I'm hoping someone here can answer my questions.

Six months ago, my jaw was fractured pretty badly (I was kicked in the head and jaw by a horse...), and in order to fix it, the oral surgeon put in two titanium plates, which are now there to stay, and arch bars so it could heal. The mental nerve was damaged as well, so I lost all feeling in my lower lip, chin and gums on my lower jaw.

When the arch bars were taken off, my teeth were re-x rayed, and it was determined that two of the screws in the titanium plates were going right through the roots of my teeth (28 and 29). This was something the oral surgeon suspected when he did an X-ray of my teeth a week after surgery, but he told me he wanted to leave it alone for the time being and that we would readdress the issue in a six months to a year, allowing the mental nerve time to heal.

I went to my dentist about a week after the arch bars came off, and he also told me it was in my best interest to leave my mouth alone for as long as possible so it could heal. I had already been told by the oral surgeon that those two teeth would probably need root canals or possibly need to be pulled in the future, and my dentist confirmed that possibility as well.

Thankfully (and unfortunately), I've been slowly getting the feeling back in my lower jaw, but about three weeks ago, those two teeth started throbbing. Chewing is painful, as is brushing my teeth, and flossing is like sticking a fork in my gums. I went back to my dentist, and he and my oral surgeon decided it was time for me to get a consult from an endodontist.

My dentist told me a root canal on my teeth would probably be done in two parts; one from the top and another from the side to get the root underneath the screw. What does that entail exactly? What questions should I ask the endodontist?

I'm starting to think it might be better to just have both teeth pulled, but I also know it's better to keep my teeth for as long as possible. I honestly never thought I'd need a root canal at 29 years old, so I have no idea what to expect. Any feedback would be very appreciated.