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How long can I wait between root canals and crowns

M

Mercedes

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
112
Location
SW Herts
After 6mths of regular appts to sort my teeth out I still haven't had my 3 crowns done. When I saw my dentist last week she realised that I was finding it harder and harder to get there as I have agoraphobia and find it easier to get there when it's dark and quite honestly I had expected to be finished with my treatment after all this time.

So today I had a letter in the post from my dentist saying that I really shouldn't wait too long before going back to her. However she didn't say how long is 'too long'? In reality I would like to wait till about October, but I'm worried that it's too long to wait. I have 2 of these teeth that had root canals done on them a few months ago and the reason they weren't crowned right away was that I kept having a lot of trouble with them settling down, so the dentist was just removing the temporary fillings, cleaning them out and replacing the temporary fillings and I think both had permanent fillings put in earlier this year.

They are both big molars and one of them did break a few weeks ago and I went back and had the tooth repaired. I got myself in such a state that I'm ashamed to say I cried in the waiting room and again in the surgery, so you can see what a mess I am.

I have thought about asking my GP for something to calm me down, however I already take benzos and they do nothing to calm my normal anxiety down, so not sure what would help me :confused:

My only other option is to try and get to my previous dentist which is only around the corner. The trouble is that she doesn't seem to be a very good dentist, but maybe having crowns done is idiot proof :confused:
 
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Well the downside of waiting longer is that you might need more treatment in the future. It's best to have crowns done sooner rather than later. As you've seen, if your teeth need crowning they won't be as strong. It's best to get it all out of the way rather than have to keep going back.

It's advisable to have a skilled and trusted person doing your crowns. Sounds like going back to your doctor for more effective medication is a good idea.

Best of luck getting them sorted.
 
unless there's a reason for not getting the crown, such as the tooth doesn't seem to be settling, then i think it's better to get the treatment quickly as root treated teeth might break more easily than other teeth.

also, it's absolutely imperative to get the best dentist you can to do the crowns - i'm convinced they're not 'idiot proof' and shoddy work can cost lots of heartache and money in the future. unfortunately, i'm speaking from experience!
 
Thanks for your replies. I know the sensible thing is to just bit the bullet and go get the work done, but my anxiety about it all is just so overpowering. I will give them a ring on Tuesday, after the Bank Holiday weekend, and see what I can sort out :scared:
 
Good luck. Just think how much better you will feel when it is out of the way and you no longer have to worry about it.
 
Yes that would be very nice to not have to worry! However one of the teeth that I am having crowned wasn't a total success with the root canal. From what I recall the dentist said she couldn't get all the nerve out as there was blockage at the top of the nerve. Apparently the procedure you can have, which I forget the name of, where they go into the root from the side of the gum wouldn't work either, so there is only a 50/50 chance of this tooth being okay, which doesn't fill me with confidence.

There are times, with hindsight, that I wish I had just asked the dentist to remove these teeth but most dentists seem loathe to take out teeth unless they absolutely have to nowadays. However they aren't taking into account what the patient is going through in the meantime :confused:
 
If that's what you want then I don't see why a dentist would refuse to remove a tooth that has a failed root. It's great to try to hang onto your teeth as this is supposed to give all sorts of health benefits, but bad if the tooth is infected & beyond repair. Given your circumstances I'm sure a dentist will extract the tooth if it may mean more emotional trauma for you to keep having to go to a dentist and try to save it.
 
If I had known when I first went to the dentist at the beginning of October last year that I would be in this situation now then I would indeed have asked her to remove the tooth.

My problem now is not just the anxiety of being at the dentist, but the actual getting there due to my agoraphobia. I did discuss all of this when I first went last year and was assured that my treatment would be finished by now. One of the other dentists in the practice even said he would make sure someone would open after hours if I ever needed it, but when I took them up on that offer they said that particular dentist had no right to make such an offer and they couldn't offer that service.

I have so much on my plate with my agoraphobia and how it affects my everyday life that I really don't need all this added stress of worrying about my teeth on top of it :cry:
 
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