Root Canal Neccessary?

A crown falls off . Appointment with Dentist is made and before the Dentist puts the crown back on he wants to do a Root Canal. The tooth is not painfull, It just needs crown replaced that popped off during flossing of teeth. I feel my friend is being taken advantage of. How do we prove Root Canals neccessary or Not. Don't tell me a second opinion coz. There is no Competive pricing in the Dental world for procedures. We patients do not get a price list for procedures to shop around with and Dentist take care of thier own. Price fixing is legal in America with the Governments blessing. Or else there would be competive gas prices, perscription drugs, food, clothing etc. All stores, and stations, company charge the same fee mabye with a few pennies difference and big deal that is not competitive priceing.

[love1221]

There's really no way to PROVE that you don't need a root canal.  If there was decay under the crown, which may be the reason it popped off, that decay could be too close to the nerve to just recement the crown.  Did the dentist take an x-ray of this tooth?

[Killerpain]

Was there a previous root canal under the crown?  Ask to see the x-ray.  If you can see on the screen that there is a filling or something as far down as touching the root, you will know better that it is needed.  If there is nothing there or existing filling is high and there is lots of space between it and the root tell him forget it.  A friend of mine (retired dentist) says once a root canal is done the tooth dries out and is prone to more problems.   Also even if there is pain sometimes they target the wrong tooth and then you are back again - so pretty pricey.
So if there isn't pain or substantial reason forget it.

[love1221]

That's a good plan, except for the fact that I doubt the dentist will recement the crown without doing a root canal if he thinks that's what it needs.  I would assume that a good dentist wouldn't do that.  However, they may let you just sign a waiver saying that you don't want the root canal, so that you can't blame them for any future problems.  Targeting the wrong tooth happens less often than what people let on.  Most of the time there is more than one bad tooth.  The worst one gets taken care of first and as soon as you get relief from that the other one starts to hurt.

[Ania778]

You can usually get an idea if you need a root canal by looking at a high quality x ray of the root.  There is usually a shadow which indicates infection.  You should also have some tenderness somewhere near the end of the root and even if you are not in agony you will often feel that something is not quite right with you teeth.  The remainder of the tooth may be discoloured.  If you put something like ice on the tooth you will be unable to feel it on the affected tooth but if you put it on the surrounding teeth it will hurt.   If you can feel it only slightly then the nerve may be dying.   Ice is probably the best test if you are not sure.   I have heard that crowns don't usually fall off unless there is decay present.  Maybe the dentist is thinking of a root canal as a precaution.  I would get a second opinion and take your crown elsewhere especially if you have the same feeling in this tooth as with others when you try ice on it.