sutherngrl
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posted
I know these are my two choices. I have a tooth that lost the entire filling several years ago. Over the last couple of years it has hurt off and on, but since I am dental phobic, I put off going to the dentist.
I finally decided that I have to face my fears and go to the dentist. This tooth has turned dark, so I'm sure pulling it or root canal are the only choices.
Which of these is the best thing to do? If I pull it, I will have to get a permanent bridge. My teeth are very straight and I don't need a gap. If I do a root canal, I won't have to deal with all the blood related to extraction.
I am on adult dose daily aspirin, and was told to stop taking it the day before and day of. So that makes me nervous about getting a DVT.
I am such a big baby about the dentist. Haven't been in years. Is a root canal really that bad? I've never had one. My husband has had 3. He said one was bad and two weren't that bad. Its been a few years; have things improved in dentistry or is it still like it was 20 years ago?
poppy
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posted
The trouble with bridges is that they ruin the perfectly good teeth on either side of the gap, and over the years, the bridge gets extended, with more damage to good adjoining teeth. Then, ultimately you have either a very long bridge or expensive implants.
Before you decide, if you have a choice, get the dentist to describe exactly how a bridge works. Most people don't understand what happens to the tooth on either side that the bridge gets attached to.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
They will pack it well. It shouldn't be bad as long as you are off the aspirin. Only one day off the aspirin??
Do you think you have to have a bridge?
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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sutherngrl
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My mother has had a bridge for years with no problems. My hubby has one that is fairly new. No problems so far. I guess I lean toward extraction due to having a possible continuing long term infection after a RC.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
PS.. you will probably have to see an oral surgeon to have it extracted. Your dentist will try to talk you into saving it so he can make more $$$.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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sutherngrl
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My vascular doctor said don't take the aspirin day before and day of. He says people on aspirin don't bleed much more than people not on aspirin, unlike Coumadin.
I think because my teeth are not crowded, and very straight that without a bridge they would eventually start to shift due to the gap.
I would love just getting it pulled and leaving it at that. But I'm betting I will need something to stick in the gap.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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sutherngrl
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How much pain after an extraction??? I'm hoping to just take some Tylenol.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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sutherngrl
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I talked on the phone to the dental assistant and she talked as though the dentist would be the one to extract it, if needed. Whatever it needs they talked like it would be done at my appointment on Tuesday.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
I don't know. I haven't had one pulled since I got braces at age 13!! You might need a little hydrocodone.
My husband has lost two molars and did not get a bridge.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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sutherngrl
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What is hydrocodone? Is that a pain med?
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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sutherngrl
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I'm such a big baby. I hope this is better than it was years ago. I'm scared my tooth will break off, and then I WILL need an oral surgeon. Hopefully the roots are small and it comes out easy. Its not too far back. On top, right past the little pointed tooth. That should make it a little easier.
Someone make me feel better!!!
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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Sammi
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I have never had a problem with a root canal, and I am immune deficient. I personally would do all I could to save my tooth if it was an option.
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sutherngrl
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Neither has my hubby. And he has three. I guess after talking to the dentist Tuesday, I will just have to make a decision.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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sutherngrl
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My question for the dentist, is "what keeps the tooth with a RC from getting infected"?
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
Most dentists do not believe in the stealth infections. See the link I posted above for info on that.
That tooth should pull easily and not be a problem with major pain.
Hydrocodone is the same as Lortab or Vicodin.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Razzle
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Member # 30398
posted
Homeopathic Phosphorus can help with dental pain from tooth extraction and also with bleeding.
Homeopathic Hypericum and Arnica can also help with the pain.
I use these 3 homeopathic remedies whenever I have painful dental work. I just had a tooth pulled in February, and did ok with the homeopathy (I'm allergic to pain meds, so they aren't an option for me).
Yes, you will need to put something in that gap to keep the teeth on either side of your pulled tooth from collapsing into the gap. Can use a partial, a bridge, or an implant.
The implant takes the most time to get done, but is the best option if you want to avoid damage to surrounding teeth.
A partial is fine if you don't mind wearing something that rubs on and irritates the gums...
Yes, the bridge damages surrounding teeth.
Be sure to get a price quote for all the options your dentist offers.
And if you go with the implant, try to avoid titanium and go with carbon or ceramic instead.
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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TX Lyme Mom
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Member # 3162
posted
quote:Originally posted by Sammi: I have never had a problem with a root canal, and I am immune deficient. I personally would do all I could to save my tooth if it was an option.
Sammi, did you ever stop to think that your infected root canal might be a major contributing factor in your immune deficiency? If not, then read the link that LymeToo posted above.
There is only one safe way to save a root canal tooth which isn't already infected, which yours and SouthernGirl's probably both are, and that is to see a Biological Dentist. S/He will know the proper kind of filling material to use in the root canal tooth to prevent it from being a source of nasty neurotoxins getting into your body every time that you chew on that tooth. However, I doubt that this is a viable option for either of you two Lymies because it's fairly obvious that your root canal teeth are already too badly infected to save them.
At any rate, don't listen to ordinary dentists because if they understood this, then they wouldn't be practicing dentistry the way they are doing now. Instead, they would become biological dentists, which is a specialty, because it takes a lot of experience and skill to learn to work with those special filling materials. Sorry, can't remember the name of the proper filling material -- nor can I remember the name of their dental society to help you locate a biological dentist.
When my husband needed a root canal and didn't want an extraction, we had to travel to another dentist several hours away from our community. Biological dentists are scarce, so be prepared to commute some distance to find a good one. Even then, the biological dentist might tell you that the tooth isn't salvageable and must be extracted anyway.
Yes, bridges are problematic, but not nearly as worrisome as living with chronic health problems which result from harboring an infected root canal tooth in your mouth which poisons your body and suppresses your immune system for the rest of your life! Please do take time to click on the link that LymeToo posted for you in her message above.
Posts: 4563 | From TX | Registered: Sep 2002
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Sammi
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posted
TX Lyme Mom, I appreciate your concern but the root canal I had done was not infected.
sutherngrl, good luck with your decision.
Posts: 4681 | Registered: Oct 2000
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sutherngrl
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posted
Thank you Sammi! We will see what tomorrow holds.
I read the link that Lymetoo posted. It was very informative. And I do lean toward extraction. But I can't leave a gap in my teeth. My top teeth are perfectly aligned. If it was the bottom, I would just have it extracted and leave it at that. The bottom teeth are slightly bunched up.
MannaMe
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posted
I had an abscessed tooth pulled last year and now have a gap. The other teeth have not moved into the space.
Posts: 2252 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2011
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Sammi.. respectfully .. it is like a stealth infection. It does not show up like a regular infection. It goes undetected and has many long term health ramifications.
TX Lyme Mom .. I think the word you are searching for is "composite" fillings.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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nefferdun
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Member # 20157
posted
My daughter, who is 28, just told me she has an appointment for a root canal and I am worried about it too.
You might want to think about getting an implant instead. I think the only difference between an implant and root canal and crown is that the new fake tooth is screwed into the jaw instead of the stump of the old tooth.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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Sammi
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posted
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Lymetoo: [QB] Sammi.. respectfully .. it is like a stealth infection. It does not show up like a regular infection. It goes undetected and has many long term health ramifications.
Lymetoo, respectfully replying that this was a very long time ago, and I have never had any known problems from this what-so-ever.
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