Needed filling a long time ago...do I need a root canal now?

[tierdtierdtierd]

So long story short, I had a couple traumatizing experiences with dentists as a child and it fucked me majorly. I had no dental insurance in college so I went about five years without seeing a dentist and it was very bad for my already shitty teeth. Flash forward to now, I have recently started seeing a dentist but have severe severe dental anxiety. When I went and saw the dentist in April they told me I had 6 cavities, three on each side and I needed them filled. I did half my mouth one day and they told me we would do the second half next. However I got my wisdom teeth out and they took a long time to heal. I went in to get my cavities filled (back left molars) but the holes were still too big for them to feel comfortable filling the cavities. Now I have to wait for an appointment until July 24. Over the past couple days I have been noticing more pain in the area and sensitivity. This morning I woke up around 4 in pain in the area. The actual tooth doesn’t seem to be hurting that bad but the real pain is coming from the gum surrounding it and sorta the wisdom tooth extraction site. The gums feel very inflamed and sensitive and look pretty irritated. I’m not sure if it’s my anxiety that’s making me so scared or the realization that I might have waited too long to get a filling and that I now need a root canal. Just wondering if anyone can explain the pain they had before they needed a root canal?

 

[MountainMama]

I think the pain can be different for each person/tooth. I had three teeth where the nerve went bad or died. For the first one, it started out just being very sore when pressure was applied, after a deep filling. Then it started having shooting pain that would be completely random and not triggered by anything. The gums were never sore, but the pain was deep, near the tooth root.
The second one was actually a childhood injury, and the tooth died with no pain at all. I only had pain when it abscessed, and then it was just an achy feeling in my gums above the tooth and I couldn't bite with my tooth at all. The third one just had a constant ache in my jaw under the tooth. It was after a small, shallow filling was done.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Tiredtiredtired

Congrats on the progress you have made already, it took alot of courage to try again after bad childhood experiences. Sorry you are having the sensitivites and pains you are recently. Maybe try to call them and explain this and see what they say? I do scheduling for a dr office too and I know we have cancels usually 1 or 2 a day due to unforeseen meetings, sick kids, etc.. so it is possible they may let you come earlier to take a look if needed.. I have had that absess /before root canal type pain . where it feels your whole mouth is on fire basically , its relentless and awful. and throbbing pain.. I hope you can find what this is soon and be relieved.

 

[Enarete]

Hi tierdtierdtierd, not a dentist, but quite sure that if your cavities were so deep that the probability of needing a root canal just few months later was there, your dentist would make sure you get the filling sooner and let you know there was high urgency.
Decay is quite dynamic and holes need time to develop and 3 months is not very long time. Teeth that need root canal are often really really painful and sensitive and often the reason why someone who avoids dentist for a long time finally goes. By the way, gums can be pretty painful too and it‘s not rare for people to go to the dentist being convinced they need a filling while everything that‘s happening is gum inflamation. As krlovesherkids suggests, talking to your practice and letting them know what worries you is the best idea. As you are in pain currently, they should be able to fit you in sooner to see what the problem is. All the best wishes and keep us posted

 

[tierdtierdtierd]

Hi tierdtierdtierd, not a dentist, but quite sure that if your cavities were so deep that the probability of needing a root canal just few months later was there, your dentist would make sure you get the filling sooner and let you know there was high urgency.
Decay is quite dynamic and holes need time to develop and 3 months is not very long time. Teeth that need root canal are often really really painful and sensitive and often the reason why someone who avoids dentist for a long time finally goes. By the way, gums can be pretty painful too and it‘s not rare for people to go to the dentist being convinced they need a filling while everything that‘s happening is gum inflamation. As krlovesherkids suggests, talking to your practice and letting them know what worries you is the best idea. As you are in pain currently, they should be able to fit you in sooner to see what the problem is. All the best wishes and keep us posted

Thank you so much for your help. I called my practice and explained and they said it’s probably a tooth that needs root canal and that they couldn’t fit me in yet but waiting a month wouldn’t hurt me? (This was the receptionist who told me this) Do you know of any good ways to bring down gum irritation and pain at home?

 

[tierdtierdtierd]

Thank you so much for your help. I called my practice and explained and they said it’s probably a tooth that needs root canal and that they couldn’t fit me in yet but waiting a month wouldn’t hurt me? (This was the receptionist who told me this) Do you know of any good ways to bring down gum irritation and pain at home?

Also should be noted that I do have a little bump on the very bottom of my gums of that tooth. But I also have little bumps on all my extraction sites that the oral surgeon said were fine? There’s so much going on in my mouth and I have no idea how to deal with it all but feeling paralyzing anxiety

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Tiredtiredtired,

Just a thought if you cannot get in sooner at your place, maybe call and talk to an emergency dentist. The thought of emergency dentist scared me at first but now my regular dentist is one and he is so kind and patient and calm with everything and used to pretty much any dental situation and they can get you in alot sooner typically. so if you can find one reasonably priced. That may be a good option if your sensitivity and pain keeps up and the other can't get you in.

 

[Enarete]

Thank you so much for your help. I called my practice and explained and they said it’s probably a tooth that needs root canal and that they couldn’t fit me in yet but waiting a month wouldn’t hurt me? (This was the receptionist who told me this) Do you know of any good ways to bring down gum irritation and pain at home?

Well, the info with the bump is new.. BUT there is no way how a receptionist ever could have a diagnosis for you or even estimate how long your treatment can wait or not. Only a dentist who saw you can. Not sure how dentistry in US works, but in my country if you are in pain then a practice is obligued to fit you in (on the same day actually) because anything with pain involved counts as emergency. If a receptionist would tell someone what this one did and then even let the person wait, she would get troubles. Also, should it be a root canal treatment, I would want to ask the dentist why they haven‘t fitted you in earlier. Anyway, before jumping into any conclusions, you need a dentist who takes a look, so if any possible, try not to panic.
If there is gum inflamation then keeping the spot clean (brushing and flossing well) would help. I think @Gordon knows some cool tricks for inflamed gums and a lot more.