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Need another root canal, should I have to pay for 2nd bridge?
I had a root canal about a year and a half ago. I had a bridge last summer--about 9 months ago. I need another root canal on same tooth, and bridge will be no good as tooth structure will change. I should say that I had a bridge put on at time of root canal, and after a couple months, the dentist determined my bite was off and made the lab make another one for free--that was put on last summer. Should I have to pay for another one? My insurance will pay nothing. They expect the root canals to last 2 years, and the bridge to last 10. Both my dentist and the endodondist are highly qualified and are very good at what they do. Maybe I should just have the tooth pulled--it is the back anchor for the bridge and then I would just have the one remaining tooth crowned. Any ideas?
Thanks Floyd. I see the endondist next week, maybe his decision will be different. I hope they can go through the crown, if I need a RCT. My dentist was puzzled because she saw nothing on the x-ray, and I had no bad taste even after it was drained. One penicillin pill and it is gone. I just can't afford another $1000 for RCT, and $3000 for another bridge. Extraction would be $250, and to crown the remaining tooth of the bridge is $1000. It is my insurance company that will not pay for a RCT on same tooth within 2 years, and will not pay for crown or bridge of same tooth within 10 years. Thanks for your info.
2 Answers
- Floyd SLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
Hello, OK, first question..Was the RTC on a "molar" tooth?...I ask because some teeth have more than "one" root, some molars have three. If it was a molar with more than one root and a bridge was going to be placed, the smart thing to do is an RTC on all three roots so that you don't have to come back to that tooth again for the same thing.....Also, if your bite was wrong to begin with, and the bridge was out of balance, long term chewing on an out of balance bridge can cause a tooth under it to go bad...NOW, are you aware that an RTC can be done through the crown that covers the tooth...not common but can be done...Sometimes you drill through the crown, do the RCT and put a filing in the crown....As for how long an RTC last, someone is pulling your leg or just flat giving you wrong information...the vast majority of RTC's last well over ten years and bridges can last a life time...In some cases a dentist over heats a tooth while cutting it down for a crown and the overheating injures the tooth's nerve. The injured nerve may not die quickly, it may take awhile, like "nine" months....You might consider a second opinion this time around....many times the patient mistakes a dentist's pleasant personality for ability...think about it. Good luck and I wish you well.
- Anonymous5 years ago
Root canals are an expensive proposition and there is no guarantee on what will happen to the tooth in the future. I have had 8 root canals and crowns to the tune of about $1800 each. Of the 8, 2 have held up and 6 have broken off and had to be extracted anyway. A root canal "kills" the tooth for lack of a better term. Once dead, the tooth becomes brittle and can break very easily, even with a crown. Once the tooth breaks off, usually at the gum line, it's surgery to get it out, not just a simple extraction.
