A
Annie364
Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2021
- Messages
- 22
- Location
- UK
I had my teeth cleaned at the dental hygienist.
She knew I had recently had a root canal done.
She then looked up the OPG of the teeth before the root canal (my dental hygienist is a separate place to my actual dentist, and they require you to email x-rays before doing any cleanings).
And she then told me that the root canal can last 10-20 years, and that if I ever have to get it out (for example if the root cracked), then because the root goes right into a nerve (which she said she could see on the OPG), 'it could cause paralysis'.
I hadn't asked for any of this information, I just went there for a cleaning.
I asked where the paralysis would be, and she said the jaw/face.
Neither my dentist or endodontist said anything about this from looking at the x-ray.
The root canal went really well, it looks good and feels good, the root is strong, the tooth looks healthy and very firm in the socket (the same as my non-root canalled teeth). I can't remember the prognosis the endodontist gave, but no-one said 10 years.
I feel put out by what she said - the idea that root canals only last 10-20 years, and that after that when it fails, having it extracted could cause paralysis.
I would very much appreciate if a dentist give their opinion on this, as I find it quite worrying. The tooth is a 2nd lower molar.
My questions would be:
- Is my hygienist right, and is it appropriate for her to give her opinion like this?
- Are root canals really only exepcted to last 10-20 years?
- Can she really tell that I 'could get paralysis' from looking at an x-ray, and how likely is that paralysis?
She knew I had recently had a root canal done.
She then looked up the OPG of the teeth before the root canal (my dental hygienist is a separate place to my actual dentist, and they require you to email x-rays before doing any cleanings).
And she then told me that the root canal can last 10-20 years, and that if I ever have to get it out (for example if the root cracked), then because the root goes right into a nerve (which she said she could see on the OPG), 'it could cause paralysis'.
I hadn't asked for any of this information, I just went there for a cleaning.
I asked where the paralysis would be, and she said the jaw/face.
Neither my dentist or endodontist said anything about this from looking at the x-ray.
The root canal went really well, it looks good and feels good, the root is strong, the tooth looks healthy and very firm in the socket (the same as my non-root canalled teeth). I can't remember the prognosis the endodontist gave, but no-one said 10 years.
I feel put out by what she said - the idea that root canals only last 10-20 years, and that after that when it fails, having it extracted could cause paralysis.
I would very much appreciate if a dentist give their opinion on this, as I find it quite worrying. The tooth is a 2nd lower molar.
My questions would be:
- Is my hygienist right, and is it appropriate for her to give her opinion like this?
- Are root canals really only exepcted to last 10-20 years?
- Can she really tell that I 'could get paralysis' from looking at an x-ray, and how likely is that paralysis?
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