I've written about this tooth before, and got some very helpful advice - so I'm
back again with a new question.

To recap, I've had a temp crown on #4 for a year now. It was crowned about 10
years ago, and my previous dentist broke the crown last May. At the time there
were no indications of anything wrong on x-ray, and financial considerations led
me to try to extend the life of the temp crown since then. (I was never able to
find a dentist willing to do the stainless prefab crown that was previously
suggested, and I called more than a dozen of them - so I am still in the same
position as I was when I last posted).

I've recently had a new x-ray of the tooth, and am told there is some dark area
around the top end of the root as you look at the x-ray (don't know if that's
the top of the root or the bottom). I have to be frank, I cannot see what they
are telling me is a dark area, but I defer to their expertise. I am totally
asymptomatic, but they tell me that I MUST have RCT before I get the new crown,
since it will surely become symptomatic in the future, and thus would I would be
wasting my money to crown it now without doing the RCT, only to have to do the
RCT and get a new crown once it becomes symptomatic.

I'll be paying for a second opinion soon, but do the dentists here have the same
opinion? Do you ever see these dark areas never become symptomatic, or do they
always eventually flare up and necessitate RCT? I'm hoping for the former, since
the latter effectively doubles the expense I was already trying to delay for as
long as possible. If I'm doomed (so to speak) anyway, is there any further
damage I may do by just waiting until it flares up and I am forced to take care
of it?

Thanks once again for all the good advice you guys dish out. :-)

Most dark areas at the tip of a root on an x-ray image indicate a tooth in
need of RCT. Now way to tell about yours without seeing the image.

--
/

Amatus

/
<> wrote in message
news:...

> I've written about this tooth before, and got some very helpful advice -
> so I'm
> back again with a new question.
>
> To recap, I've had a temp crown on #4 for a year now. It was crowned about
> 10
> years ago, and my previous dentist broke the crown last May. At the time
> there
> were no indications of anything wrong on x-ray, and financial
> considerations led
> me to try to extend the life of the temp crown since then. (I was never
> able to
> find a dentist willing to do the stainless prefab crown that was
> previously
> suggested, and I called more than a dozen of them - so I am still in the
> same
> position as I was when I last posted).
>
> I've recently had a new x-ray of the tooth, and am told there is some dark
> area
> around the top end of the root as you look at the x-ray (don't know if
> that's
> the top of the root or the bottom). I have to be frank, I cannot see what
> they
> are telling me is a dark area, but I defer to their expertise. I am
> totally
> asymptomatic, but they tell me that I MUST have RCT before I get the new
> crown,
> since it will surely become symptomatic in the future, and thus would I
> would be
> wasting my money to crown it now without doing the RCT, only to have to do
> the
> RCT and get a new crown once it becomes symptomatic.
>
> I'll be paying for a second opinion soon, but do the dentists here have
> the same
> opinion? Do you ever see these dark areas never become symptomatic, or do
> they
> always eventually flare up and necessitate RCT? I'm hoping for the former,
> since
> the latter effectively doubles the expense I was already trying to delay
> for as
> long as possible. If I'm doomed (so to speak) anyway, is there any further
> damage I may do by just waiting until it flares up and I am forced to take
> care
> of it?
>
> Thanks once again for all the good advice you guys dish out. :-)

On Sun, 3 May 2009 19:38:47 -0400, "Amatus Cremona" <>
wrote:

>Most dark areas at the tip of a root on an x-ray image indicate a tooth in
>need of RCT. Now way to tell about yours without seeing the image.

I'm going to try to get a copy that I can post. In the meantime, what is
actually going on with those dark areas? The term abscess was used, but I when I
asked what that meant, why I felt no pain/symptoms, and whether it could ever
clear up on its own, the dentist blew me off. (Searching for a new dentist this
week).

Thanks again.

On Sun, 3 May 2009 19:38:47 -0400, "Amatus Cremona"
<> wrote:

>Most dark areas at the tip of a root on an x-ray image indicate a tooth in
>need of RCT. Now way to tell about yours without seeing the image.
>
>--
>/
>
>Amatus

Agreed.

wrote:

>
> On Sun, 3 May 2009 19:38:47 -0400, "Amatus Cremona" <>
> wrote:
>

>
> I'm going to try to get a copy that I can post. In the meantime, what is
> actually going on with those dark areas? The term abscess was used, but I when I
> asked what that meant, why I felt no pain/symptoms, and whether it could ever
> clear up on its own, the dentist blew me off. (Searching for a new dentist this
> week).
>
> Thanks again.

It is not going to clear up on it's own. It may not become symptomatic
(but certainly may), but the infection will not heal until the source (a
dead, infected pulp) is removed, either by root canal or extraction.
It should be treated, one way or the other.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

On Mon, 04 May 2009 13:57:07 GMT, Mark & Steven Bornfeld
<> wrote:

> wrote:

>
>
> It is not going to clear up on it's own. It may not become symptomatic
>(but certainly may), but the infection will not heal until the source (a
>dead, infected pulp) is removed, either by root canal or extraction.
> It should be treated, one way or the other.
>
>Steve

Thanks, Steve. I didn't realize that it was an "infection." That's a surprise to
me. Guess it's not a 'treat with an antibiotic" type infection. Bummer.....:-(

You'd also recommend that I should not crown it unless I treat it first, right?

Thanks again.

wrote:

>
> On Mon, 04 May 2009 13:57:07 GMT, Mark & Steven Bornfeld
> <> wrote:
>

>
> Thanks, Steve. I didn't realize that it was an "infection." That's a surprise to
> me. Guess it's not a 'treat with an antibiotic" type infection. Bummer.....:-(
>
> You'd also recommend that I should not crown it unless I treat it first, right?
>
> Thanks again.

Correct.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

abscess = infection
(that took me years to learn). I'm with you. Find a dentist
who explains things so you can understand.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


<> wrote in message
news:...


On Sun, 3 May 2009 19:38:47 -0400, "Amatus Cremona"
<>
wrote:

>Most dark areas at the tip of a root on an x-ray image
>indicate a tooth in
>need of RCT. Now way to tell about yours without seeing
>the image.

I'm going to try to get a copy that I can post. In the
meantime, what is
actually going on with those dark areas? The term abscess
was used, but I when I
asked what that meant, why I felt no pain/symptoms, and
whether it could ever
clear up on its own, the dentist blew me off. (Searching
for a new dentist this
week).

Thanks again.

Dear Indigent Person,

Your particular case could be anything in the whole world. It might be
cancer, it might be a genetic defect, it might be normal anatomy, it might
be an infection, it might be the result of gangrene inside the tooth pulp,
it might be imaginary. Without an image, I cannot guess. Without seeing
you in person, I cannot offer a diagnosis.

Assuming we are dealing the a dead pulp (the most common cause of dark areas
at the root tip), then it will only respond to either RCT or extraction.
The pulp dies from a lack of blood flow into the tooth (many possible
reasons). Without blood flow, you cannot get any white blood cells into the
tooth to attack the dead tissue. Without blood flow, you cannot get any
antibiotic into the tooth if there is an infection.

You will have to trust someone at some point.

--
/

Amatus

/
<> wrote in message
news:...

>
>
> On Sun, 3 May 2009 19:38:47 -0400, "Amatus Cremona"
> <>
> wrote:
>

>
> I'm going to try to get a copy that I can post. In the meantime, what is
> actually going on with those dark areas? The term abscess was used, but I
> when I
> asked what that meant, why I felt no pain/symptoms, and whether it could
> ever
> clear up on its own, the dentist blew me off. (Searching for a new
> dentist this
> week).
>
> Thanks again.

On Sun, 3 May 2009 19:38:47 -0400, "Amatus Cremona" <>
wrote:

>Most dark areas at the tip of a root on an x-ray image indicate a tooth in
>need of RCT. Now way to tell about yours without seeing the image.

Here is an image of the tooth:

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/9216/77958859.jpg

Thanks again for your help.