Just got a crown, but now I need a root canal on the same tooth 🙄

[usagora]

I've had a few crowns before, and all sensitivity went away within a few weeks. Not this one (tooth #31). It's been a month and half, and it still feels like I'm being drilled without Novocaine when cold liquid touches it, and the pain lingers for few minutes afterwards. It also hurts to eat anything hard or semi-hard on it. Went back to the dentist to have it x-rayed and examined. X-ray looks normal, but based on my description of the pain, the dentist has diagnosed me with irreversible pulpitis, which means a root canal and another $1100. Fun times. Better than dealing with this pain or losing the tooth by leaving it untreated, though.

 

[adrianlondon]

Ouch (both pain wise and financially). I didn't realise there was sometimes a reason for having a crown without needing a root canal.

 

[usagora]

Ouch (both pain wise and financially). I didn't realise there was sometimes a reason for having a crown without needing a root canal.

If a tooth has an extensive cavity, but one that hasn't reached the pulp yet, or the tooth has been worked on several times before--so that filling it again would weaken the entire tooth, the dentist will install a crown without the need for a root canal. I guess I just got unlucky this time and, in the dentist's words, the crown work "irritated the pulp gods".

 

[AlaskaMoose]

I have realized that an "implant" with a crown is more economical than a crown in the long run. It's extremely expensive in Alaska, compared to the rest of the US ("lower-48" as called in Alaska). It is also cheaper in Canada than the US . However, a crown is not a bad idea if the tooth is in structurally sound. I have a couple of crowns, and my wife has implants.

 

[shadow puppet]

I hope you're able to get your dental woes worked out. Dental pain is no joke.
But your crown rate is much better than mine. Here, in L.A., it runs me $3k/per crown.

 

[usagora]

I hope you're able to get your dental woes worked out. Dental pain is no joke.
But your crown rate is much better than mine. Here, in L.A., it runs me $3k/per crown.

Yikes, that does make me feel better. And my dentist has his own milling machine so there's no need for temporary crowns and a second appointment--they make the crown right there as you wait (your dentist may do the same thing). Pretty cool.

 

[shadow puppet]

Yikes, that does make me feel better. And my dentist has his own milling machine so there's no need for temporary crowns and a second appointment--they make the crown right there as you wait (your dentist may do the same thing). Pretty cool.

I WISH mine could make the crown in the same visit. That's quite a service! Mine has a service in the same building. They send a rep to come do a color match before taking the crown mold. It takes about 2 weeks for the final crown to be ready.

 

[usagora]

I WISH mine could make the crown in the same visit. That's quite a service! Mine has a service in the same building. They send a rep to come do a color match before taking the crown mold. It takes about 2 weeks for the final crown to be ready.

Yeah, they use some sort of 3d scanner in your mouth (you can literally see it drawing your teeth and gums on the monitor as they move it around your teeth) that is like a CAD blueprint for the milling machine. For 3 grand, your dentist OUGHT to offer quicker service!

 

[Huntn]

Ouch (both pain wise and financially). I didn't realise there was sometimes a reason for having a crown without needing a root canal.

My first crowns resulting from broken teeth (bouncing off a dashboard in a car crash), the dentist performed root canals. Since then, having multiple crowns installed due to cracked teeth (teeth with metal filings that after decades result in cracks forming), none have included root canals.

 

[myscrnnm]

I've had a few crowns before, and all sensitivity went away within a few weeks. Not this one (tooth #31). It's been a month and half, and it still feels like I'm being drilled without Novocaine when cold liquid touches it, and the pain lingers for few minutes afterwards. It also hurts to eat anything hard or semi-hard on it. Went back to the dentist to have it x-rayed and examined. X-ray looks normal, but based on my description of the pain, the dentist has diagnosed me with irreversible pulpitis, which means a root canal and another $1100. Fun times. Better than dealing with this pain or losing the tooth by leaving it untreated, though.

Does insurance not cover any of this? I'm scared because the only dental work I've ever had is routine teeth cleanings, so I don't know how operations like this work.

 

[splifingate]

I'm in the US, with company-provided dental insurance (I pay half the plan costs, and they pay the other half).

Insurance pay-outs are negotiated.

I had a situation last year where my company provider was changed in the middle stage of an implant (e.g., a dental implant is where they first drill/insert a post, let it heal-in for about three months, then attach a permanent crown to the post), and the dental office stated that I would now incur a USD 1K extra cost above the originally stated cost (of the crown attach) due to having a new Provider.

Additionally, the new Provider had a written stipulation that no service above USD 1K was allowed within the first twelve months of a new term.

I also had the option to pay out-of-pocket for USD 1K more!

It was an awkward moment.

I asked "So, if I walked-in off the street with a bag of fifty-dollar bills, my costs would *still* be over a grand more than using insurance?" They straight-facedly said "Yes."

Everything worked-out (in the end): continued dialogue with the new Provider allowed my classification as an established 'member', they covered a large portion of the costs of crown (albeit not exactly as large as the previous Provider would have), and I now have what is--effectively--a new tooth in Good Standing <smile>

This is a small dental office, and they have one FT employee whose entire role is to manage just the insurance side of things ;/

Call it a Racket, sham or what-have-you, but it's all just the Cost of Doing Business.

 

[satcomer]

I got crown on ripped tooth on lower jaw! I remember her (the dentist) remarking all her clients were Top Secret people and I told her you were the only one in 50 miles that approved! You should have seen the look on her face!

 

[usagora]

Does insurance not cover any of this? I'm scared because the only dental work I've ever had is routine teeth cleanings, so I don't know how operations like this work.

I don't have dental insurance. I recently signed up for my dentist's in-house discount program, which is a $350 annual fee that covers 2 cleanings + x-rays and gets you 20% off all other procedures. If you mean you're scared of the potential cost, then no need to sweat it if you have insurance--just check your policy to see what it covers. If you mean you're scared of the procedure itself, then no need to be. They give you a local anesthetic, so the only "pain" is the shot, but even that isn't so bad. The worst part for me is the strain on my mouth/jaw from them working so long in there and spraying all that water that starts to pool before they suction it out, but there's no real acute pain or anything.

 

[Huntn]

Does insurance not cover any of this? I'm scared because the only dental work I've ever had is routine teeth cleanings, so I don't know how operations like this work.

When I was working before retiring, a crown with insurance cost $350. As a retiree, I’m paying $500 for a crown. These insurance plans have limits something like 1 or 2 crowns a year depending on the plan, which can vary greatly.

 

[usagora]

Update:

I just got back from my root canal. About 2 hours in the chair from start to finish. I'm not going to lie--it was definitely the most uncomfortable dental procedure I've had done. My mouth was propped wide open the entire time, and I felt the constant need to swallow, which is hard to do with your mouth wide open. Ugh. Obviously I've experienced this before with fillings and crowns, but not for this length of time.

As for pain, I had 4 shots of novocaine, and could definitely still feel some pain when he really started in with the filing of the canals, but it wasn't unbearable or anything--mainly because it came in short doses. The only really bad pain was from one of the antiseptics he put down in the canals--it was an acute, intense burning pain. He rinsed it out really quickly after I indicated I was in severe pain, and then thankfully it subsided. Apparently I had a lot of pulp irritation and bleeding going on which complicated things, so that was part of the problem.

I was under the impression that I would have to get a new crown, but he actually just drilled through the crown and will fill it permanently in 2 weeks. I paid $877 after the 20% discount I get with their in-house discount plan.

I'm just glad the worst part is over with and that I won't have to deal with that tooth pain once my mouth recovers. I'm also thankful for modern dental technology!