Delaying root canal treatment?

I'm a soon-to-be college student who will be going to a 4-year school under mostly loans. I found out that I will be needing a root canal treatment but cannot meet the costs. I have called all the dental schools for cheaper options but many/all were fully booked throughout the next month or two.


I'm thinking about delaying my treatment but I'm not fully aware of the consquences. I have minor pains time to time, nothing that bothers me enough to disrupt my daily routines.





Is there a way I can safely delay root canal treatment? Possibly by cleaning out the tooth and prevent bacteria from making my tooth worse? I would plan on getting the treatment done in time, it is just that at this moment, I can't meet the price. In a few months time, I believe I may be able to afford the treatment.


My only fear is that in those few months, without getting any treatment, that infections can spread throughout my mouth.


A cheaper treatment that can postpone my root canal treatment will be ideal.

Delaying root canal treatment?
A root canal is not something you want to delay. It could absess over more and harm other teeth, causing you to have more teeth that need to be fixed. If someone can maybe do the "step 1" of the root canal, like you said, cleaning it out, popping the absess I like to think, and leaving you with a temporary crown... you should be fine with that for a little while, but at least do that.


--Britt M
Reply:Sorry, but the bottom line is that without treatment you will ultimately develop an abscess and the tooth will have to be removed. Further, such an infection may cause problems with the surrounding teeth as well.
Reply:The problem is, one day, you may wake up, and want to crawl out of your skin the pain is so bad. If it's in the back, I would just have it removed. It will cost you a fraction of the price of a root canal.
Reply:ok i postponed dental work and let me tell u....OMGGGGGGGGGGGG....i woke one morning and all i could do was cry and SCREAM the pain was sooooo bad. my brother had to take me to the er two mornings in a row because i woke up doing this....i got my oral surgery appt moved up....i strogly strongly do not recommend putting off any dental treatments because im telling u the pain is something horrible (ive given birth 4 times and that was a day at the spa compared to this pain) and bad teeth can affect your heart so i would get on it
Reply:I know you cannot afford having the root canal right now, but I urge you to find a way to get it done ASAP. I had a similar problem, I could afford it, but I just hated going to the dentist and that was a huge mistake. One morning I woke up with the right side of my face swollen and a throbing pain. I had an abcess in my mouth. I went to the dentist and he had to do emergency root canal and give me antibotics for the infection that had taken place. All this because I waited instead of going in.
Reply:If you don't have your tooth worked on it could get an infection. And if the infection gets bad enough you can die from it. The infection would go thru your bone and into your blood stream (not your whole mouth; however, when I left my root canal untreated I couldn't even open my mouth any longer). I would suggest calling around to dentist to see if they can work out a way you can do payments. I know the dentist I went to did. I forget exactly what he called it. Or you can always go to the welfare offices and see if you can get on Medicare. If none of this works, then I would wait. For me, my mouth was swollen (i had a bump on my lower jaw) and I couldn't even open my mouth, not to mention the pay was excruciating. That's when I decided to go to the dentist. And even then, I was given medicine to get rid of the infection and about a month later had the tooth pulled. So, my suggestion would be to try to wait, if you have any complications go to the dentist (or doctor) and just get the medicine atleast.
Reply:A root canal is basically killing the tooth so you don't feel the pain. Infection can still continue, and it can affect the bone around the tooth, too, in which case you may lose and adjoining tooth or teeth. Not everybody thinks root canals are good. Do an Internet search to see what others say about this.


Keeping the area clean with diluted hydrogen peroxide and/or salt water will help. You need to floss well, not just brush. But you can't get underneath the tooth, where there is an anaerobic infection. That's why antibiotics don't work for this.
Reply:Take a bus trip down to either Al Godonnes Mexico and if you shop around you can get a root canal done for about 200 bucs if you live on the eastern side of the US go down to Brownsville Texas and cross over. Oh Al Godonnes is at the border of Yuma Az. remember shop around and the Mexicans will take less and they are good dentist just as good as the US dentist
Reply:You shouldn't delay the treatment since it can cause a major flare up of infection and there is also a chance of loosing the tooth if you wait too long. I would encourage you to schedule the treatment with dental school even if they are booked for the next month. If you have any symptoms of pain, ask your dentist to give you a prescription of antibiotic to control the infection. PLEASE PLEASE do not go to Mexico for treatment. 99% of my patients who went down there for root canal treatment end up with a bad treatment and it will cost you more to fix it!





I just have to post the message that the other user send me:


From: crocman





Subject: Stop your damn lies





Message: I have been going to Mexico for years and so has my entire family without 1 problem whatsoever so I would appreciate it if you stop your damn lies.





My reply:


Maybe you didn't read my post clearly, I said 99% went bad, and still there is 1% who got lucky and had a good treatment. So let me have your Doctor's number and address and I'll sent my patients to your doctor if they are going to Mexico. And I don't lie, I have all the record to show 99% of the root canal treatment done in Mexico(mostly TJ) went bad!





maybe my patients are not as lucky who knows.
Reply:Everyone is telling you the obvious here...no dont do that get a root canal asap, but if you cant afford it heres some things you can try:





*you can buy a temporary filling material from pharmacy if there is a cavity.


* Use clove oil if pain occurs


*keep it clean and stay away from the tooth dont eat on it.





If you leave it chances are you will have major toothache and will prob end up loosing the tooth as there is a certain time limit a dentist can root treat a tooth. Hope i have helped.

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