Hi, I had a tooth filling done on one of my tooth (next to the wisdom tooth which was removed a year ago), unfortunately another decay developed after that but deeper, near the root of the tooth. Some dentists suggested that they don't deal with this kind of decays as they're very deep, the original dentist who did the tooth filling said that he can do it and another said that I need to have a root canal done first. I'm getting very confused because I'm getting different answers from everyone. I'd appreciate any other feedback that might help me which way to go about it
Decay near the root of the tooth
- Thread starter antonis
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MattKW
Verified Dentist
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- Mar 18, 2018
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A few problems here:
- Deep decay, and there is a chance you might need a root Canal Therapy (RCT) after filling that; it'll come close to the nerve.
- A very difficult place to drill. Normally for decay like that the dentist would approach from the top because that's the easiest way with drills and handpieces. But that will probably be too far for the drill to reach. So, the dentist will either have to use long-shank burs (tricky to find) and drill a long hole straight down the back; OR he'll have to approach it from the side (my preference).
- Then he has to FILL it effectively. It's difficult at that depth, and I'd try amalgam if possible, or a GIC with applied pressure whilst setting.
- This is why leaving impacted wisdom teeth in place is a tragedy; the adjacent tooth can be badly damaged.