Root canal question?

I went to my dentist yesterday and it seems the root canal I had about three years has failed. I have been having some sensitivity there lately even though I can remember having sensitivity there even right after my root canal I just thought it was normal. My dentist took an x-ray and saw absolutely nothing there (when I asked if I was crazy he actually looked at me like he thought I was). He gave me an antibiotic. I hate taking them because it seems that today that's all doctors give patients and that is why we now need them so much. I try to stay away from all drugs if I can. How would I have an infection in that tooth if there was nothing on the x-ray?

Root canal question?
Infection, in and of itself, doesn't show up on xrays. The damage to surrounding bone or tissue is what shows up. If the infection hasn't produced degeneration of surrounding bone or tissue, it won't appear.
Reply:Root Canals are pretty temperamental. Some teeth have tiny auxiliary canals which aren't visible (even on an xray) without a microscope. So it may be that the main canals of your tooth were sealed when the procedure was performed but these tiny extra canals weren't. This may be why the tooth still had some sensitivity - the extra canal contain tiny nerves too. If they were infected, its possible to get tooth ache and the antibiotics may be required. Its always hard to tell. I don't like taking medications either so I understand how you feel. The other alternative is to maybe see an Endodontist (specialise in root canals). They are highly skilled and know all about these things.
Reply:Sometimes the infection process is not visible on the radiograph. There is possibly an accessory canal that still has tissue...these are very difficult, if not impossible, to clean. You probably need to have the root canal retreated...that may not fix the problem. The other alternative is to have the tooth removed and an implant placed. Hope this was helpful.
Reply:Root canals, from what I understand, are the result of decay within a given tooth that effect the nerve. In my case, I had a cavity that was really deep and even after I had a filling put in it continued to decay almost all the way to the jaw bone.





The explanation that I got from the dentist is that the nerve of my tooth had died and it needed to be removed as well as the decay and infection inside of my tooth.





Basically what he did was go inside my tooth, take all of the decay out, clean the four canals of my tooth, made a mold of my real tooth and then put a temporary cap back in my tooth. After a couple of weeks the permanent cap arrived in his office and he simply took off the temporary and replaced it with the permanent cap.





As far as the operation itself, I was given a local anestetic and I was awake through the whole thing. I felt no pain at all and I even drove home from the dentist's office.





I've had two root canal operations, one without dental insurance and one with it, and it can be very expensive. When I had it done without insurance the whole procedure, including the permanent cap, cost about $1,300. Believe me it was not fun to have to pay that but you need to have this operation done.





If you wait too long the tooth can become infected, like mine did, and it can spread to other parts of your body and cause serious complications. I waited about two and a half years before I finally had my second root canal done.








You may wish to read an article called


“Root Canal Fillings(Root Canal Teeth) Can Cause Serious Side Effects”. You can find it at:


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/san-dieg...


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us


http://san-diego-dentists.blogspot.com


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/san-dieg...


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/tijuana-...


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/san-dieg...


http://www.medical-research-study-direct...


http://www.las-vegas-nevada-lawyer-attor...


http://www.acne-treatment-medicine-1.inf...








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The quality of a root canal has to do with the dentist, his equipment, and his specialty. Root canals require crowns, so you’re looking at a minimum of $1,000 in treatment. MINIMUM. However, if it’s a front tooth, you’re pretty safe. If it’s a back tooth or decayed tooth then you should see a specialist and not just your regular dentist. Its only $200-300 more.





Also take a look at these articles:


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/san-dieg...





http://www.san-diego-dentist.us


http://san-diego-dentists.blogspot.com


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/san-dieg...


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/tijuana-...


http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/san-dieg...


http://www.medical-research-study-direct...


http://www.lasik-surgery-san-diego.info/...


http://www.las-vegas-nevada-lawyer-attor...