I first want to apologize for how long this will be but I don't want to start multiple threads for one person and I want you to have the full story. This board seems like a good place for advice so I hope you guys can offer me some!

I've been going to the same practice most of my life. The kind where many dentists work in the same office so I've been worked on by many different ones over the years. The last one I had there who I consider GOOD and always requested left years ago to start his own practice and no one had info on where. Since him, it's been one sucky one after another that I had to keep asking to not be given again.

Finally I got a young dentist who was personable, attentive, and seemed knowledgeable so I stuck to him only I've come to see with all the problems I've had with him the past two years that he isn't good either (things falling out the next day, things not feeling right and constantly needing to be redone) and I'm convinced the increase in my dental problems are a result of his shoddy work.

I was just given another dentist new there older and I'm assuming more experienced because the head dentist trusts enough to make him his second but I don't care for his manner at all and the jury's still out on his work. ON TO THE PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS lol

I started getting pain in my upper right. It felt like stuff was seeping in my filling and getting at my nerve. I could avoid having any pain at all by making sure I didn't have anything sugary and always rinsing/brushing after eating/drinking but I knew it should still be looked at. I also noticed one of my front teeth had intermittent shooting pain in the center of it from touch (not hot or cold) and I was concerned that it's on the verge of dying.

I went in and my dentist and tech took xrays. He said that yes, the filling had cracked and was letting stuff in and I needed a root canal for that one because of how big and deep the filling was. He also said that I had new cavities, new rot showing on work that was just done a few months ago, a new front tooth that would need a root canal, but that he didn't see anything going on with the front tooth I mentioned.

After he did my eval, one staffer whispered to the one checking me out to have the new dentist look over it to make sure he agrees. So I went back in with the new dentist and other tech and they redid all of the xrays again. He didn't say anything to me, he just stood there taking notes and staring at them for like five minutes, then sent me back out. I made the appointment for the upper right root canal first since it's where I had a toothache.

I noticed a week after grit on the lower mid left and when I spit it out, saw some bits silver, some black, some white. I assumed filling, rot, and tooth. I could feel a big hole that wasn't there before. I called to make an appointment to have the filling fixed. I also mentioned that I can now feel my front tooth crown (put in last year) clicking back and forth sometimes when I eat and since that started, the gum above it is now hurting so I wanted that looked at as well.

I went for the filling appointment Thursday. Before I arrived, they asked if I also wanted to have my upper right root canal done afterward since there was a cancellation and I said fine. In the golden days, they'd give me antibiotics first but they don't bother anymore and I understand it's partially my fault for not insisting but I don't know that much about teeth to have known if I should.

Anyway, I went in and the new dentist said he's going to do my upper right and left fillings. I was confused and said that I was there to get the lower left fixed and wasn't I getting a root canal on the upper right? He said he was doing those two first and that the root canal is farther back right. He looked at the lower left and said "Yeah, I see it." He did the upper fillings then said, "You're all set" and started lifting up the chair to get ready for his next appointment.

I said "Um... " because he didn't do anything to the lower left hole I came in for and didn't check my moving crown. I should have spoken up then but I figured since he had an appointment to get ready for and I had to get the root canal done, I'd ask someone else afterward because I don't care for his manner anyway and preferred talking to someone else.

So I went in to get the root canal. This was a new guy, I don't know if a dentist or endodontist but they did say that he comes in specifically to do root canals so maybe he IS an endo, I'm going to ask. He reminded me of the golden days. He introduced himself, showed me the xray of the tooth, explained what he was doing, then sat there and did it, always checking on me. It took maybe 45 minutes. FYI that worries me now because an hourish has always been the norm for me with root canals but I'm seeing people on this board say their RCs took 2-3 hours. Should it take that long?

Anyway, he took another xray after opening stuff up then after finishing. He said he put medicine in there and that all the nerve was out and then I'd just be scheduling to come back and get a crown. I asked him about the lower left hole since he seemed more personable and he looked at it and said that because of it's depth or shape or something that if someone put anything in there, it would just come out again.

I then noticed the head dentist in the next room taking notes and asked if he wouldn't mind taking a look at my moving crown. He said he would but then the new jerky dentist walked by and he said, "Actually, since he's back, ask him". Ugh. So I asked him and he just stood there looking at me and said, "Yeah, you mentioned it." And I said, "So... can you check it to see if it's loose, please?" And he kind of huffed and said fine and took me into the next room and said look, we either leave it or take it out. If it feels solid, we won't take it off because that can do damage.

I told him that's fine it's just that it only shifts SOMETIMES and then locks back into place and I wouldn't care if not for the fact that the gum is starting to hurt and I'm afraid the seal is broken or something and that stuff is now getting under the crown. He said he doubts that and what I said doesn't make sense because it's either loose or not, it wouldn't become tight again if it was loose (whatever). He tried to wiggle it and said it's solid so leave it alone until it falls out.

It's now Sunday and the tooth with the root canal hurts like hell as if it's infected. I know it's possible that it's pain from the procedure itself and the fact that I had so may needles poked in for numbing in that same area but every single other root canal I ever had, even one on a hot tooth, after it was done, there was soreness but by the end of the day, I was fine, no pain at all, and haven't had a single problem with any of them since.

So for me to still be in pain three days later and to the point where I can't bite down on that side, it'd be hard to believe nothing is wrong. It's a throbbing warm pain like an infection and feels kind of like pressure. I'm going to see my doctor today to get a prescription for antibiotics just in case even though from what I'm reading here it sounds like it won't do anything.

Here are my questions...

1) All they told me about the lower left at the desk is that they're waiting for insurance authorization for a crown for it. That's fine but is there nothing that can be put in there temporarily in the mean time? My golden age dentists would never have just left a gaping hole in my tooth let alone not explained why they weren't treating it. Even if the reason is that it might come back out like the other guy suggested, that's better than nothing. I'm afraid that it's going to fracture the tooth due to being exposed since the hole is so big that everything I eat goes in there, gets compacted, then starts putting pressure on the gum and walls of the tooth as I chew, which I told them. What should I ask to be done to fill this gap?

2) What should I insist be done with the root canal? Should I insist on being referred to an endodontist? I'm not interested in getting it extracted unless the pain won't go away no matter what. I've read here that root canals always have infections in them even if you're not in pain so you should just get your teeth removed. Being that I've had root canals where it's now 10 years later without issue, I hesitate to think teeth should be ripped out just because they've had a root canal under the assumption that every root canal tooth is full of infection.

THIS tooth, however, definitely has problems so I want to know what I should ask to have looked at and checked before even considering extraction or retreatment. My main fear is that it wasn't necessary. Can someone explain why a big deep filling = root canal? I came in because the filling cracked. I had no problem with the tooth before that. Why would replacing the filling not be an option? Even if it cracked again in 5 years I'd rather that than have been told I HAD to have a root canal if that wasn't true.

3) I've read that fillings in back teeth are more concave than the front but the filling that guy did on the upper left feels abnormally concave. It feels noticeably deep and the surroundig tooth feels noticeably sharp as if there's a hole rather than a filling and I've never had an upper filling feel like that. Can they just pack more of something on top of it to fill it in a bit or would they have to redo the filling?

4) What could be going on with my front crown and how can I protect it? I know they think I'm nuts but I've had that crown in for a while and that movement is new and obvious and even if it does't make sense, it DOES seem to tighten back up on its own. I'd rather not just wait until it falls off because I fear that by then, my tooth underneath will have suffered decay. I agree that I don't want them to try to rip it off if it won't come off on its own but is there some way they could seal around it or check to make sure the seal has no space?

5) How long can a tooth be dying before anything shows up on xray? My front tooth that gets the weird inner pain from touch every once in a while, I know they said they see nothing but I read on some boards where no one would do anything to help because they didn't see anything until it was too late and the person lost the tooth. Is there anything I can do to be preemptive if the xrays show nothing?

6) This is just curiosity, is it normal to always put a crown on both front teeth? Back when I had a root canal in my front tooth, when he shaved it down to get ready to fit it for a temporary crown, when he let me look at it I saw that he shaved down the root canal tooth and the healthy tooth next to it. I freaked out because no one said they were touching the other tooth but it was too late after the fact, it was already shaved down to a nub. He said he HAD to put a crown on that one too because it's next to it. Is that a cosmetic standard? For the record, I don't recall which of the front ones had the canal so I'm most scared about the moving crown because I'm afraid it's on the one that was the healthy tooth.

7) I read that it's illegal for a dentist to refuse you a copy of your records. Is that true? Months ago I asked the staffer for a copy of my treatment history there and she gave me an attitude and said no, unless you're moving to a new dentist, you don't need to see your records. I've had so much work done and I want proof of it all since I've also read about dentist's tossing stuff out or modifying things to cover their asses. Do I have the right to demand a copy of my entire folder including xrays and if they refuse again (that staffer is no longer there), what's my recourse? Who can I report it to? Should I start with my union since that's who my dental plan is from?

8) Last question, most importantly, I want to be able to get second opinions on things but no one ever details HOW they got a second opinion. From what I see, you can't just walk into an office you're not a patient of and ask them to look at something and give you an opinion to take back to your actual dentist. So for people saying "I just went and got a second opinion", what did you do exactly?

Did you make an appointment somewhere and bring a copy of your records and they gave you a free consultation? Did you have to sign up as if you were a new patient with your insurance and pay a copay for being seen or pay out of pocket? I want to find a new permanent practice but until then, how do I go about just getting advice from another dentist/endodontist?

Thanks all!!!!!!

No one? I was hoping to get feedback before calling my dentist today.

Hi
you only posted this thread yesterday (Sunday) when most members are not online (weekends are frequently quieter online as people have other activities, family etc )...........and it is just after 8am eastern now, when most are not online yet, especially those on the West Coast where it is still only 5 am!

Hi Cyberphonics,

I am in the dental field (for many years) and will offer you what ever help I can. First I just want to say that it is not ideal to see so many different dentists. It sounds like you are being passed off from one to another at their convenience similar to how you would be treated as a patient at many dental schools. These dental type clinics usually employ sub par dentists and/or brand new dentists which means the quality of the care could be lacking in ways that you would not be aware of. The dentists will also disagree with each other and treat the same tooth differently... which means if one does not finish something, it will just get over looked or turn into something different. Frequently the patient ends up with one problem after another because nothing ever really gets definitively diagnosed properly and treatment is often incomplete or just not that good. Would you be able to seek dentistry from a private practice rather than this type of office?

I will repost your questions and reply in bold type.

Here are my questions...

1) All they told me about the lower left at the desk is that they're waiting for insurance authorization for a crown for it. That's fine but is there nothing that can be put in there temporarily in the mean time? My golden age dentists would never have just left a gaping hole in my tooth let alone not explained why they weren't treating it. Even if the reason is that it might come back out like the other guy suggested, that's better than nothing. I'm afraid that it's going to fracture the tooth due to being exposed since the hole is so big that everything I eat goes in there, gets compacted, then starts putting pressure on the gum and walls of the tooth as I chew, which I told them. What should I ask to be done to fill this gap?

I CAN ONLY ANSWER BASED ON YOUR DESCRIPTION SINCE YOU HAVE NOT POSTED AN XRAY. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS TOOTH MAY NOT BE SALVAGEABLE SO THEY ARE NOT IN ANY HURRY TO PUT A CROWN ON IT. ALTHOUGH THIS TOOTH SEEMS URGENT TO YOU, THE REASON IT BROKE OFF THE WAY IT DID WAS BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE FRACTURED TO BEGIN WITH WHICH MEANS BACTERIA HAS BEEN GETTING IN UNDERNEATH THE FILLING FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG. AGAIN I HAVE NOTHING GO GO BY BUT YOUR DESCRIPTION BUT THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TOOTH STRUCTURE TO HOLD A CROWN.

2) What should I insist be done with the root canal? Should I insist on being referred to an endodontist? I'm not interested in getting it extracted unless the pain won't go away no matter what. I've read here that root canals always have infections in them even if you're not in pain so you should just get your teeth removed. Being that I've had root canals where it's now 10 years later without issue, I hesitate to think teeth should be ripped out just because they've had a root canal under the assumption that every root canal tooth is full of infection.

TEETH SHOULD NEVER BE "RIPPED OUT". TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND BETTER..... THERE IS NO "ASSUMPTION" ABOUT ALL ROOT CANALED TEETH BEING INFECTED. IT IS A FACT THAT THEY ARE INFECTED AND ALL DENTISTS KNOW THIS. THE TOOTH CAN NEVER BEEN CLEANED OUT COMPLETELY WHICH MEANS INFECTED NERVE TISSUE WILL ALWAYS BE PRESENT INSIDE OF THE TOOTH. IRRELEVANT OF WHETHER THERE IS PAIN OR NOT, THE INFECTION SPREADS FROM THE TOOTH INTO THE LIGAMENT AND ON TO THE BONE. UNFORTUNATELY NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO THIS HAPPENING IRRELEVANT OF WHAT IS DONE TO THE TOOTH. THE QUESTION SHOULD BE... WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU? YOUR OVERALL HEALTH OR RETAINING INFECTED TEETH? ONLY YOU CAN ANSWER THAT.

<<THIS tooth, however, definitely has problems so I want to know what I should ask to have looked at and checked before even considering extraction or retreatment. My main fear is that it wasn't necessary. Can someone explain why a big deep filling = root canal? I came in because the filling cracked. I had no problem with the tooth before that. Why would replacing the filling not be an option? Even if it cracked again in 5 years I'd rather that than have been told I HAD to have a root canal if that wasn't true.>>

FIRST TO CLARIFY WHAT DECAY ACTUALLY IS... IT IS WHEN THE TOOTH ROTS FORM BACTERIA. DECAY IS INFECTION.
MERCURY (SILVER COLORED) FILLINGS EXPAND AND CONTRACT WITH HOT AND COLD TEMPERATURES SO THE MATERIAL PULLS AWAY FROM THE TOOTH RESULTING IN OPENINGS ALONG THE MARGINS OF THE FILLING. THERE IS ALWAYS DECAY UNDERNEATH THESE FILLINGS WHICH IS NOT PICKED UP ON AN XRAY UNTIL IT IS DEEP. ONCE DECAY HAS GOTTEN CLOSE TO OR REACHED THE PULP OF THE TOOTH, THERE IS NO WAY TO UNDUE, MEND OR REVERSE THAT OCCURRENCE AS THE TOOTH WILL REMAIN INFECTED IRRELEVANT OF WHAT IS DONE TO IT. ONCE THE TOOTH HAS BROKEN DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE IT CAN NO LONGER HOLD A FILLING, THEN A CROWN OR ONLAY NEEDS TO BE DONE.

3) I've read that fillings in back teeth are more concave than the front but the filling that guy did on the upper left feels abnormally concave. It feels noticeably deep and the surroundig tooth feels noticeably sharp as if there's a hole rather than a filling and I've never had an upper filling feel like that. Can they just pack more of something on top of it to fill it in a bit or would they have to redo the filling?

NO POSTERIOR (BACK) FILLINGS ARE NOT NECESSARILY CONCAVE. THEY ARE CARVED DOWN TO FIT INTO THE EXISTING BITE. ONE OF TWO THINGS MAY BE HAPPENING HERE. ONE THE DENTIST LACKS IN HIS SKILLS. TWO YOUR BITE IS WAY OFF AND IN ORDER TO FIT THE FILLING INTO YOUR EXISTING BITE THE OCCLUSION (BITING SURFACE) PORTION OF THE FILLING HAD TO BE GROUND DOWN SEVERELY.

4) What could be going on with my front crown and how can I protect it? I know they think I'm nuts but I've had that crown in for a while and that movement is new and obvious and even if it does't make sense, it DOES seem to tighten back up on its own. I'd rather not just wait until it falls off because I fear that by then, my tooth underneath will have suffered decay. I agree that I don't want them to try to rip it off if it won't come off on its own but is there some way they could seal around it or check to make sure the seal has no space?

FREQUENTLY WHEN A CROWNED TOOTH FEELS LOSE AND THEN TIGHTENS UP THIS INDICATES A PROBLEM WITH THE TOOTH. IT CAN BE RELATED TO DECAY IN THAT TOOTH, PERIODONTAL DISEASE AND/OR INFECTION IN THE JAW BONE. FIRST THE PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE DIAGNOSED. SECONDLY THERE IS NO WAY TO "SEAL" AROUND THIS CROWN.

5) How long can a tooth be dying before anything shows up on xray? My front tooth that gets the weird inner pain from touch every once in a while, I know they said they see nothing but I read on some boards where no one would do anything to help because they didn't see anything until it was too late and the person lost the tooth. Is there anything I can do to be preemptive if the xrays show nothing?

MANY DENTAL PROBLEMS DO NOT SHOW UP ON XRAYS UNTIL THEY ARE SEVERE. THERE ARE RADIOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL SIGNS THAT MAY INDICATE SOMETHING IS GOING ON EARLY ON, BUT NOT ALWAYS. YOUR DESCRIPTION OF SYMPTOMS WITH THIS TOOTH INDICATE A PROBLEM IS BREWING.

6) This is just curiosity, is it normal to always put a crown on both front teeth? Back when I had a root canal in my front tooth, when he shaved it down to get ready to fit it for a temporary crown, when he let me look at it I saw that he shaved down the root canal tooth and the healthy tooth next to it. I freaked out because no one said they were touching the other tooth but it was too late after the fact, it was already shaved down to a nub. He said he HAD to put a crown on that one too because it's next to it. Is that a cosmetic standard? For the record, I don't recall which of the front ones had the canal so I'm most scared about the moving crown because I'm afraid it's on the one that was the healthy tooth.

YOUR "HEALTHY" FRONT TOOTH COULD BE INFECTED SINCE IT IS NEXT TO THE INFECTED ROOT CANALED TOOTH. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE INFECTION SPREADS AND IT IS COMMON TO SEE SEVERAL ROOT CANALED TEETH IN A ROW.... WHEN ORIGINALLY THERE AT ONLY BEEN ONE.
I CANNOT TELL YOU WHY YOUR DENTIST CROWNED BOTH OF THOSE TEETH AS HE MAY HAVE DONE IT FOR COSMETIC PURPOSES SINCE HE KNEW THE RC TOOTH WOULD TURN BLACK DUE TO ISCHEMIA. IT IS TYPICAL TO CROWN BOTH FRONT TEETH AT ONE TIME BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO MATCH A CROWNED TOOTH TO A NATURAL ONE.

7) I read that it's illegal for a dentist to refuse you a copy of your records. Is that true? Months ago I asked the staffer for a copy of my treatment history there and she gave me an attitude and said no, unless you're moving to a new dentist, you don't need to see your records. I've had so much work done and I want proof of it all since I've also read about dentist's tossing stuff out or modifying things to cover their asses. Do I have the right to demand a copy of my entire folder including xrays and if they refuse again (that staffer is no longer there), what's my recourse? Who can I report it to? Should I start with my union since that's who my dental plan is from?

YES YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBTAIN ALL OF YOUR DENTAL RECORDS. THEY MAY CHARGE YOU FOR EACH PAGE AND XRAYS. IF THEY DO NOT COMPLY THEN CALL THE UNION REP AND/OR CALL THE DENTAL BOARD AND COMPLAIN.

8) Last question, most importantly, I want to be able to get second opinions on things but no one ever details HOW they got a second opinion. From what I see, you can't just walk into an office you're not a patient of and ask them to look at something and give you an opinion to take back to your actual dentist. So for people saying "I just went and got a second opinion", what did you do exactly?

IF YOU ARE INSURANCE DEPENDENT, THEN GETTING A SECOND OPINION MAY HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO GO OUT OF YOUR NETWORK, THEN YOU CAN CALL ANY DENTIST FOR A SECOND OPINION. HOWEVER, YOU WOULD NEED TO BRING ALL OF YOUR XRAYS WITH YOU OR THEY WOULD TAKE NEW ONES BECAUSE THEY CANNOT ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE YOUR DENTAL ISSUES WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE WHAT IS OCCURING BELOW THE GUM LINE.

Did you make an appointment somewhere and bring a copy of your records and they gave you a free consultation? Did you have to sign up as if you were a new patient with your insurance and pay a copay for being seen or pay out of pocket? I want to find a new permanent practice but until then, how do I go about just getting advice from another dentist/endodontist?

NOT ALL DENTISTS WILL OFFER A FREE CONSULTATION. IF YOU HAVE A RESTRICTED PLAN AND YOU ONLY WANT TO STAY WITHIN THAT PLAN THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO CALL YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER ABOUT SEEKING A SECOND OPINION.

Bryanna

Sorry, I wasn't sure how often people are on here. I'm used to message boards where there are so many members from different places that there's always a few of them on regardless of the day or time in spite of all of us working and engaging in other activities with friends, family, etc. so a reply will usually pop up in less than 24 hours.

Thank you so much Bryanna!!! I was able to get squeezed in for an appointment for tomorrow for the guy who did the root canal so he can look it over. After the last few days on antibiotics, the pain and infection symptoms are pretty much gone so I'm comfortable again at least. I'll keep everything you said in mind when I meet with him and report back with what he says!!!

Sorry we were slow to respond. Gosh you have some issues. Bryanna is the best on the site for dental issues. However I do know one thing. Once a RC tooth gives you trouble, it is best to have it removed. You are not getting the whole truth about it. Please heed the warnings as they really are infected teeth, that at some point will cause you pain. The RC is a money making sceme, and that is the real truth. I have auto immune problems, an infection anywhere in my body makes my conditions worse, and puts my health at risk. That is why I had mine removed when they caused trouble.
As far as the circus that your particular dental office pulled, I never heard of such a three ring disaster before. Nobody seemed to know what the other one is doing, much less tell you about it. You are not getting proper treatment in my opinion, and are getting passed from dentist to dentist. I would see council with the Dental association for a reputable dentist, and then go further and get some references. Perhaps posting where you live, someone will chime in with who to go see. If I ever got such treatment as you did, I would make a bee line for the door. Never mind the pain, I would hit the door. You are suppose to be an active participant in your care. Your dentists are not allowing you peace of mind, much less good care. Please seek another, even a patient advocate at your nearest hospital might have some idea of who to go to. Fillings should not fall out, crowns should not be mobile, nor should you be discharging part of the infection, tooth, or any other substance. I am so sorry you are going through this. Wait for Bryanna, she is worth listening to as she has been in the business for many many years. Please forgive me if I caused any offence, but I was stunned at the treatment you recieved. I may not know you, but I empathize with what you are going through. I hope you find someone to give you good advise and treatment. Stop the circus....ginnie

Hey everyone! Thanks for chiming in, no need to apologize for slow response, I just forgot about timezones haha Here's the update I promised I'd be back with!

The Root Canal

I went in so the root canal guy could take a look at his work. BTW I asked the front desk and he's not an endodontist. Anyway, he looked at my tooth, took another x-ray, asked if the antibiotics helped since at this point, everything looks good, no discoloration or swelling etc.

I told him yes, I wasn't having infection symptoms anymore but my main concern was that I still couldn't bite down on anything without pain, which I've never had happen after a root canal. It feels like something is jabbing up into the gum when I do and I didn't want to assume that would stop once I have my crown put on.

He said, "Do you know you still have your wisdom teeth? You have pain biting down because of your wisdom tooth". There's a slight language barrier so I thought maybe he wasn't understanding my problem.

The wisdom tooth he pointed to is the last molar on my right side and my root canal tooth is the first. I know I'm not a dentist but things have to make sense to me for me to understand and accept what I'm being told when it comes to my health.

So I asked him to explain how a wisdom tooth I've always had that's not even touching my root canal tooth is the reason I now have trouble biting down on it when I didn't have trouble biting down before the root canal? He said because the wisdom tooth isn't straight.

I said ok but it's always not been straight and the pain isn't pressure or as if my bite is crooked or anything, it's pain from biting down flat on something like normal and feels like something inside the root canal tooth is poking at me.

He gave me the usual all teeth are connected spiel so it didn't matter that the wisdom tooth isn't actually touching the root canal tooth, it's why I'm having pain biting, not the root canal, so they're going to pull my wisdom tooth out.

I haven't been very assertive up until all these problems started because I've been trying to trust the professionals but I put my foot down and said, "No, no one is removing anything" and he kind of barked back, "It's not a choice, the wisdom tooth needs to come out".

I stood my ground and said that there's no way I'm allowing them to take out a perfectly good tooth just because he's trying to sell me that it couldn't possibly be the root canal giving me problems with the root canal.

If the wisdom tooth "needs" to come out, why didn't it "need" to come out prior to the root canal? Why was this the first time anyone has ever even mentioned my wisdom teeth in all the years I've been seeing dentists?

I felt like he's just trying to deflect from the work that he did and the fact that something about it doesn't feel right. Either that or he really just didn't understand what I meant when I said pain biting down.

He tried to convince me saying that it's common for adults to have their wisdom teeth taken out (I know that) and it's fast and comes right out and isn't a big deal. I said it's a big deal to me because it's my tooth.

I didn't say this bit to him but I don't want someone to go yanking things out when I don't even trust that half of what they're telling me is necessary actually is. Once your tooth is gone, it's gone so I don't take that decision lightly no matter which tooth it is.

So then he said, "Well, it is your choice but even though your wisdom teeth are fine now, they might give you problems in the future". What won't at this point? So that was a bust but I'll follow up on it again with the head dentist next time I can go in unless I find a new place first.

The Broken Filling

I stopped the head dentist and asked if he had a minute to look at my lower left hole since he never did, only the "jerk" did. He took me in the room, looked at it, then said, "I mean, I can put something on to cover the hole". I said okay.

He put that beige goop on, which was pointless because it all came back out a few hours later anyhow but at least he was the only one to offer to do something. I still was a little miffed from talking to the other guy though so I didn't ask him to explain to me why nothing more permanent is scheduled to be done to that hole and why. I'll ask another time. I just wanted to leave.

Extra Concave Filling

I did ask him to look at the upper left filling the "jerk" did, the one that felt way too concave and also jagged (pieces of food stick to it like they're caught on a hooke). He said, "It looks fine... I mean, if it was any higher, there'd be no room for your lower tooth and it would just end up cracking it."

I was fine with that though the food catching thing is annoying. If that keeps happening, I may ask if it can be smoothed a little to make it less rough.

The Front Moving Crown

It stills moves whenever I start eating and it still gives me pain in the gum above it and based of the tooth afterwards. I'm pretty sure it's rotting away under there. This is what I'm most concerned about out of everything because it's the front and I really don't want to sit around waiting for the crown to fall off and be toothless.

It may be vain but I'm a young woman, not an elderly one used to having bridges, dentures, for my front teeth. I don't yet know if I can afford to get an implant if the tooth has to be extracted and having nothing isn't an option, especially with me often working on camera. I'd jam a chiclet in there if I had to lol

Now I'm starting to get pain in the adjacent front tooth as well. It's the one that was healthy before it got shaved down and capped so I plan on getting both evaluated again soon. I feel like once you allow a dentist to touch a healthy tooth for any reason - especially one who may not be that skilled - it's going to be problematic so I'm not surprised I'm getting pain in that one now.

The Shooting Pain Front Tooth

This one hasn't been flaring up so bad even though I know something's up with it, been pain free lately thank goodness though I'm not going to stop mentioning it when asked about the issues I've been having.

My Records

I was finally able to get a copy of my records. It was like pulling teeth (haha). I asked for it and they all gawked at me like I just asked to have my legs broken on purpose. One said, "Why?" I said because I wanted a copy of my dental records and treatment history. "Um, for what, to keep in your house?" Yes. "Bu-bu-but you'll have to pay for it". That's not a problem.

Then one said to the other in a low voice, "Have the head dentist look at her records before giving her a copy...". I thought that was shifty. Why does he need to see it first? If everything in my records is on the level, I should be able to see it unaltered as it is right now.

They went to get him and thankfully, even he didn't understand why she wanted him to look at it first. She just kept saying, "She wants a copy of it. I just think you should look at it first to... make sure... everything looks alright..." He said to just give it to me so I finally have them now, hooray!

But then when I went to check out, the girl said, "So it looks like all you're waiting for right now are the crowns and your next root canal". I asked what next root canal, where? The last time I was in, I was told all I had left were the crowns? She said it says a root canal on the upper right.

I didn't want to question if she was reading my chart right or not but I told her I just had a root canal done on the upper right and I was told last time that was it and no one said anything to me about another. She looked at the chart again and said, "Well, it looks like you're going to have another one behind that one".

Behind it would be the second molar that there are no issues with. She asked if I wanted to schedule it and at this point, this is all so absurd I kind of laughed and said, "No, no, no... we won't be doing any of that. I'll be in touch". That just came out of nowhere. Still not sure if she was just reading it wrong because she's only been there a short while so I plan to ask the head dentist.

Second Opinion

I've been trying to find a new dentist to go to for a second opinion but I can't get any local recommendations because everyone I bump into goes where I go now and the few who don't are well-to-dos who have a private family dentist.

So I'm looking into going into the city. It's just the choices there are overwhelming and the dentists with the best reviews that have been around a long time and that people swear by are also the hardest ones to get in to see.

That's been my concern with having a dentist far away from me or that's really popular with hundreds of patients. Not being able to be seen when I have a problem either because they're too busy or because I have to travel 1-2 hours to get there and can't arrive in time.

My current dentist is literally down the street from me. But at this point I'd rather a really good dentist hard to get a hold of than cruddy ones nearby so I'm looking into it. I also went to the ADA's site and they linked to this dentist search I'm going to try.

My questions at this point until I get some second opinions is that while I was googling stuff about decay under crowns and such, I saw some people mentioning two things...

1) That dental hygienists are better at detecting decay going on under crowns than the dentists/x-rays because of how they're digging around the gum line. Is this true?

2) That people should look into dental offices that are up on more contemporary treatments, specifically lasers that they use for a variety of things from repairs to killing bacteria and fighting decay. I've never heard of anything to do with lasers and dental work. Does it have a name so I can research this?

3) There was talk of a new type of crown that's more opaque/transparent on an x-ray allowing your tooth to be seen underneath it which aids in being able to see problems going on underneath the crown that can't be seen with the regular porcelain/metal crowns. Anyone heard of this?

4) I heard there's dental puddy I can purchased over the counter that I may be able to use just to stick in that hole where the filling is for now. Would that be advisable or should I just leave it be?

Thanks so much for reading!

P.S. Sorry for all the typos and stuff, I'm always rushing through typing these lol I forgot to ask, where can I purchase dental gear like the dental mirror? Thanks!

I've had my front teeth removed, and replaces with implants. It was 4 moths until they healed and I had my crowns. I had a "flipper" while they healed-it looked totally natural. As long as the dentist as a good lab, it's fine. Having said that, a dental clinic may or may not be able to provide that-because they tend to sort of just churn through patients.

Keep in mind if the front tooth/teeth are infected and you wait too long, you may not be a candidate for implants. Infections spread to the jaw bone quickly, and there has to be lots of healthy bone for an implant to be stable.

Thanks soca . My issue is not having a choice about waiting if dentists won't acknowledge there's anything wrong with the tooth so I'm trying to research the best way to get it addressed before the tooth needs to come out. I know plenty of people are okay with fake teeth but plenty are not. Everything short of an implant seems to have potential issues I'd rather not deal with in the front of my mouth so I'm hoping to be able to nip this in the bud before being a candidate for one is no longer an option. And regardless I don't know yet what my insurance would cover anyway which matters because I can't afford anything out of pocket like I used to.

I'm still looking for new dentists and trying to get another evaluation by my head one. This site has been helpful not so much from the anti-root canal posts but from reading other people's problems because I've been learning about procedures and tools my dentists have never even mentioned. I'm hoping to stumble upon something specific I can ask about, like before this board I never heard of the x-ray people are saying is used to look for wisdom teeth and before looking on the web in general I never heard of an endodontist and I've been going to the dentist for years so that should tell you how little guidance I get from them lol