Query about dentist.

Suaimhneach

I'm just curious about where I stand here, as I have no relevant experience at all.

At the start of Feb 07 I went to my nearest dentist, whereupon I was told I needed a root canal and 6 fillings. I went to my home (read mammies) dentist and had the expensive root canal done there.

Over the coming months of 07 I returned to the dentist nearest to me and had the following fillings done two by two. The first pair were fine. However one of the second pair gave me a lot of hassle.

On my bottom left molar I had a lot of sensitivity issues, so I went back to the dentist. He'd decided it hadnt been filled down far enough and was hitting the top tooth causing irritation to both teeth. So he filled it down and gave me anti inflammatorys. Oh, and I wasnt charged for any of the consultation or procedure.

This kind of worked for a while, but whenever I was eating certain foods or was out cycling in the cold I'd get very sharp pains in the tooth. Based on my experience with needing a root canal I knew there was no point in risking putting off an appointment so I went straight back to the dentist.

Now, at this point the dentists office sent me to their younger dentist which was my first experience with him. I explained what had happened before (as above) and he thought it best to take out the filling and to give me another one. He had taken an xray. When this was done I asked if this filling didnt settle what were my options. He said root canal. Now this was all in the week before Xmas.

So I clearly stated to him that I didnt wanna be in pain for xmas, or for this to drag on, what could I do etc to possibly fend off needing a root canal. He basically said not much, but gave me antibotics to kill any infection in the root. He said they'd last about six weeks. Again, I wasnt charged for the consultation or the procedure.

So, over the entire christmas there wasnt a day I wasnt in agony. I've been living off pain killers. I've literally woken up in the night many times because of pain. I'm kind of worried I might build up an immunity to them.

Anyway, thats my long annoying story and if you've read that far, I'm grateful. My questions are these:

1. If I do need a root canal, can I expect the dentist to cover the cost as he has done with all previous procedures relating to this tooth?
2. Would it be better for me to seek a second opinion?
3. I dont care about blame/fault (that much) I just want no pain and to get on with life. But should I do or say something to the dentist about how much they suck and this being hugely their fault? Or, should I just hope/expect they give me the root canal/fix the problem and get on with my life?

I suppose at this point I should point out that I am a student, and am about to sit my final year exams. This is literally the worst time for me to be unable to sleep or concentrate as a result of pain.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Sorry to hear you are in discomfort......pain waking you in the night is a good sign of the nerve in the tooth being dead....you have three options here...root canal and usually a crown and keep the tooth or extraction and live without it, or extraction and get it replaced (implant, bridge etc.). Not untill to nerve is sorted out will the pain got away fully. Again I would suggest you talk to your dentist to talk about it..

Suaimhneach

Hey,

Thanks Fitzgeme. I'm off to the dentist for 10.30 today. I'm awake now because I havent slept all night. I'm just so angry that this is a result of bad dentistry on the part of my dentist. I specifically got fillings to avoid ever going through this pain again.

I'll update after dentists and hopefully will be okay. (Though, that being said I do need a root canal, and most likely will need it over two visits and will suffer lock jaw as I do after most procedures AND will still be in pain, but at least I might be on the road to a pain free face).

Agent Smith

Jesjes wrote: »

Anyway, thats my long annoying story and if you've read that far, I'm grateful. My questions are these:

1. If I do need a root canal, can I expect the dentist to cover the cost as he has done with all previous procedures relating to this tooth?
2. Would it be better for me to seek a second opinion?
3. I dont care about blame/fault (that much) I just want no pain and to get on with life. But should I do or say something to the dentist about how much they suck and this being hugely their fault? Or, should I just hope/expect they give me the root canal/fix the problem and get on with my life?

one point 1&2, I'd recomend getting a Second opinion. If Only to Judge price.

Honnestly, I'm not a dentist, but There is a Lot of work to be done on a Root canel, then on a Filling. If the second Opinion states that the need for the root canel is Due to the "shoddy" work the first time, I would expect a considerable Discount.

also, as somone who's paying the guts of 3 grand to get his Teeth fixed, Price around!(first estimate was 4k!) And remember that you may be able to reclaim the cost of your dental vists on PRSI. altho you say your a student, you may have earned enough credits working part time and/or over the summer.


J

Suaimhneach

Hey, thanks Agent Smith

I have enough credits, yep, but it still cost a bomb. A bomb which I dont have. I'm expecting the dentist to cover the cost, tbh. Extraction isnt an option for me.

The biggest problem here is time. I'd wait until I am in Poland at the end of this month and get it done for 65euro (instead of upwards of 500 here), but I have a two week study period before a week of final year exams, I really cant risk and dont want to be in a lot of pain and unable to study. Time also might not allow (and money tbh) a second opinion.

I literally didnt sleep a wink last night. I look like the walking dead this moring but about to go to the dentist now.

Suaimhneach

I got *another* filling (as in he replaced it again). This one has some composite with anti inflammatory in it. It either will take and I'll be fine, or it wont and I'll definitely need a root canal.

Think I'll just get it done when I am in Poland.

Dentist (there are two the office) was an almighty príck, though I dont think he actually meant to be. In a lot less pain. Topped up on pain killers.

/me prays it takes.

Now I might go to sleep for the first time in about 2 weeks.

davo10

Jesjes,
the pain you are experiencing though unwelcome is not uncommon after deep fillings. Amalgam and to a lessor extent white filling will act like any metal when exposed to thermal variations, they will conduct heat/cold. If the filling is very close to the nerve, these temperature changes will be felt and may result in a brief dart of pain lasting for only a few seconds or sometimes longer.
Agent Smiths suggestion that the work is "dodgy" is as usual without basis and unhelpful to you. I suspect that at the second visit the dentist replaced the original filling and put in an added layer of cavity liner, this acts as an insulating material to reduce sensitivity to hot/cold, also the calcium in the liner hardens the floor of the cavity and aids pain reduction, this can take a day/week/ sometimes more.
Again agent smiths comment that you may be entitled to discount if root canal needed is foolish, when your tooth needed a filling the dentist would have endeavored to remove all decay regardless of how deep it went, this is what having a filling done entails,he was removing diseased tissue, sometimes if the decay is near the nerve, bacteria enters it and causes pain/ inflammation/ abcess, this cannot be predicted in all cases.
Lastly if you are going to Poland and you can get a good job done for 65, it seems a no brainer to me

Suaimhneach

You sound like my dentist.

Thanks, am getting Poland etc sorted and am in less pain.

Agent Smith

davo10 wrote: »

Jesjes,
Agent Smiths suggestion that the work is "dodgy" is as usual without basis and unhelpful to you. I suspect that at the second visit the dentist replaced the original filling and put in an added layer of cavity liner, this acts as an insulating material to reduce sensitivity to hot/cold, also the calcium in the liner hardens the floor of the cavity and aids pain reduction, this can take a day/week/ sometimes more.
Again agent smiths comment that you may be entitled to discount if root canal needed is foolish, when your tooth needed a filling the dentist would have endeavored to remove all decay regardless of how deep it went, this is what having a filling done entails,he was removing diseased tissue, sometimes if the decay is near the nerve, bacteria enters it and causes pain/ inflammation/ abcess, this cannot be predicted in all cases.
Lastly if you are going to Poland and you can get a good job done for 65, it seems a no brainer to me

If i Get a Filling and Remain in great pain, and return to the dentist, to which its decided that i should have had somthing else done, I'd class that as shoddy work


say if your headlights wentr onyour car, and the Garage thought it was the Fuse, then it later turns out it was Wiring on the car, would you expect them to charge you full price for their mistake?

davo10

Hi Jesjes,
I am a dentist and glad pain is gone, as i said sometimes it can take a little bit of time to settle down , am also glad that you have made arrangements for further treatment if necessary, hopefully it will not be.
Agent, again you are slowing your lack of understanding. The human body is not like a car. If you fix a wire/bulb it will either work or not instantly, the human body takes time to heal/repair itself. A deep filling can be traumatic to the patient but more locally to the nerve of the tooth. An inflammatory reaction can occur, this is the body healing itself, unfortunately inflammation can mean localized pain, hence why a tooth can be sore after a deep filling. This has nothing to do with the dentist doing shoddy work.
Jesjes's tooth is feeling better, if he took your advice he would feel he had been treated badly, try and get a grasp of situations before always looking for the bad in them.

davo10

Add on to above,
Agent if we root treated every tooth that we felt MAY REQUIRE root treatment, we would being doing them all day every day. In most cases we treat conservatively, in other words we will try a filling first and then do an invasive treatment like root canal treatment if necessary. I may place 5-7 deep fills everyday, i tell my patients that it is best to try the least invasive treatment first advise them that root canal MAY be needed in future, rarely is it needed but at least they know that there is a chance.
Also, I know of no dentist who charges for replacing the amalgam/white filling after a root treatment if one has been placed recently before. You pay for the RT, not the filling

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Agree with Davo10 mostly......your teeth are a biological system which is unpredicatble at best. I will let a patient know they may need a root canal in the future with a very deep filling,,,,half the time I am correct. Now patients are given the option of...have a deep filling that may or may not work...or have a root canal for 10 times the price..patients usually choose the former, but if they have pain later, this decision is sometimes forgotten.

Making generalisations is difficult however I would suggest that the decay in your teeth is rarely the dentist fault....