I finally broke down and went to see an emergency dentist about my tooth because of the terrible pain. I kept putting it off because I hate the dentist. Sadly, I’ve been dealing with the pain on and off for a couple months now.
My brother had similar symptoms and he put if off for over a year. But, eventually he needed a root canal. So, I assumed that my tooth was doomed to the same fate.
The pain was unbearable over the weekend, so my husband made me go to the emergency dentist. But, I was shocked when he did a crown instead of a root canal. I had the same symptoms as my brother, so why didn’t he do the root canal?
-Pam in Texas
Pam,
First off, please don’t put off going to the dentist for that long. The sooner a dental issue is discovered and treated, it can often be treated more conservatively and economically. Next time, go in right away at the first symptom that something isn’t right.
Causes of Tooth Pain
Toothaches can be a symptom for many different issues. For example, discomfort could be caused from something as minor as a cavity to the more extreme cases like a cracked, broken or tooth infection, which may require a root canal.
Typically, when decay reaches the inside pulp of the tooth, a root canal is required. There is nowhere for the infection to go and sometimes an abscess forms and it must be treated. Symptoms of a root canal are throbbing, radiating pain and extreme sensitivity to heat and cold. Sometimes, the pain is so bad it will keep you up at night.
Although, everyone has different pain thresholds, so it is not reliable to diagnose a tooth solely on pain.
The emergency dentist treated the tooth based on what was seen during the appointment. The treatment rational should have been explained to you at the time. So, you could always follow up and ask more questions about the treatment plan.
You mentioned that a crown was placed. It isn’t clear if you are referring to a temporary crown or some sort of temporary solution, until you are able to get the permanent crown done at your regular dentist? Also, you didn’t mention if the pain went away.
Since there are still some questions, it is unclear whether or not the emergency dentist treated the tooth properly. It would be good to touch base with your regular dentist to discuss it further too.
This post is sponsored by York PA dentist Donald H. Currie, DMD
However, it sounds like you should be a