Is there any way to tell when root canal is needed??
Question: I've had somewhat minor sensitivity to cold in one of my upper molars... It's been bothing me for about a week now. Upon further investigation i noticed there is a cavity thats relatively sizeable. I went to the dentist a little over a year ago with a fine checkup. There is only sensitivity when i breathe not on food or drink. First is this enough time for a cavity to progress into a root canal? Secondly does this sound like just a filling or a root canal?
Answers: Minor sensitivity usually does not indicate a root canal. What it does indicate is that your cavity is getting big enough that it is into the dentin (the soft tissue under your enamel that covers the nerves and vessels) and that if you don't fix it, you will need a root canal.
Cavities are hard to judge. You can have a small amount of decay that can be arrested and even reversed, a small amount of decay that never seems to get bigger, or, as in your case, you can have no decay, and then one year later you have a large cavity. Each person is different and it depends on your mouth's acidity, your diet, oral hygiene, overall health, etc. So, your best bet is to get in to see your dentist as soon as possible. It is much better to have your tooth filled than to wait until you need a root canal. If nothing else, go to your dentist to save money. A root canal can cost anywhere from $800-1,500, where a filling is usually around $100-150. Good Luck.
The sooner you get it fixed the less likely you'll need a root canal. Since you don't have problems with hot or cold food you may just need a filling. Cavities can be sneaky, maybe it wasn't visible at your last appointment. A root canal isn't that bad...it just takes a while.
Minor sensitivity to cold doesn't indicate needing a rootcanal--if you were heat sensitive that would mean a rootcanal---you may need a filling and try using sensodyne toothpaste.
Answers: Minor sensitivity usually does not indicate a root canal. What it does indicate is that your cavity is getting big enough that it is into the dentin (the soft tissue under your enamel that covers the nerves and vessels) and that if you don't fix it, you will need a root canal.
Cavities are hard to judge. You can have a small amount of decay that can be arrested and even reversed, a small amount of decay that never seems to get bigger, or, as in your case, you can have no decay, and then one year later you have a large cavity. Each person is different and it depends on your mouth's acidity, your diet, oral hygiene, overall health, etc. So, your best bet is to get in to see your dentist as soon as possible. It is much better to have your tooth filled than to wait until you need a root canal. If nothing else, go to your dentist to save money. A root canal can cost anywhere from $800-1,500, where a filling is usually around $100-150. Good Luck.
The sooner you get it fixed the less likely you'll need a root canal. Since you don't have problems with hot or cold food you may just need a filling. Cavities can be sneaky, maybe it wasn't visible at your last appointment. A root canal isn't that bad...it just takes a while.
Minor sensitivity to cold doesn't indicate needing a rootcanal--if you were heat sensitive that would mean a rootcanal---you may need a filling and try using sensodyne toothpaste.
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