OT - Pain relief

[RickG]

I enjoyed a root canal this morning. Its been a tough with a tough to diagnose tooth problem. It makes me empathize with people like my Father who are chronic pain sufferers.

I replaced my 800 mg ibuprofen every 3 hours diet with one vicodin and 2 ibuprofen. Its sort of a 3 beer buzz.

Does anyone out there have experience with getting cracked molars repaired? the crack is above the gum line and there is no infection. I'm just wondering if I should put on the brakes, have it pulled and get an implant (tooth!)?

Cheers, RickG

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[California Girl]

Rick - Do the implant thing (or can't you just get a crown?). Generally a tooth that's cracked that bad will only get worse, then someday you'll bite down on something and you'll only have half a tooth left! I speak from experience.

[mbw1024]

as a veteran of MANY dental woes I literally feel your pain, RG. Be careful with those pills my friend!

No implants here .. YET .. but it sounds painful!

I myself had a crown fall out this morning

[sea-nile]

I had a root canal gone bad after a crown. Then it had to be pulled. It doesn't show at all becasue it is in the back, but I am trying to decide if I should get the implant or a bridge. Insurance does not cover an implant and the metal spike in my jaw kind of freaks me out.
Ask CypressGirl. She used to be a Dental Hygentist.

The laughing gas was a hoot when I had it pulled.
The pain didn't last real long after that.

[liamsaunt]

John had part of one of his molars crack off above the gum line about three years ago---on Christmas eve, no less. He had a filling in the molar and somehow the filling caused the tooth to just fall apart, about half the tooth, IIRC. There wasn't any further decay, so I don't know why it happened. Maybe the filling was too big? Anyway, the dentist was able to reconstruct the shape of the tooth using some kind of white stuff (nice and scientific, aren't I?) that they molded around what was left...he did not have to have an anchor put in or anything. It has not given him any problems as yet, though his current dentist thinks he'll probably have to get a traditional crown on it within five years.

[cypressgirl]

I'll chime in since I was a hygienist for 17 years and have seen it all. If you have had a root canal, you've done the hard part. It is amazing how little tooth there needs to be left, to do a "build-up" and crown the tooth. I would certainly go that route and not even consider an implant at this point. You should have a perfectly normal tooth after the permanent crown is seated. I assume this is what your dentist has recommended?

Implants are great, especially when a tooth or multiple teeth are lost for whatever reason (often periodontal disease) but it is a much bigger procedure than a root canal and crown. As long as you don't have much bone loss, I would not even consider extracting the tooth.

Hope this helps.

[RickG]

Thanks gang. Cypressgirl, you make me feel better. I may not even need a crown at this point.

Cheers, RickG

[Ksea]

Im with Cypressgirl. Do the root canal crown procedure. The crowns last a very long time and it saves you from having TMJ in the future (due to missing teeth) Get novacaine and gas and it will be like a party!

[cypressgirl]

Hey Rick, glad to help, but I should caution you that not crowning that molar is not a good idea. A root canal takes the nerve and blood supply out and results in a very brittle tooth that will eventually break. It can break in such a way that to save the tooth would be much more involved. So I would recommend that you go ahead and do the crown when your dentist says it's time to do so. It will be the easiest treatment in the long run.

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[RickG]

Thanks cyp, I might as well get it all done at the same time. I'm back to the endodontist in 2 weeks and then back to my usual dentist. Cha Ching!

Cheers, RickG

[cypressgirl]

SJ, I'd love to see your x-ray. It seems odd that your crown just broke off at the gumline. Was there decay under the crown. Sometimes a crown will have a poor margin and leak, thus causing decay under it.

If you have a root canal, build up on the tooth portion which also includes a post (that is like a support rod to make the tooth stronger)and then do a crown, the tooth should be fine for many, many years, assuming all of the above is done by a competent dentist. Unfortunately, the patient has no way of knowing if they are getting the best possible dentisty until years later, when problems occur. Of course I have to also say that the patient's home care has much to do with the success of any dentisty, no matter how skillful the dentist is. Floss, floss, floss. It's actually more benefical than brushing.

[cypressgirl]

Thanks cyp, I might as well get it all done at the same time. I'm back to the endodontist in 2 weeks and then back to my usual dentist. Cha Ching!

Cheers, RickG

Cha Ching is right!

[Jan&MikeVa]

Ooooooooooooh Rick, I FEEL YOUR PAIN! Sadly when it comes to dental work you're talking my language. If it's out there, it's been done to my mouth! Some of us are just born with REALLY bad teeth, I took the blue ribbon.

Anywaysssssss. This root canal is a cake walk compared to the implant. I had three of them put in about 5 years ago and it was the worst pain I have ever suffered. They did have to split the lower jaw bone and fill in with some dead persons bone tissue so that created most of the pain. I would go that route as a last option. The GOOD news is that it will last forever, titanium, I think is the metal.

Nurse your root canal, and go with a crown for the broken tooth. Mike had the same thing happen to one of his molars a couple of years ago, and he's good to go with a nice crown. My Dentist always gives me the good drugs

Take care................