Tuesday, August 2, 2011

To root canal or pull the tooth?

I previously had a root canal & a crown on a tooth this year, & I have maxed out my dental insurance for the year. NOW, I have a severe tooth ache & I am suspecting that I have an abscess. This is a tooth that my dentist has previously noted as a possible root canal. Since I have used up all my dental insurance & have to pay out of my own pocket for everything, I was wondering how long I can safely go between having a root canal & having the crown. If a root canal could hold out until the New Year, then my dental insurance starts over & I won't have to pay for everything outright. If a root canal cannot hold out that long, then I need to seriously consider just having it pulled, since it would be foolish to drop $800 on a root canal & then have to have it pulled because I waited too long. I am not willing to bankrupt my family over a tooth (especially since it is one you can't see when I smile), but if a root canal can hold for a good while, I might like to save the tooth. Please help!
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Well it all depends on if the tooth is really broken down, decayed, whatnot. If that's the case its best served with a crown sooner than later, but also could totally hold out until the New Year. Once the root canal is completed the dentist can do what's called a core build-up that will restore the crown of the tooth to make it functional until you can get a permanent crown. People can get by with them for quite awhile, it just really depends. And yeah, even if you can't see this tooth when you smile its best to just keep all your teeth and not get in the habit of having them extracted!! Good luck.
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