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My dentist has told me I need to have my root canal treatment with another dentist, is this normal?

hi i wonder if u could help me understand what my dentist was talking about, i had a big filling 30 years ago and never had a problem, I hate going to the dentists and hated this experience, since then it started to give me a lot of pain (lower molar tooth) today she said i need a root canal, she also told me that it was a very large filling with a pin running through it, she then tried to get into the cannel roots and said she could only get to one, and that i would need to see a specialist because the root canals are very tiny. she put a tempory dressing over it, im confused about what she means and how this has left me. with anything other than check ups I get really nervous/panicky this doesn’t help and I need to know what I can do, sorry Dr and thank you!

Hello
Ill try to explain what is happening here on the basis of what you have told me .
Your tooth was hurting because over the years bacteria have crept in around the edges of the old filling caused tooth decay under it .
It can be pain free for years until something sets it off and you get an acutely inflamed nerve (toothache ) , or even the nerve may have died underneath the decay .
Often the inflammation of the nerve is irreversible , and the only way to remove the pain is to remove the infected nerve tissue , ( dpesnt matter whether alive or dead treatment is the same) _
In a molar tooth there will be between 2 and 4 canals , the usual being 3 . The dentist drills down and finds the tiny entrances to these channels ,which are as narrow as a fine sewing needle . Once the entrances are found special instruments are put down the channel to get all the stuff out to the end of the root .
The channels are then widened out , and special root filling materials are placed to the exact length , then a filling is placed on top again .
Every tooth can be a bit different , and it can be tricky to find the entrances , and then get right down the canals if they are fine or curved .
I can usually do this and I use high magnification eye loupes to see better . However If I do have difficulty then I refer on to an endodontist who has further advanced training , only does that sort of work , does the trickier cases , and has a microscope to work with and more specialist tools .
Your dentist has been honest with you and not just fudged it .
Root canal treatments do not have to be painful , but molar ones are more complex treatments for a dentist to learn and carry out .
The tooth may now be pain free , but it will need definite treatment sooner rather than later or you will lose it

Answer provided by: Dr Jennifer Pinder Retired
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