Should the broken tooth be fixed.. Again? Or do I let this guy give me a flipper? Please Help!

[sr22]

Should the broken tooth be fixed.. Again? Or do I let this guy give me a flipper? Please Help!

Hello everyone.

I will try to make the story short. First off dentists scare the hell out of me! Dentistry today seems more like voodoo than science!

I finally got insurance so I hoped to find better "care" . It actually costs more out of pocket to have the insurance than to go to the clinic. So now to the problem. I had a front tooth that was "dying" and needed to have a root canal. I had it done and less than one month later the tooth broke right at the gum line. Of course when I went back it was so apparent why the tooth broke. "Well, because you have a deep overbite and that tooth rubs on this other tooth and..." Why the hell wasn't this seen BEFORE the procedure? There was SOME talk about SOME things, but never a concern that this was not a good option.

Now He wants to try and rebuild this tooth, ($1500+ in one tooth) and put a crown on it. Now of course there is a "flipper" type fake tooth "ready to go" just in case. What? Talk about CYA!

I don't know what to do now. Let him repair it or go with the flipper? I have also read that teeth that have had a root canal are not good to have in your mouth. Saving a "dead" tooth and leaving it in the mouth seems wrong.

Thanks in advance for any and all responses. I am located in Oregon, USA if that helps.

 

[carole]

Re: Should the broken tooth be fixed.. Again? Or do I let this guy give me a flipper? Please Help

Hi to the forum.

I and a lot of people have rct'd teeth and they are okay. I don't know where you read this piece of mis-information but it isn't true. It is always much better to try and keep your own roots at least which is what you would be doing.

It does have to be your choice and there is no way anyone can say if the treatment will be a success but if you can afford it, it is worth a try. You need to do what you feel most comfortable doing.

Good luck

 

[Celeste]

Re: Should the broken tooth be fixed.. Again? Or do I let this guy give me a flipper? Please Help

Hi.
Sorry you're having issues
Im not by any means an expert on this, but I had an accident when I was younger and needed root canal treatment on my right front tooth. The tooth died and went dark so I had a crown put on it. That in itself wasn't without problems, and I ended up having it replaced three times before the one I have in now, but I personally would rather save the root that is there than have it extracted completely or something temporary and 'fake' (I'm not sure which exactly it is you mean with 'flipper')
My only advise is that if you arent comfortable with the advise this guy is giving you, to try and get advise elsewhere, because you're obviously talking about a lot of money and a time consuming procedure.
My crown is undetectable now, and very good quality and I feel comfortable with it. I wouldnt if I didnt have a permanent tooth there, for instance.
Dentists are providing a service, at the end of the day, and some are more moral about their sales techniques than others. Just because he is a medical person doesnt mean his advise is moral or right. There are opinions on virtually everything, and if dental treatment is making you uncomfortable as it is, its all the more important you are 100% happy with what is happening and are understanding its implications.
Good luck. xx

 

[Davee]

Re: Should the broken tooth be fixed.. Again? Or do I let this guy give me a flipper? Please Help

I am very well experienced with having a flipper and having a deep bite. You do not want a flipper and avoid it at all costs. The problem you will have is that you do not have much "space" or vertical height in your bite. This makes a flipper a nightmare IMHO. The flipper acrylic needs to be a certain thickness as not to break. People with overbites or deep bites do not have much "room" for a flipper in their mouth. Dentists may result to shaving down your bottom teeth to make more room for your flipper. Another scenario is the flipper will prevent your molars from touching, and they will extrude, causing changes in your bite that can lead to jaw pain, headaches, jaw muscle fatigue. Worst case scenario is that they will not be able to fit the flipper and you will have to go with missing tooth that may cause your other teeth to shift.

Root canals will make your teeth more brittle, and you may need the crown to protect your tooth. But they can last decades if cared for properly.

Fix the tooth. Read my journal and I am sure you will choose to fix your tooth.