Deep teeth decay, really don't I need Root Canal?

There was hole in my back teeth for quite a long time. Three days ago,it caused me a sudden attack, an extremely sharp pain when i bite (only happen when I was eating),and it took about a minute to fully pain off. i could see a small pink area in that teeth, i thought the decay had reach to pulp. I went for dentist three days later. i had this x-ray, and after she completely remove the decay, she told me that she would do the Filling for me, where I thought she would tell me that I need to do Root Canal.





In this case, is there really a possibility for that I still on the stage where Root Canal is not required?

Deep teeth decay, really don't I need Root Canal?
I'm a dental hygienist so I feel qualified to answer your question based on my 20+ years in practice. When a patient comes in with a toothache, we take an xray to determine how deep the decay actually is. There are different layers of a tooth, with the core being the pulp chamber which contains nerves and blood vessels. You might have felt that the decay was so deep that it was involving the pulp chamber but obviously your dentist did not make that diagnosis after looking at your xray. We always tell a patient, though, that if the decay is very close to the nerves, there is a chance that the filling may fail in the future and the tooth may need to have the root canal after all. Most patients would much rather try a cheaper alternative, such as the filling, than go through the root canal and necessary crown afterwards (very expensive, but unlike popular belief, the root canals done today, if done by a good dentist, are virtually painless). Unlike what the other poster said, we are not all in it for the money, that's ridiculous! A good dental staff places the patients needs above all else. I must STRONGLY disagree with the other poster that recommend you get the tooth pulled. It's always best to keep what nature gave you for many, many reason which I can't go into all of them here. But for one example is that when you pull a tooth, the other teeth will shift and move into that empty spot, which in turn puts stress on those teeth and messes up how you bite down so that you are more likely to fracture other teeth. If you do have it pulled, later on you may want to replace that with a bridge and that also is very expensive. Keep what God gave you and get it repaired, that's the cheapest and best route. Having said all that, let me tell you that if this decay was indeed very close to the nerve, the tooth will be sensitive for a few weeks, and then it will gradually feel normal again. Sensitivity is very common in this case.


Having that hole in the tooth for such a long time leads me to think that you've put off dental care for awhile. Please consider going in for complete xrays and a cleaning. It's so much easier to catch (and repair) things when they are small than to deal with them later when they are complicated and expensive. You really can't put off dental care forever; I tease my patients that like a mortitioner, sooner or later we're gonna get you! :) Be sure to let your dentist know if that tooth gets worse or the sensitivity doesn't go away in a few weeks.


Hope that helps to ease your mind a bit
Reply:root canals do not always work, I know because I had not 1 not 2 but 3 go bad on me, not only are root canals extremely expensive that are extremely PAINFUL !!! I highly recommend just having it pulled because it is way cheaper and a whole lot faster. your dentist may try and talk you out of this but do not listen to them. because they are just trying to make more money. since you have to go in for at least 3 to 4 visits. for the root canal. and you have to pay for each visit.
Reply:What? That girl must be on crack! Pulling teeth is the last possible option. Teeth don't grow back so if you have it pulled, then what??? I've had many root canals and they don't hurt anymore than getting a filling, they just take longer. Believe me, if you needed a root canal, your dentist would have said so. It would mean more money for him/her to fix it. Sounds like you just had a deep cavity. Don't listen to that ladygodiva nut job! Sounds like she's gettin her dental work done in Cuba or something.
Reply:YES it can be the case, if the cavity did not penetrate to the surface of the nerve (root). If they can fill it SAFELY then go for it, although larger fillings can come loose if not properly taken care of. Another possibility id to get the tooth crowned without a root canal, that way if you ever need one they can pop the crown off and go ahead. With a crown the tooth is more protected but also costs a lot more than a filling. GOOD LUCK
Reply:when you get a tooth filled, sometimes the nerve gets irritated and needs a chance to calm down. this can take up to a few months sometimes. it is best to not eat hard stuff or drink hot and cold drinks/hot and cold foods for a while; you don't want to irritate it any further. it also may need a temporary medicated filling (ZOE) put in for a few months until it calms down. do not get a root canal, as there is no way to sterilize a dead tooth (a root canal kills the tooth).