Background: Potential root canal would be to the upper left, second molar. This tooth was filled August 2013 and I've had no further problems with it. The molar next to it (the last molar) is a crown on a tooth that had a root canal about 10 years ago. All my wisdom teeth have been removed.
About a month, maybe more, ago, I started to notice nerve sensitivity and located the source to be the area above the gum line -- way up on the boney part as far as one can reach with a finger -- all the way to the back of my mouth. It is not directly over the second molar but more toward the back of it. If I press on it directly or through the cheek, it feels like something is pressing on a nerve and feels uncomfortable; no pain. There is no pain or discomfort at all with any of the teeth.
I was at the dentist for a regular teeth cleaning two days ago and mentioned it to the hygienist, so she took an x-ray of the area. My dentist stopped in after the cleaning to ask if there are any problems. I told him about about this nerve sensitivity and he spent about two minutes looking at the x-ray and my mouth and concluded I need a root canal of the second molar. I scheduled it but I'm questioning whether this will really correct the problem. My issue doesn't seem to have anything to do with this tooth and I don't honestly see how doing a root canal will take the nerve sensitivity away from this area in the back of my mouth. I don't have dental insurance so I'm even more reluctant to spend so much money. I am considering getting an opinion from another dentist but before I do, as money is very tight at the moment, I'm hoping maybe someone on this board could give me their initial impressions. Thank you very much.
Added - To clarify - when he looked at the x-ray and compared it to the previous one, there was a shade of a shadow, really nothing there of any consequence, which he said himself. I'm not sure what he's basing his conclusion on but he was in a hurry to get to his next appointment and didn't have time to discuss it further and just instructed me to schedule the appointment for the root canal.
About a month, maybe more, ago, I started to notice nerve sensitivity and located the source to be the area above the gum line -- way up on the boney part as far as one can reach with a finger -- all the way to the back of my mouth. It is not directly over the second molar but more toward the back of it. If I press on it directly or through the cheek, it feels like something is pressing on a nerve and feels uncomfortable; no pain. There is no pain or discomfort at all with any of the teeth.
I was at the dentist for a regular teeth cleaning two days ago and mentioned it to the hygienist, so she took an x-ray of the area. My dentist stopped in after the cleaning to ask if there are any problems. I told him about about this nerve sensitivity and he spent about two minutes looking at the x-ray and my mouth and concluded I need a root canal of the second molar. I scheduled it but I'm questioning whether this will really correct the problem. My issue doesn't seem to have anything to do with this tooth and I don't honestly see how doing a root canal will take the nerve sensitivity away from this area in the back of my mouth. I don't have dental insurance so I'm even more reluctant to spend so much money. I am considering getting an opinion from another dentist but before I do, as money is very tight at the moment, I'm hoping maybe someone on this board could give me their initial impressions. Thank you very much.
Added - To clarify - when he looked at the x-ray and compared it to the previous one, there was a shade of a shadow, really nothing there of any consequence, which he said himself. I'm not sure what he's basing his conclusion on but he was in a hurry to get to his next appointment and didn't have time to discuss it further and just instructed me to schedule the appointment for the root canal.
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