Thanks for the reply Bryanna! Do you think there is a different naming convention in Canada? Pretty sure they said #27 in reference to the last upper molar on the left side. (It's not a wisdom tooth, bc I had all 4 removed about 7 years ago.)

I've made an appointment with my dentist for next week. I'm going to see how my symptoms go, and then discuss with him my options for removal of the tooth.

Bryanna, just wondering - in your experience, is there anytime you would suggest NOT extracting? ie, do you ever think root canals are better than the alternative, or at least, not as harmful? Are some more stable than others? I find this a very fascinating subject - I've found several research articles looking into the presence of bacteria in RC teeth, and most studies suggest that the sterilization process does not clear tooth of much bacteria... My endodontist mentioned that he had had several RCs as a child due to a hockey accident...he still has all of them - I guess some people are less susceptible to complications than others?