I broke a tooth almost four years ago. It had a filling in it, which fell out, and shortly after that it broke. After a year or so, the pain got to be more than I could bear, so I went and had a root canal treatment. I’m pretty sure it didn’t really take care of the problem, but I hate going to the dentist so much that I couldn’t make myself go to the follow-up appointments, and eventually he stopped calling.
The temporary filling fell out a while ago, and now the tooth is infected. I saw a dentist (not the same one who did the root canal) and he said that the tooth needs to be pulled. He also said that he thinks I should talk to an oral surgeon to have this done, and that he isn’t really comfortable with performing this extraction.
Does this sound right? Or should I just ask my dentist to take care of it? He didn’t say he wouldn’t, just that he thought I should consider an oral surgeon.
Lisa in Seattle
Dear Lisa,
The most important rule to keep in mind with dentists is that you should never push a dentist out of his or her comfort zone. If you don’t want to find the services of an oral surgeon, you’ll want to look for a dentist who is comfortable with the procedure.
You may also want to consider locating a dentist who does dental implants. That would be the optimal method for replacing your lost tooth, though a talented dentist can do a great job with a dental bridge for a single missing tooth.
Dr. Currie is a York PA cosmetic dentist, and his office sponsors this blog.