Should I go to the dentist for this tooth pain

[DelvianBlue]

My right incisor has been bugging me on and off for a week. It started hurting out of nowhere as sort of flash in the pan pain that came suddenly and went suddenly. Some days it wouldn't hurt at all and then the next day it came back for an hour and then left again. The pain is really mild and sometimes is barely noticeable, but is starting to get annoying that it still keeps coming back. It is not sensitive to heat, cold, pressure, tapping on it, or anything else. It just hurts on its own sometimes. I thought it was getting better, but I could feel something like pressure way up there above the gum line, and last time I flossed it set the whole tooth off again for a few minutes. My insurance doesn't cover dental so I don't know if I can afford to do anything, and I'm terrified of my dentist telling me I need a root canal. People have been telling me for years all their horror stories about how incredibly painful and horrifying a root canal can be, and how it's the most miserable and painful procedure to have to go through. The tooth and gums surrounding it look completely normal. I floss and brush regularly, so I'm hoping this isn't an infection, or that it will clear itself. Should I go in? What can I expect if my dentist tells me I need a root canal on that incisor? I don't want a big ugly toothless smile for the rest of my life, especially if I can't afford a root canal or a crown.

 

[Maryp]

Hi. Sorry about your pain. Im not a dentist but have had a total of 15 root canals and honestly they are not that bad. You wouldn't have a toothless smile. If you did need one they usually fit you with a temp crown till the permanent one is made. It may not be that you need a root canal. I would definitely go have it looked at but try not to worry. I always worry and things are never as bad as im sure they were going to be

 

[haeshin]

If it's bothering you almost every day, painless or not, get it checked out. Better safe than sorry. A few weeks ago I had a painless throbbing in my back teeth and it turned out I had a bit of tooth decay on one of them (also gums were still adjusting to the removal of my wisdom teeth). Thankfully it turned out to be NOT a big deal, just needed a filling, though hearing the words and knowing that it was there for the next two weeks until the filling was terrifying!

And again, better safe than sorry, or in my case, better neurotic than sorry