn't an option.
 

Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
Well... alrighty... but I think you got taken for a big ride with the $1500 quote for a root canal by a general dentist who isn't even a specialist in root canal therapy (endodontist). Sounds like he talked you right into the extraction?

depends on the area he lives im assuming, my canal as 1100 at the endodontist, would have been ~900 at my normal dentist
 

sonicdrummer20

Senior member
Jul 2, 2008
474
0
0
Had one so far not that bad really, just be ready for getting drool everywhere when your out. Mine took about 1 hour and almost completely painless, aside from the initial prick for anesthesia.
 

Possessed Freak

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 1999
6,045
1
0
Local anesthesia, no pain relievers for later. Just fine. The total bill was around $1k but my dental covered almost all of it.
 

rasczak

Lifer
Jan 29, 2005
10,437
23
81
I am a root canal statistic. I had a root canal done by a terrible dentist. First when she started to numb my roots she spilled that crap into the back of my throat. that was nastiest thing i had ever tasted. ever. next she didn't use enough numbing agent or what ever the hell it was called and she started pulling on the nerve. oh god the pain. i left after she was finished with the root canal, but i never went back to get my crown because i never felt fear of a doctor or dentist like i did with her. i ended up having to have the tooth removed after several months because of an infection and the tooth breaking. that was my fault for sure, but that hell dentist made me afraid.
 

Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
13,234
2
81
I've had three (2 on the same tooth). It's really not that bad. I've had a tooth pulled too. Neither one is painful. I'd rather have a root canal than get the tooth pulled, just because I can't stand having gauze in my mouth. With root canals, you do have to be aware that they can fail. One of mine did because the dentist missed a split in one of my canals. I've gone back to work immediately after both procedures without any issues.
 

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,960
1,657
126
OP, if you are still the Dallas area, you might want to check with Baylor College of Denistry (near downtown Dallas) to see what kind of options you have...A friend of mine had some work done with them and he was happy with them...this was about 8 years ago though...

here is their FAQ page.

http://www.tambcd.edu/resources/faqs.html

Who will examine me?
Dental students and dentists on faculty at the college conduct screening examinations. HSC-BCD is a teaching facility. Students provide the care under the careful supervision of faculty members.


How will I know how much treatment will cost?
The students or faculty who examine you will provide an estimate of your treatment costs. Costs are generally 30 to 40 percent less than those charged by private dentists.
 
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her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
0
I am a root canal statistic. I had a root canal done by a terrible dentist. First when she started to numb my roots she spilled that crap into the back of my throat. that was nastiest thing i had ever tasted. ever. next she didn't use enough numbing agent or what ever the hell it was called and she started pulling on the nerve. oh god the pain. i left after she was finished with the root canal, but i never went back to get my crown because i never felt fear of a doctor or dentist like i did with her. i ended up having to have the tooth removed after several months because of an infection and the tooth breaking. that was my fault for sure, but that hell dentist made me afraid.
Secretly inside, it made her giddy.
 

bhanson

Golden Member
Jan 16, 2004
1,749
0
76
I've had 3 root canals (my dentist says my teeth are particularly vulnerable to decay). None of them were painful and I didn't take any medications afterwards. I pretty much went from the dentists office directly back to work.

I forgot to get them crowned and two eventually broke off and had to be extracted. I've had two extractions done by a dentist and one done by an oral surgeon. None of them hurt and I also didn't take any pain medication.

As others have mentioned, besides the cost of the root canal you will also have to get it crowned, or else you will lose the tooth eventually anyway.


---------------


Look into what someone a few posts up mentioned about schools. Often times they will do your procedures for free or at a steep discount, subsidized by the school's money or students' tuitions. I once got my teeth cleaned for free at a dental hygiene school. It included free xrays and an actual dentist looked over my mouth before I left too.
 

FelixDeCat

Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
31,002
2,681
126
Well... alrighty... but I think you got taken for a big ride with the $1500 quote for a root canal by a general dentist who isn't even a specialist in root canal therapy (endodontist). Sounds like he talked you right into the extraction?

That was the endodontist quote. The extra fluff included the crown.
 

FelixDeCat

Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
31,002
2,681
126
OP, if you are still the Dallas area, you might want to check with Baylor College of Denistry (near downtown Dallas) to see what kind of options you have...A friend of mine had some work done with them and he was happy with them...this was about 8 years ago though...

here is their FAQ page.

http://www.tambcd.edu/resources/faqs.html

Who will examine me?
Dental students and dentists on faculty at the college conduct screening examinations. HSC-BCD is a teaching facility. Students provide the care under the careful supervision of faculty members.


How will I know how much treatment will cost?
The students or faculty who examine you will provide an estimate of your treatment costs. Costs are generally 30 to 40 percent less than those charged by private dentists.

Thanks. I knew about this option, but decided against it. I dont when or IF I will ever be seen and every day the pain gets worse and worse despite the hydrocodone Im taking. You can only take one every six hours or you risk liver damage. And frankly I dont need anymore problems.

I was up every hour on the hour last night with a throbbing jaw. :'(
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
3
81
I had a root canal done about a month ago. It was relatively painless unless you factor in the anesthetic injection. No meds or painkillers were necessary after the procedure.
 
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