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saving a difficult tooth
saving a difficult tooth
tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
and drilled until faced with entering the root,
which would mean losing the tooth. So he
stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
estimate). Then he capped it with some white
filing, and now I have the crown.
He said the filling and crown would hopefully
deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
further decay.
Anybody have any experience with such
a situation? Prognosis?
--
Rich
tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
and drilled until faced with entering the root,
which would mean losing the tooth. So he
stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
estimate). Then he capped it with some white
filing, and now I have the crown.
He said the filling and crown would hopefully
deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
further decay.
Anybody have any experience with such
a situation? Prognosis?
--
Rich
Re: saving a difficult tooth
RichD wrote:
> tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
> Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
> I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
>
> The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
> and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
> and drilled until faced with entering the root,
> which would mean losing the tooth. So he
> stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
> estimate). Then he capped it with some white
> filing, and now I have the crown.
>
> He said the filling and crown would hopefully
> deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
> further decay.
>
> Anybody have any experience with such
> a situation? Prognosis?
>
>
>
> --
> Rich
>
I'm not understanding why all the decay wasn't removed. Ordinarily,
one might leave minimal caries at the base of a cavity preparation if it
is thought removing the last bit of decay will expose the pulp. This is
called an indirect pulp cap.
But you've already had the root canal done. I can only guess--perhaps
removing the decay would lead to a root perforation--perhaps in the
furcation between the roots. If so, I wouldn't think the tooth would
have a great prognosis. But I'm only guessing here--I'd have to see the
tooth, and/or an x-ray.
Steve
RichD wrote:
> tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
> Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
> I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
>
> The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
> and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
> and drilled until faced with entering the root,
> which would mean losing the tooth. So he
> stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
> estimate). Then he capped it with some white
> filing, and now I have the crown.
>
> He said the filling and crown would hopefully
> deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
> further decay.
>
> Anybody have any experience with such
> a situation? Prognosis?
>
>
>
> --
> Rich
>
I'm not understanding why all the decay wasn't removed. Ordinarily,
one might leave minimal caries at the base of a cavity preparation if it
is thought removing the last bit of decay will expose the pulp. This is
called an indirect pulp cap.
But you've already had the root canal done. I can only guess--perhaps
removing the decay would lead to a root perforation--perhaps in the
furcation between the roots. If so, I wouldn't think the tooth would
have a great prognosis. But I'm only guessing here--I'd have to see the
tooth, and/or an x-ray.
Steve
Re: saving a difficult tooth
On May 5, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink . net > wrote:
> > tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
> > Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
> > I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
>
> > The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
> > and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
> > and drilled until faced with entering the root,
> > which would mean losing the tooth. So he
> > stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
> > estimate). Then he capped it with some white
> > filing, and now I have the crown.
>
> > He said the filling and crown would hopefully
> > deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
> > further decay.
>
> > Anybody have any experience with such
> > a situation?
> I'm not understanding why all the decay wasn't
> removed. Ordinarily, one might leave minimal caries
> at the base of a cavity preparation if it
> is thought removing the last bit of decay will expose the
> pulp. This is called an indirect pulp cap.
I'm not sure, I can only report what he
told me: drilling further - "following the
decay" - would threaten the tooth.
> But you've already had the root canal done.
> I can only guess--perhaps removing the decay
> would lead to a root perforation--
> perhaps in the furcation between the roots. If so,
> I wouldn't think the tooth would
> have a great prognosis.
It's probably something like that.
The prognosis is poor because of the
decay left behind? The bacteria is
anaerobic? The tooth will rot completely,
even without oxygen?
What is a furcation?
> But I'm only guessing here--
> I'd have to see the tooth, and/or an x-ray.
Of course, no one expects actual
diagnosis when he comes here with
such questions. What I'm looking for,
is the spectrum of possibilities, given
the data; A to C, or A to G, or A to N...
Or, in some cases, there may be
hesitation regarding the dentist's
recommendation. Then, the question
becomes whether his opinion seems
plausible, under the described
circumstances. If it sounds fishy, one
might consider seeking a second opinion.
Thank you for your time.
--
Rich
On May 5, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink . net > wrote:
> > tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
> > Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
> > I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
>
> > The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
> > and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
> > and drilled until faced with entering the root,
> > which would mean losing the tooth. So he
> > stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
> > estimate). Then he capped it with some white
> > filing, and now I have the crown.
>
> > He said the filling and crown would hopefully
> > deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
> > further decay.
>
> > Anybody have any experience with such
> > a situation?
> I'm not understanding why all the decay wasn't
> removed. Ordinarily, one might leave minimal caries
> at the base of a cavity preparation if it
> is thought removing the last bit of decay will expose the
> pulp. This is called an indirect pulp cap.
I'm not sure, I can only report what he
told me: drilling further - "following the
decay" - would threaten the tooth.
> But you've already had the root canal done.
> I can only guess--perhaps removing the decay
> would lead to a root perforation--
> perhaps in the furcation between the roots. If so,
> I wouldn't think the tooth would
> have a great prognosis.
It's probably something like that.
The prognosis is poor because of the
decay left behind? The bacteria is
anaerobic? The tooth will rot completely,
even without oxygen?
What is a furcation?
> But I'm only guessing here--
> I'd have to see the tooth, and/or an x-ray.
Of course, no one expects actual
diagnosis when he comes here with
such questions. What I'm looking for,
is the spectrum of possibilities, given
the data; A to C, or A to G, or A to N...
Or, in some cases, there may be
hesitation regarding the dentist's
recommendation. Then, the question
becomes whether his opinion seems
plausible, under the described
circumstances. If it sounds fishy, one
might consider seeking a second opinion.
Thank you for your time.
--
Rich
Re: saving a difficult tooth
RichD wrote:
> On May 5, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink . net > wrote:
>>> tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
>>> Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
>>> I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
>>> The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
>>> and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
>>> and drilled until faced with entering the root,
>>> which would mean losing the tooth. So he
>>> stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
>>> estimate). Then he capped it with some white
>>> filing, and now I have the crown.
>>> He said the filling and crown would hopefully
>>> deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
>>> further decay.
>>> Anybody have any experience with such
>>> a situation?
>
>> I'm not understanding why all the decay wasn't
>> removed. Ordinarily, one might leave minimal caries
>> at the base of a cavity preparation if it
>> is thought removing the last bit of decay will expose the
>> pulp. This is called an indirect pulp cap.
>
> I'm not sure, I can only report what he
> told me: drilling further - "following the
> decay" - would threaten the tooth.
>
>> But you've already had the root canal done.
>> I can only guess--perhaps removing the decay
>> would lead to a root perforation--
>> perhaps in the furcation between the roots. If so,
>> I wouldn't think the tooth would
>> have a great prognosis.
>
> It's probably something like that.
> The prognosis is poor because of the
> decay left behind? The bacteria is
> anaerobic? The tooth will rot completely,
> even without oxygen?
Speculating now--either the decay would perforate the root, causing an
infection, or the tooth is so compromised structurally that normal
chewing forces have a significant chance of fracturing the restored
tooth. In either of these cases, leaving the decay wouldn't seem to
improve the prognosis--the tooth sounds questionable.
>
> What is a furcation?
Furcation is the separation between multiple roots--so that (for
instance) a lower molar with typically 2 distinct roots, the bifurcation
is that space below the crown where the two roots separate.
>
>> But I'm only guessing here--
>> I'd have to see the tooth, and/or an x-ray.
>
> Of course, no one expects actual
> diagnosis when he comes here with
> such questions. What I'm looking for,
> is the spectrum of possibilities, given
> the data; A to C, or A to G, or A to N...
>
> Or, in some cases, there may be
> hesitation regarding the dentist's
> recommendation. Then, the question
> becomes whether his opinion seems
> plausible, under the described
> circumstances. If it sounds fishy, one
> might consider seeking a second opinion.
>
>
> Thank you for your time.
Considering the investment of time and money you can make, I think a
second opinion is almost always a good idea.
Steve
>
> --
> Rich
--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
* w w w .dentaltwins . com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001
RichD wrote:
> On May 5, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink . net > wrote:
>>> tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
>>> Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
>>> I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
>>> The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
>>> and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
>>> and drilled until faced with entering the root,
>>> which would mean losing the tooth. So he
>>> stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
>>> estimate). Then he capped it with some white
>>> filing, and now I have the crown.
>>> He said the filling and crown would hopefully
>>> deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
>>> further decay.
>>> Anybody have any experience with such
>>> a situation?
>
>> I'm not understanding why all the decay wasn't
>> removed. Ordinarily, one might leave minimal caries
>> at the base of a cavity preparation if it
>> is thought removing the last bit of decay will expose the
>> pulp. This is called an indirect pulp cap.
>
> I'm not sure, I can only report what he
> told me: drilling further - "following the
> decay" - would threaten the tooth.
>
>> But you've already had the root canal done.
>> I can only guess--perhaps removing the decay
>> would lead to a root perforation--
>> perhaps in the furcation between the roots. If so,
>> I wouldn't think the tooth would
>> have a great prognosis.
>
> It's probably something like that.
> The prognosis is poor because of the
> decay left behind? The bacteria is
> anaerobic? The tooth will rot completely,
> even without oxygen?
Speculating now--either the decay would perforate the root, causing an
infection, or the tooth is so compromised structurally that normal
chewing forces have a significant chance of fracturing the restored
tooth. In either of these cases, leaving the decay wouldn't seem to
improve the prognosis--the tooth sounds questionable.
>
> What is a furcation?
Furcation is the separation between multiple roots--so that (for
instance) a lower molar with typically 2 distinct roots, the bifurcation
is that space below the crown where the two roots separate.
>
>> But I'm only guessing here--
>> I'd have to see the tooth, and/or an x-ray.
>
> Of course, no one expects actual
> diagnosis when he comes here with
> such questions. What I'm looking for,
> is the spectrum of possibilities, given
> the data; A to C, or A to G, or A to N...
>
> Or, in some cases, there may be
> hesitation regarding the dentist's
> recommendation. Then, the question
> becomes whether his opinion seems
> plausible, under the described
> circumstances. If it sounds fishy, one
> might consider seeking a second opinion.
>
>
> Thank you for your time.
Considering the investment of time and money you can make, I think a
second opinion is almost always a good idea.
Steve
>
> --
> Rich
--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
* w w w .dentaltwins . com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001
Re: saving a difficult tooth
probably poor.
--
/
Amatus
/
"RichD" <r_delaney2001@yahoo . com > wrote in message
news:0f3cbf2b-1c12-4976-b850-7e6ceff7b7a8@u36g2000prf.googlegroups . com ...
> tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
> Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
> I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
>
> The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
> and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
> and drilled until faced with entering the root,
> which would mean losing the tooth. So he
> stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
> estimate). Then he capped it with some white
> filing, and now I have the crown.
>
> He said the filling and crown would hopefully
> deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
> further decay.
>
> Anybody have any experience with such
> a situation? Prognosis?
>
>
>
> --
> Rich
>
probably poor.
--
/
Amatus
/
"RichD" <r_delaney2001@yahoo . com > wrote in message
news:0f3cbf2b-1c12-4976-b850-7e6ceff7b7a8@u36g2000prf.googlegroups . com ...
> tooth #3, I had a root canal last September.
> Leaving it as is for several months (bad idea,
> I know), I finally got fitted for a crown.
>
> The dentist found further decay (caries, I guess),
> and tried to clean it out. He said he "followed it",
> and drilled until faced with entering the root,
> which would mean losing the tooth. So he
> stopped there, getting 90% of the decay (his
> estimate). Then he capped it with some white
> filing, and now I have the crown.
>
> He said the filling and crown would hopefully
> deprive the bacteria of oxygen, preventing
> further decay.
>
> Anybody have any experience with such
> a situation? Prognosis?
>
>
>
> --
> Rich
>
