Please help. My dentist says that I have 4 teeth, all have had root canals and have a cap, that are badly decayed under the cap and have to be pulled. He's afraid they may break off. How would he get the tooth (roots) out if the tooth breaks off? Will I feel anything? Also, I have a tooth that has already broken off, at the gumline, that he says needs to come out. How will he do this, as the only thing there is the roots?

Twenty years ago if I would have known that the tooth can decay under the caps, I would have just had them pulled. Does this happen often? Thanks in advance.

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Originally Posted by rockne1932

Twenty years ago if I would have known that the tooth can decay under the caps, I would of just had them pulled. Does this happen often?? Thanks in advance.

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Any tooth can decay over time if not properly cared for; capped or not. It was your responsibility to maintain proper dental hygiene to keep the teeth healthy and strong. At this point, it's too late to discuss hygiene. You said you had the dental work done 20 years ago- often crowns may need to be replaced. At the very least, I take it you weren't seeing a dentist for regular checkups to check that the margins were sealed and intact.

The dentist is preparing you for what might happen.

If the tooth breaks, the dentist may be able to remove some of the pieces but other fragments may just have to work their way out over time. As for pain, he should give you a local anesthetic and you should be OK taking some tylenol afterwards.

As nikosmom said, just because teeth have crowns on them doesn't mean you won't get decay under or around them. Since these teeth have had root canals you had no indication that something was wrong such as sweet or cold sensitivity.
The dentist won't know for sure how much decay is under the crowns until he takes them off. I am sure he has taken x-rays and has shown you the decay on the x-ray and in your mouth.

As nikosmom says you won't feel anything as he will use freezing. The root should come out in one or two pieces. Have him show you the teeth and check for yourself that the root tips are present then you won't have to worry about root tips working their way to the surface later on.

Good luck!

Need to add something here because Nico's Mom is giving the OP hell for not properly taking care of the teeth, which may not be the case. The woman at my dentist's office told me that tooth decay is hereditary. Her husband, who grew up in Central America in a state of poverty, never had dental care and was not good about brushing his teeth.. NO CAVITIES. Ever. She has a teenage son and a daughter. The son is terrible about brushing his teeth, she told me, but has no cavities. Her daughter, on the other hand, nine years old, carries her dental floss and toothpaste wherever she goes, brushes and flosses after every meal, FOUR CAVITIES.

Nutrition also can have an effect on tooth decay. There are foods you can eat which are healthier for your teeth. I haven't bought the guy's book but you can look up "cure tooth decay" and the information is very interesting.

This is not to say don't take care of your teeth because it's important to keep your mouth as clean as possible at all times; bacteria passes through it on food and you don't want an infection which could spread into your blood stream and cause serious problems.