Ok,
I have panic attack disorder and even thinking about going to the dentist scares the crap out of me.

I think I might have something wrong with one of my back teeth.It is a bit discolored and has been hurting for a while.Now I am scared I might have to get a dang root canal.It has been discolored for a while but didn't hurt up until a few weeks ago.

It is a tooth that has been filled before.

I am going to make an appointment soon but wanted to see what I was going to get myself into.


First of all, can a dental filling make a tooth discolored? Or has my luck struck a bad nerve...

Is any nausea involved with dental root canals/crowning? Nausea triggers my panic.

I think I just might ask them to take the tooth out.

Is a root canal or extraction worse?(pain/time wise)


The pain is minimal, it comes and goes and is not bad enough to take over the counter meds (I have a very low pain tolerance) and the tooth is not sensitive to hot/cold beverages/food.
Hope this helps.

Sorry for all the questions, as you can see I am quit nervous!!

Talk to the office first, they have all sorts of medication to relax you, "love that gas" personally. They also have it where you are basically "out" for most of it. Personally give me a extraction over the root canal.

But you should not get nausea? And of course getting it fixed wold be a lot better than perhaps things going into your jaw bones, or infection getting into your system and causing a lot worst medical issues.

Silver (amalgam) fillings can make a tooth appear dark. I doubt you need a root canal if you aren't having any sensitivity but the dentist will take an x-ray to check the nerve.

You should not experience any nausea.

The filling my have decay under it or be broken. It's best to see a dentist as soon as you can to prevent the need for a root canal. The longer you leave it the greater the risk is of the tooth dying and a root canal being needed.

Fr_Chuck is right, the dentist can give you laughing gas or valium to help you relax while you are there.

It's always better to try to save teeth rather than have them removed. Your bite will be compromised with a hole on one side where the tooth was and can lead to other, more costly problems.

Thank you both for your replies!I am now less anxious (and am looking forward to some nitrous oxide if it comes down to it lol.) I found what appears to be a good dentist and I will make an appointment tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks again.

Careful with the laughing gas if you have high blood pressure a dentist won't give you this. I was denied dental treatment as the dental assistant insisted I have high blood pressure (which I don't) as she took my blood pressure wrong! I had to start all over waiting for another appointment with a different dentist. I don't mind the novacain (or whatever they use now) as I know it does not matter if I supposedly have high blood pressure. I went to another dentist who didn't use the laughing gas and got my teeth fixed properly. The other guy completely missed a few places that needed attention.

I think you possibly have decay under the filling also which is causing the on and off again pain - or you could have the beginnings of some sort of an infection. Either way when your mouth starts to hurt it's a good idea not to ignore the pain and have it attended to.