u/Both-Type7117

Call me crazy, but I would almost swear that I’m onto something. In the past, I have had a great success with my dentists. Recently, however, that has not been the case.

I was intubated back in December 2025 for a big-time procedure, and as they were excavating me, someone accidentally hit a molar that had previously had a filling. The filling broke off, of course. I changed insurances around to cover surgeries like this big-time procedure.

Insurance is, as all Americans know, completely ridiculous & my the medical insurance I have now no longer covers dental (rip @ the timing).

I have only found one practice that takes my new dental insurance. The dentist filled it, I forked over a hefty “co-pay” (essentially paying out of pocket,) & for the last couple months I have been in pain like there’s no tomorrow. Every 2-3 weeks I’ve been in his office & I’m ticked at this point. Each time they’re telling me “oh you must have bruising” or “the white filling takes longer to heal” which is something I’ve never heard before.

So for almost four months, I have been eating on the left side of my mouth. Very inconvenient when one is in a rush.

The last visit a dentist-nurse/assistant saw me, & I told her that the same stuff is going on. She disappeared for twenty minutes, came back & said that I have two options: 1. Wait yet another two weeks, or 2. Schedule a root canal.

I am not scheduling a flipping root canal with this dude. Looking at it from a financial aspect, I could take a trip to Costa Rica, have a dentist there redo my filling & come back to the US for the same dang price.

I take care of my teeth: I have all my morning & evening routines down pat. I’m someone that has always cared about my mouth’s health. My tooth hurts, I don’t understand what is going on & frankly feel like I’m being taken advantage of. I’m a young lady in my 20s & I live a pretty healthy lifestyle—no soda/energy drinks & no sticky/hard candies.

So back to the question: is it possible that this new dentist screwed with my tooth & did something to the nerve? Or should I just have the dang tooth extracted?

This exact same thing has happened to my boyfriend recently, same city, same jaw area, but different dentists—both of us are having to continue to chew on the left sides of our mouths.

Some context on location: it is my bottom right molar, I think #31 or #32. (I have had my wisdom teeth removed.)

I honestly enjoy going to the dentist but this whole experience has left a sour taste in my mouth. (Buh-dum-tss)

TL;DR After a filling on my bottom right molar was replaced following damage during an intubation, I’ve had persistent pain for nearly four months. Despite multiple visits, my dentist keeps dismissing it as normal healing and is now pushing a root canal. I take good care of my teeth, so I’m wondering whether the filling may have damaged the tooth or irritated the nerve, or if I should seek a second opinion instead of letting this dentist do more work—or even consider extraction. Oddly, my boyfriend is experiencing a nearly identical issue with a different dentist in the same city.

EDIT: hey friends! I like dentists. I value their insight in taking care of teeth. This was a “is this a possibility” question, not a “I hate dentists, especially this one. Let’s all hate on him” discussion. I am very open to input & know that I don’t have all the answers which is why I presented all the information here so that everyone had all the context. Frankly, I’m worried & stressed.

I received a RNS implant back in December of 2025, & although the company that makes the implants, Neuropace, says that studies show that it is a safe option for women of childbearing age with refractory epilepsy, I’d really like to know someone’s personal experience. I know I’d have to wean off the current medication that I’m on, but this is a question for my future—not at the moment.
Thank you for any information that you may have regarding this topic?