Hello, I came to this site to seek advice. Recently, I had a check-up with a dentist that told me I needed a root canal on my upper molar teeth the last one. I was told by the dentist I had a large cavity on that tooth and that what he could do to avoid the root canal was to remove the cavity then put a crown. I was advised that if that does not work he could perform the root canal if there was pain. It took me months to decide this route then I decided I would move forward. Odd thing is that I never had pain to sensitivity, hot/cold on that tooth, however I decided to take the doctors advice. It took five visits as advised below:
1st visit, the doctor grinder out the cavity, told me he could see the nerve, but did not hit it so it should be fine. He also did a filling on one tooth in front of the upper molar, covered up the tooth with some cap then told me to come back in two weeks.
2nd visit, I went, there was no pain, the doctor removed the cap and adjusted the crown and fitted it. The crown was a new tooth and super huge and biting my check skin, but was told it could not be adjusted afterwards. I didn't care and was rather happy that the doctor performed the work without doing a root canal.
Days later, I was feeling pain on that tooth anytime I drank cold or hot water. I drank water at the doctors office and it hurt, I told him I did not originally feel that pain. He said wait several days to see if it goes away and it did not.
3rd visit, I went and was told that I needed a root canal because the pain continued, so knowing I had insurance to cover this I moved forward with it and took the doctors advice. He specifically told me he would be able to perform the root canal and I was confident in him. So two hours into the procedure and them drilling into the crown and tooth, they kept telling me he did not have the tools to capture one of the canals as it was sideways and he needed more time and to come back the next day. He prescribed antibiotics which I started taking that night. The weird thing is the two canals was easy and felt no pain however when he went for the third I actually felt a lot of pain, same pain I feel now. Ifeel like I want to go in there and pull my tooth out due to the pain. I was there until they were getting frustrated and past their hours, well over two hours.
4th visit, I went back the next day, this time he tried to work on it for three hours! and could not fully plug the third canal as it was going sideways he said he did not have the tools. First thing I asked was if he was able to do it and/or would it be best to go to a specialist. He confidently stated he would be able to finish. So three hours later and three hours of picking and doctor getting frustrated that the pick he was using kept bending so he had to grab another and another he was not able to fully go in and plug the canal. He partially plugged it and called it a day. After that I was told to come back two weeks later to see if there was any pain and so that he can plug up the hole he drilled as he wanted to wait to see if it went away and/or if he needs to refer me to a specialist.
5th and last visit, the pain was still there, there was no more pain to hot or cold. but anytime I bit in that area, even gum and/or floss, there is pain that lasts the whole day and I usually take advil and tynelol at work since its hard to work with pain in my teeth. My confidence in the doctor went away and I was not happy. I told him to plug the hole drilled and to refer me to specialist. He told me they would charge a lot and that he used all my insurance money and that I would need minimum $1000 or so. I told him I would wait. Right before I left, he mentioned if it hurts that bad we could try the root canal procedure one more time and/or extract the tooth. I told him in a nice way, I was going to a specialist and that I was not confident in his work anymore. I did not want to see the doctor trying again getting frustrated scratching my face along the way and me sitting on that char unconfident that the work will go unfinished once again.
So with all this said, the insurance he billed I no longer own because I moved to a different company and it will take me another three months to get any new type of insurance. I seen the claims he filed and he used up nearly $1500 for these failed procedures. He billed me for every single one of them. I don't want to spend a $1,000 for what should've been done right the first time. The doctor stated this was his 2nd time performed a molar root canal. He was very young and it was actually his dads dentist that was passed onto him. I am in extreme pain anytime I chew on that side, my gums have bumps on that area where the root canal was performed anytime I eat there.
At this point I really need help? should I just seek a specialist on my own and pay the $1,000? I can wait a couple months to get insurance so they will cover it.
Should I go back to the original dentist to make them try again?
Do you think the doctor will cover the cost if I go to their recommended specialist since he could not finish it correctly?
Or should pull the tooth and be done with it?
1st visit, the doctor grinder out the cavity, told me he could see the nerve, but did not hit it so it should be fine. He also did a filling on one tooth in front of the upper molar, covered up the tooth with some cap then told me to come back in two weeks.
2nd visit, I went, there was no pain, the doctor removed the cap and adjusted the crown and fitted it. The crown was a new tooth and super huge and biting my check skin, but was told it could not be adjusted afterwards. I didn't care and was rather happy that the doctor performed the work without doing a root canal.
Days later, I was feeling pain on that tooth anytime I drank cold or hot water. I drank water at the doctors office and it hurt, I told him I did not originally feel that pain. He said wait several days to see if it goes away and it did not.
3rd visit, I went and was told that I needed a root canal because the pain continued, so knowing I had insurance to cover this I moved forward with it and took the doctors advice. He specifically told me he would be able to perform the root canal and I was confident in him. So two hours into the procedure and them drilling into the crown and tooth, they kept telling me he did not have the tools to capture one of the canals as it was sideways and he needed more time and to come back the next day. He prescribed antibiotics which I started taking that night. The weird thing is the two canals was easy and felt no pain however when he went for the third I actually felt a lot of pain, same pain I feel now. Ifeel like I want to go in there and pull my tooth out due to the pain. I was there until they were getting frustrated and past their hours, well over two hours.
4th visit, I went back the next day, this time he tried to work on it for three hours! and could not fully plug the third canal as it was going sideways he said he did not have the tools. First thing I asked was if he was able to do it and/or would it be best to go to a specialist. He confidently stated he would be able to finish. So three hours later and three hours of picking and doctor getting frustrated that the pick he was using kept bending so he had to grab another and another he was not able to fully go in and plug the canal. He partially plugged it and called it a day. After that I was told to come back two weeks later to see if there was any pain and so that he can plug up the hole he drilled as he wanted to wait to see if it went away and/or if he needs to refer me to a specialist.
5th and last visit, the pain was still there, there was no more pain to hot or cold. but anytime I bit in that area, even gum and/or floss, there is pain that lasts the whole day and I usually take advil and tynelol at work since its hard to work with pain in my teeth. My confidence in the doctor went away and I was not happy. I told him to plug the hole drilled and to refer me to specialist. He told me they would charge a lot and that he used all my insurance money and that I would need minimum $1000 or so. I told him I would wait. Right before I left, he mentioned if it hurts that bad we could try the root canal procedure one more time and/or extract the tooth. I told him in a nice way, I was going to a specialist and that I was not confident in his work anymore. I did not want to see the doctor trying again getting frustrated scratching my face along the way and me sitting on that char unconfident that the work will go unfinished once again.
So with all this said, the insurance he billed I no longer own because I moved to a different company and it will take me another three months to get any new type of insurance. I seen the claims he filed and he used up nearly $1500 for these failed procedures. He billed me for every single one of them. I don't want to spend a $1,000 for what should've been done right the first time. The doctor stated this was his 2nd time performed a molar root canal. He was very young and it was actually his dads dentist that was passed onto him. I am in extreme pain anytime I chew on that side, my gums have bumps on that area where the root canal was performed anytime I eat there.
At this point I really need help? should I just seek a specialist on my own and pay the $1,000? I can wait a couple months to get insurance so they will cover it.
Should I go back to the original dentist to make them try again?
Do you think the doctor will cover the cost if I go to their recommended specialist since he could not finish it correctly?
Or should pull the tooth and be done with it?