How do I know if I need a root canal?

[Sandy103]

I have severe sensory issues and anxiety which makes going to the dentist a rather exhausting ordeal, hence I avoided going for almost 10 years. The last time I went I had a filling done that couldn't get numb properly and it's left me with a phobia of painful dental treatment. I recently went to a private dentist because my hubby noticed I was in quite a bit of pain and avoiding certain foods. This dentist was great at working with me, had different ways to deal with my sensory issues and left me feeling confident to return for treatment. He took x-rays and did a cold test on my front tooth (very painful) and said that I would need a root canal. I also qualify for public dental care so we went to a free public dentist to see what they could do. She took an x-ray and said she couldn't see why I would need a root canal and that it would only need a filling and she offered to do it right away (that didn't happen). The experience at the public dental appointment was completely different. I was overwhelmed by the time I got in so anything the dentist did just made it worse, my anxiety got the better of me and I left after making an appointment to return at a later date (I don't think I could go back). I feel like I've failed! ?

I need a bunch of other treatment done too and I felt okay about going back to the private dentist but now I'm really conflicted about the root canal situation. He said I need one because when he did the cold test I felt pain in that tooth for longer than the other teeth and it was more severe pain. How do I know if I really need one or not? Will a filling do the job? And, can I go back to the private nice dentist and tell him what the other dentist said and ask if there are other options, or is that rude? I hope this all makes sense, I'm just really conflicted and don't want to commit to root canal if it's not necessary knowing that I also need a lot of other work (fillings etc) done aswell. Advice on what to do next would be great?

 

[Gordon]

Treatment planning in dentistry is not a very black and white thing, we all have different ways to tackle things and there's usually several different ways to get to the same end.

If you're comfortable with the private dentist then it should be fine to discuss the pros and cons of doing the root canal with them. Pain from cold which lingers is a sign that the nerve in the tooth is probably on the way out, but there's no way to tell how long that can take. The second dentist may be of the opinion that it's better to wait and deal with the problem as it happens, the first one may want to get in and solve the issue before it becomes a problem, if you see what I mean.

Neither approach is wrong, but it's up to you and your dentist to decide which approach you'd prefer to take.