Do I really need to have my tooth removed when it doesn’t actually hurt?

Q.
My crown has fallen out and after visiting a dentist I was told that my root filling is not all the way to the end of the root.
The root filling and crown were fited about 20 years ago. I have had no pain from the tooth. The dentist tried to drill out the old root filling but told me it was not possible to do so as the ‘cement’ is too hard to drill through.
She doesnt want to put a new crown on top. (Actually I also still have the old crown which she also doesnt want to stick back in). Instead she has recomended that I have a bridge, but I am not keen on damaging healthy teeth on either side.
I am totally confused and considering a second opinion when I came accross this website.
Is it so bad to have a root filling not to the end. I have not ever had any pain from this tooth since the crown was fitted all those years ago.
What can you recomend?
Many thanks in advance.
A.
When I encounter this problem I let the patient know the pros and cons of leaving the tooth with a short root filling but I’m generally happy to put the old crown back in if the tooth has been symptomless for 20 years. If a new crown is needed its best to redo the root filling although this can be problematic as you’ve found out. If the tooth did need to come out think about an implant instead of drilling down the adjacent teeth
Dr Andrew Moore Advance Dental Clinic 104 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0JG Web: www.advancedentalclinic.com Tel: 08443 87 87 88 View My Profile Dr Moore

Leave a Reply