refill vs root canal

[montyhall]

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After my wisdom teeth were removed, the dentist said I had a tiny pin prick hole on my upper rearmost molar caused by a wisdom tooth. The filling is on the side of my tooth near the gum line. This was about 10 years, ago. Occasionally I pick at the filling because it's not smooth. 3 weeks ago it popped out when I picked too hard 🙁. It doesn't hurt, it's just a hole. Despite having a hole on the side, it looks healthy. imho, I have rather good oral hygiene.

When I went to the dentist - immediately he said root canal. This is a new dentist - Aspen Dental - as I moved recently. I'm not sure if he's trying to up-sell me to an expensive procedure not to mention the crown. On the other hand, there can be quacks that say sure we can refill knowing 2-3 years from now it will fail and I have to come back in for an expensive procedure.. Aspen referred me to some external endodontists and said that Aspen will be responsible for the post root canal work.

What would you do? Refill or root canal? To me, the more of my natural tooth I can keep the better. Not sure which is more riskier and will cause less problems in the future. Money isn't the issue, it's trying to keep as much as I can of my tooth and to mitigate any headaches in the future. Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Masseter]

We learn in dental school that there are a lot of different factors that determines treatment planning and prognosis. What can be the best treatment for one might not be for someone else depending on how much tooth substance is left.

SDN is a student network. It is not meant to seek for medical advice. Who are we to suggest a treatment plan when we have not yet graduated and are left with no valid clinical information?

The only advice I can give you is talk with your dentist. Ask him why he thinks root canal therapy is best for you. You have the right of information. It's your body and your decisions. This should be a dentist-patient relation. Not a seller-buyer one. He should be able to take his time to clearly explain it to you. If then you still have doubts, you are free to go look for another dentist 🙂

This thread will probably be locked.

Have a nice day 🙂

 

[yappy]

Locker' down. The original poster is asking for medical advice.

 

[mike3kgt]

Money isn't the issue, it's trying to keep as much as I can of my tooth and to mitigate any headaches in the future. Any advice greatly appreciated!

If money wasn't an issue then you'd be somewhere else other than Aspen 🙂.

 

[tinman831]

We learn in dental school that there are a lot of different factors that determines treatment planning and prognosis. What can be the best treatment for one might not be for someone else depending on how much tooth substance is left.

SDN is a student network. It is not meant to seek for medical advice. Who are we to suggest a treatment plan when we have not yet graduated and are left with no valid clinical information?

The only advice I can give you is talk with your dentist. Ask him why he thinks root canal therapy is best for you. You have the right of information. It's your body and your decisions. This should be a dentist-patient relation. Not a seller-buyer one. He should be able to take his time to clearly explain it to you. If then you still have doubts, you are free to go look for another dentist 🙂

This thread will probably be locked.

Have a nice day 🙂

what ^^ said.