I had a crown break yesterday and after going to the dentist, he told me the tooth (which is a molar) is dead. He didn’t seem to think a root canal would work because he couldn’t get all the decay out, so he wants me to have it pulled and then wait a few months before coming back for a bridge. I decided to get a second opinion from an endodontist and I’m just waiting to find out if he thinks he can do a root canal successfully. I’ve been doing some research if I do have to get it pulled, and I really think that an implant would be a better long-term solution. I recently got dental insurance, but I know for sure that crowns are not covered for at least a year and I have no idea yet if it will cover a portion of an implant. If the tooth can’t be saved, how long can I wait to have the tooth pulled? Once I do have it pulled, will missing that large of a tooth cause problems? If my insurance coverage is not good for a year, I’d really need to wait for financial reasons. At 52, I’m happy to still have good teeth for the most part, so I don’t want to risk really messing things up. — Rick
Rick,
It’s unfortunate that many dentists jump too quickly and just pull teeth, rather than trying everything possible to save them. It’s interesting to understand why your dentist says he can’t get all the decay out with a root canal, but you’re smart to get a second opinion from the endodontist.
With that said, implants are a great option for replacing missing teeth. However, if you do get the tooth pulled, don’t wait very long to fill up that space. Even at your age, surrounding teeth can start to tip into that space in as little as a couple weeks. If the tooth isn’t hurting, do you really need to have it pulled right now? An implant will need time to heal before placing the tooth on it, but they should make something temporary to fill the space while you are waiting for the implant to heal. Don’t make a decision until you hear back from the endodontist. Good luck!
This blog post is brought to you by Des Moines cosmetic dentist, Dr. Phelan Thomas. For more information on the services he provides, please visit his Des Moines cosmetic dentist website.