Was I given a necessary root canal?

[Eden]

Hi all! So I absolutely love and trust my dentist, but it never hurts to be extra sure about things...

I was told last week that two of my teeth (molars, teeth #13 and #14) needed root canals. I found this odd since neither of the teeth were in any pain, yet my own reading online convinced me that not all teeth that require root canals will in pain. I went ahead with the procedure since I am eager to get braces and my dentist told me he could not give me clearance to do so unless I had the root canals.

I took fresh x-rays right before my procedure, yet I could not help but feel questionable on what the X-rays showed. Of course I questioned my dentists and the assistants, yet they persisted they were the correct teeth and I still needed root canals.

Please view the attached photo. The two teeth that required root canals are circled in red. Can someone point out to me exactly where decay is shown? Because they look just like my surrounding teeth, which didn't need root canals. (Please ignore my childish Snapchat caption on the photo, lol). I guess I thought a root canal meant all the black area in the tooth should be grey, indicating bacteria?

Just inquiring for a peace of mind since I spent A LOT of money on the procedures. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[vancouverdentist]

Eden,

#13 is a second premolar and #14 is a first molar.
The two teeth show very big shadows which are indicative of decay (indicated by shadows that originate from outside of tooth).
The decay on these two teeth are very close to the nerves (indicated by shadows inside the tooth).
Although it requires both x-rays and clinical exam to determine the necessary treatment plan, looking at the x-rays alone, root canal treatment on the two teeth sound very reasonable.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dipsey]

A root canal should only be done for pain management when all else fails. A good clean with antibiotics and fresh filling can often save a tooth for decades without having a root canal done.