Question:
what do I do about needing root canal?

I recently had oral surgery to be prepared for weight loss surgery. I also required 2 root canals but my dentist said they could wait until after surgery because they had no holes. A huge filling fell out of one and the dentist had to refer me to an ondontist?? for root canal. I cancelled the appointment because my husband lost his job and the root canal would be $160. Now both teeth are hurting, both will cost $160 each.... Here's the dilemma and opinion question....we do not have the money for either one, BUT one has to be treated NOW because it has the nerve exposed and it needs to be fixed before surgery. My husband does not want me to get it pulled since I do not have many back teeth. I feel I have no choice since it is free and I NEED it done for surgery. The other one poses no threat to my health for surgery.... This feels like one of those catch 22 things but I need to do something, any opinions would really help    — Mandy M. (posted on May 25, 2001)

May 25, 2001
Hi, do what you can to get that tooth with the exposed nerve fixed. If it goes to an abscess, then you're really going to be in trouble. An abscess infection can go through your whole body. Very dangerous. I don't know where you live, but $160 for a root canal is an unbelievable price. I had one a few months ago that cost $1200.00 just for the root canal and then $860.00 for the crown! I guess everything is outrageously expensive where I live (San Francisco)! Hugs, Joy
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 25, 2001
WOW, what a bargain. With ins. I paid over $700! Do it NOW, if you can possibly as you are more nutritionally stable NOW than you wll be for awhile post-op. And for that price, I'd get 'em both done. YOW!
   — vitalady

May 25, 2001
Mandy- Your qoute of 160.oo is indeed a deal. I have worked in the dental field for 15 years!! Please do not have these teeth extracted- you need them to help you chew your food, especially after WLS. You DO NOT want to end up with full dentures- most people hate them.(picture a piece of plastic covering the entire roof of your mouth, not to mention how sexy it is putting them in the glass by the bed every night!) I don't know where you live, but you can check out dental schools near you, many times they do work for people for free or on a sliding scale. If you don't have a dental school look in the phone book under dental associations and find the local one for you. They may be able to direct you to a clinic, some dental assisting schools have clinics like that. Please get this done ASAP, the abcess you have can spread to other teeth if left alone too long. Good luck
   — Stacey S.

May 25, 2001
I have had several abcesses, including one last month. These are terribly painful (4 Vicodins doesn't even touch the pain) until they pop, which is so disgusting, I won't even describe it hear. An abcess a few years back nearly ended me in the hospital when my face swelled and I had a fever. This stuff is way too close to your brain (it can travel through your sinuses) to mess around with. Ante up the $160 and get that tooth fixed ASAP. I know bad teeth - it's my worst co-morbidity! Do everything you can to preserve them now. If you get it pulled now, you will be looking at $2000 bridge later. Good luck to you.
   — Allie B.

May 25, 2001
I think you should get this done as soon as possible! I dont think youll want to deal with it after surgery anyway. Youll want to devote your mind to other things besides tooth pain. I dont know about your doc but I had to have teeth pulled and it cost about $300 and he let me pay payments! alot of them wont do that but, you never know, Dosent hurt to ask! good luck. I hate dental work!
   — Lindsay H.

May 26, 2001
Hi again, Mandy...what Allie said about saving your teeth is very true. Do everything you can short of having a tooth pulled out. Save your teeth! You can't go around with a gaping hole in your mouth and bridgework is VERY expensive. My mom calls her upper bridge her "Cadillac", and her lower bridge her "Mercedes". Having missing teeth will actually change the shape of your face, and we need all our teeth to properly chew food and get our nutrition. I was someone who did not take care of her teeth in my 20's and now I go to the dentist religiously. I've had 5 root canals and 5 crowns put in in the past 3 years, and lately on no dental insurance. I could have nearly self-paid for my WLS with the money I've spent at the dentist's office. So, save your teeth...you'll be glad you did later on. Hugs, Joy
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 26, 2001
If you are low income,you might want to check with your county health dept. Some counties have programs available to low income persons who need dental care.If you do not qualify, they may be able to direct you to a dentist who will agree to a payment plan. Good Luck, like all the other here, I encourage you to do all you can to save your teeth!
   — [Anonymous]

June 14, 2001
mandy another option is to check if any of the colleges in your area have dental schools. 4th year dental students are always needing patients to work on to fullfill requirements before graduation. they are well supervised by instructors who have been dentists for years. also the price is right. the charges are usually nominal. the major investment is time. an average appointment is 3 hours long. each step has to be checked to make sure it is correct. so you are in good hands if you choose that option. remember get the root canal done and get the poisons out of your body before the surgery! good luck andy
   — andrea P.