[revrav]

Hello, I had 4 teeth capped recently. One of the molars is really bothering me every time I eat. Root canal was not done nor were any x-rays done. This particular molar my dentist said the filling was overflowing and the dentin was exposed. The tooth was sensitive and hurt couple of times and that's when I went to see dentist. She also told me that on # 7 molar the gums had really receded which was also adding to the pain and sensitivity.
So she advised that RC was not needed and only crown was needed.
Can an expert/qualified person please give opinion what should be done? Will a RC required anyway? I was also put on a 4day antibiotic course.
Desperate for help
PS: is it going to cost more now that I have the molar capped?
Secondly can root canal be performed without removing cap?
Thanks all

[flossie]

Hi revrav,
Having that amount of work done at once can cause some sensitivity after but it should go away in a few weeks. Go back to the dentist and have her check your bite. The crown on the molar that is bothering you when eating may just be a little high and need a slight adjustment (this is common).

I don't understand how a dentist can place 4 crowns without taking x-rays first to check the health of the roots and nerves of the teeth.

Why are you taking antibiotics? Is there an infection? How does your dentist know for sure there is an infection when she didn't take any x-rays? The antibiotic won't help if the crown needs to be adjusted.

You said you have some recession in this area. This will cause temperature sensitivity but it won't be the cause of pain when chewing. For the roots that are exposed you can use a toothpaste for sensitivity like Sensodyne, Crest and Colgate have toothpastes for sensitive teeth also.

Yes, a root canal can be done without removing the crown. The dentist will have to drill through the crown and then fill the hole with filling material once the root canal is done. You might want to consider seeing an ENDODONTIST (root canal specialist) for the root canal IF you need one.

I hope this helps. Good luck

[revrav]

Thanks flossie for your reply. I had this done in another place so cannot go back to the dentist.
My bite was adjusted before I left the place and was told no more adjustment was required.
I don't know if there's an infection but my dentist said there possibly was so she gave me antibiotics.
The other three teeth where crown was placed--one was a broken molar and there was no pain at all so she said it was fine to cap it. The other two I believe is a crown and bridge because my wisdom tooth had been removed and the molar before had been extracted. So to fill the gap crown and bridging was done. Teeth were perfectly healthy so no x-rays were taken.
NOW the one that hurts definitely has sensitivity and pain that comes from chewing and drinking any hot drinks or sometimes even swirling slightly cold water. Every night I am rinsing my mouth with water with some salt added to it for healthy gums.
Though when I wake up in the morning I feel no pain as the day wears on by evening it gets worse.

What in your opinion is the fix? Should I go for root canal? Wouldn't the pain be constant if there was unhealthy root or nerve? I had the treatment done on Aug 23rd, do you think I should wait and see if pain gets better? I also feel that the crowns are slightly big or maybe it's just that too many done at once so my mouth is not used to the feeling!

Sorry for the long post & thanks for your valuable time & opinion

[revrav]

Flossie I have posted above incorrectly sorry about that

[flossie]

revrav,

When you say the crowns feel "slightly big" then you may very well need another adjustment. You had all that treatment done about 2 weeks ago and have moved far enough away that you can't go back to the dentist who did the crowns?

How did the dentist place a bridge if the 2 back teeth are missing? A bridge needs to have teeth anchoring at the front and back of it.

Is the pain getting worse as time goes on or is it getting better or staying the same? If it's getting better you could give it more time but I really feel you should have the bite checked and an x-ray taken. Do you have a dentist where you are living now?

[revrav]

yes, I had done them overseas because the molar that's hurting now had pain two days in a row relieved by painkillers and that's when I decided to visit a dentist.

Re: bridge-- she capped my molar and sort of extended the cap to the back, I don't know if I am making sense to you

I can't tell if the pain's getting better sometimes it feels better like today all day had no pain, a cup of hot sweet tea triggered it and only relieved by taking pain killer. It's not a constant pain. So only X-ray would determine whether root canal is needed or not? If root canal was required wouldn't the molar hurt all the time?

[flossie]

An x-ray would show if there was an abscess at the root tip. Hot sensitivity is generally a sign of a nerve dying so since you said the hot tea triggered the pain you are probably needing a root canal, sorry :(

I would be very careful of that crown that has been "extended". Have it checked regularly by your dentist. That kind of treatment isn't routine.

[revrav]

that dentist also told me there is an alternate treatment for root canal where they use some kind of chemical to seal the pulp? Do you know anything about it? Could it be just case of irritated nerve? Also the pain starts randomly too so I think what you are saying makes sense might be dying nerve

[flossie]

If the tooth is dead, have the root canal now. Don't keep mucking about with the tooth, the more a tooth is worked on the higher the chance of eventually losing the tooth. Teeth liked to be fixed right the first time.