Quote:
Originally posted by JohnnyRock
I recently had root canal done--not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. My question is how long can I go with the temporary filling [instead of a crown and post, I guess] in? It is kinda outta my price range right now to upgrade.
Thanks!!!!
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This is a tough spot, JR. It really should be done ASAP. The things that can go wrong are:
1) the tooth breaks because alot of it is removed during a root canal, leaving it weak. A broken tooth at this point could leave you needing gum surgery or an extraction. Not what you need after spending $$ on a root canal.
2) The inside of the tooth gets infected again. The seal with the temporary filling isn't 100% and right now the inside of the tooth is sterile. If it gets infected again, you'd need a cleanup of the root canal (basically a re-doing it). A problem is that you will not know if it's reinfected since you no longer have a nerve in the tooth that could feel it happening.
Now that you made a good decision to keep your tooth I really wouldn't wait too long, the potential for it to cost more due to waiting is too great. I read a study last year that showed that if a temporary filling was left in place for over 3 months, the root canal should be redone. I'm not sure if I'd go that far but it's food for thought.
Ask your dentist if you can pay in installments. They might agree to it since you'll likely need a few appointments for the post & core & crown.
Good luck.