Did I really need root canal?

[Jamco]

I broke a top left side molar while eating a bagel. A jagged triangle shape that reached to the gumline. I waited two weeks to see a dentist (financial reasons). since the tooth did not hurt. I never had any problems with this tooth before it broke.

I went to a new dentist (not an endodontist) hoping to get it filled in with some kind of a patch. He said the xray showed that the filling there was too large and that there was not enough tooth left to hold a crown without doing root canal to strenghthen the tooth. So... I had root canal.

After two appointments the root canal is finished.I think he did four canals and he took xrays after each one to make sure they were placed correctly. The last one was curved and he struggled with it. There is a just temporary filling there now.

I cannot chew ANYTHING on that side of my mouth without pain. But it has only been 4 days and I am hoping that the tooth settles down.

Those are the facts and here are my questions.

1. Did I really need rct if there was no pain prior to the tooth breaking? Could'nt he just patch the chip.
2. If my tooth is still painful to chew by my next appointment (9 days between appointments) should I let the dentist build the post and place the temp crown?

Thanks

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

The answer to question 1 a and b is that I couldn't give you an opinion without seeing the tooth. I would not treat the tooth unless it was totally asymptomatic. I would hope that the tooth was taken out of occlusion so that when you close your mouth normally you do not touch the tooth.

[mike1105]

1. sometimes it is necessary to do an "elective" root canal if the crack is very close to the nerve or if the tooth is so severely broken that a post is needed to build up the toot (you cant place a post without first doing a root canal).

2. in no way should you allow any more treatment on this tooth while it is still symptomatic. If symptoms persist for more than a week, you should see a root canal specialist ( which you probably hould have done in the first place as most general dnstis do NOT do 4 canaled molars as well as endodnotists) to evaluate the tooth and the integrity/quality of the root canal treatment that was done.