Root Canal or Filling?

[bananamber]

Unfortunately my HMO requires I schedule appointments 6 months in advance so I generally avoid going to the dentist unless I really need to or for just yearly cleanings.

In the back of my upper right lateral incisor I have a cavity approximately a 1/3 of the size of the tooth. I unfortunately never got it filled (Which I really regret) and now I've been having pain. I believe it's infected and abscessed (I've had abscessed teeth before so I know what it feels like). The pain is on and off and really only when I'm laying down and sometimes I feel it elsewhere in my mouth but still on the same side and the tooth is somewhat sensitive to cold. Obviously I don't have any x-rays so I'm trying to give the best description possible. In order to deal with the infection, pending a visit to the dentist, I've been taking 3 500mg Amoxicillins every day for the past 4 days and have one day left. I know I'm not supposed to take antibiotics unless prescribed specifically for that reason but as I said, my insurance sucks and I can't afford too many trips to the dentist.

Basically, is it possible I could only require a filling? Or is it imperative I get a root canal? I can forgo my insurance for a filling as it's only $150 but I cannot afford a root canal and the nearest sliding-scale dentist or clinic is very, very far.

Thanks!

 

[dallison]

Hi banamber,
I am a root canal specialist and I can give you some advice if you haven't already been taken care of. The kind of pain you are experiencing means the nerve in your tooth has been exposed by the decay and is dying. If cold hurts, of course that means the nerve is still alive, but the pain that is constantly there means the nerve is dying. Once the nerve tissue dies, germs find their way into the dying/dead nerve tissue causing an abscess to form. Sorry to say, but a filling will not help. You need to have a root canal treatment to stop your pain and prevent an abscess from forming.