r/Toothfully

I had a deep filling on a right lower molar 10 months ago with no issues since and really have never had tooth issues before, besides that. About 5 days ago, I noticed temperature sensitivity on that side of my mouth, which progressed over the past 48 hours to be pretty severe with both hot and cold stimuli.

So, I saw my dentist, who did the X-rays, CDCT, and exam, and did not see any structural damage, but because the cold sensitivity lingered for ~5 seconds on that same right lower molar, i'm being recommended a root canal.

I just don't understand how there could be irreversible damage to my nerve in 5 days, especially if the pain subsides after 5-10 seconds of the trigger being removed. Is it possible for transient pulpitis to self-resolve or do I really need to move forward with the root canal?

About 10 years ago, I had an accident that damaged my two front teeth. Since then, I had cosmetic bonding/patch work on those teeth, and cosmetically they looked quite nice for many years.

About a month ago, I started seeing a new dentist. During the consultation, she told me there was discoloration and possible decay developing underneath the old cosmetic work, and she recommended placing crowns on the two front teeth. I agreed to that treatment plan after discussing it with the office manager, understanding the estimated costs, and confirming what would be covered by insurance.

Importantly, the original treatment plan only involved the two front crowns that had already been discussed ahead of time.

Then, on the day of the procedure, while I was already lying down in the dental chair (before numbing started), the dentist brought up a new recommendation for the first time. She pointed out that an older crown on the tooth adjacent to my front teeth was lighter in color and might not match the new crowns aesthetically. She asked whether I also wanted to replace that crown.

This third crown had never been discussed during the consultation, treatment planning, or financial discussion beforehand. It also was not covered under the original insurance/treatment plan and would become an additional out-of-pocket expense.

I was surprised and immediately asked:

• Why is this being brought up right now?
• How much time do I have to decide?
• How much would it cost?
• Is this medically necessary or mainly cosmetic?

She explained that the old crown itself was functioning well, but aesthetically it might not match the new crowns. She also said that if I chose to replace it later, there was a chance the shades still might not match perfectly in the future.

Even though I had not yet been numbed, I still felt psychologically pressured because I was already in the chair, mentally prepared for the procedure, and surrounded by the whole treatment setup. It felt difficult to pause and fully process an unexpected additional irreversible treatment and additional financial cost at that moment.

Eventually, I agreed and told her to proceed.

Part of my decision was emotional and social. I think I have internalized how much teeth aesthetics are emphasized in American culture, especially in professional settings and even in parent social circles. I worried that if the colors did not match, I might later regret not fixing everything at once.

Now I still have temporary crowns and am waiting for the permanent crowns to be made in two weeks. After reflecting on the experience, I feel uncomfortable and vulnerable about how the decision was introduced and consented to.

I am trying to understand:

• Is this a normal way for dentists to introduce additional cosmetic treatment?
• Is it reasonable to feel uncomfortable making this decision while already in the chair?
• Should major cosmetic and financial additions normally be discussed during consultation instead?
• What options do patients typically still have before permanent crowns are cemented?
• Would you seek a second opinion at this stage?

I am not trying to accuse the dentist of wrongdoing. I genuinely cannot tell whether this was standard practice or whether my discomfort is signaling something important about communication, timing, financial pressure, and informed consent.

So I have bruxism and TMJ to start. I had a root canal on tooth #31 and since then I’ve had the temp crown placed twice.

I think it was too high the first time they placed it and it came off.

When they replaced it the dentist drilled out a small crack line he saw. He said those teeth always crack.

Since then on Monday I’ve had some intermittent pressure feeling in my jaw under my ear. It doesn’t really hurt, it’s just annoying.

The infection was pressing on the jaw nerve and was causing some pins and needles feelings on my chin originally, that still come and go with the pressure feeling.

It doesn’t really feel swollen on the outside, but sometimes my ear hurts too.

Is this a serious emergency, or will the irritation go down now that the crown is seated lower?

Edit to add: before the root canal they gave me Amoxicillin. RCT was on 4/30.

I have had these braces for multiple years now. I just had a small overbite and I wore them for 6 months straight the whole day and night. My dentist then told me to only wear them at night for once a week. I did that but I forgot to wear them for one week and then it turned into two weeks and eventually into multiple months without the braces. Now I have tried to wear them again but they are extremely painful. Like the pain is traveling down my spine and it is giving me headaches. Is that normal? I have tried my best to get back into the rountine but I gave up. It feels like someone is ripping my teeth out. I can't deal with that amount of pain even for one hour.

Hello, I (18, F, autistic) wore braces for a few years and now I’m scheduled to have all four wisdom teeth removed. I’m really anxious about the procedure, the follow-up care, and the healing process. We’re currently still figuring out which appointments my autism service dog and/or my parents can come to, that will make a huge difference for me. Overall, though, I’ve unfortunately found that doctors here (I’m from Germany) have sometimes little interest in understanding or supporting patients with special needs. Does anyone have any tips or stories to share with me (anything would help 🤍)?

Hello. Well, my question is basically what the title says. But a little background: I got a root canal a few years ago, naturally my tooth genes aren't great, and that tooth (D5) wasn't good. I got the root canal to remove that infection but turns out it never really left, and you see the little mass with the scans. Now, I feel NO pain what so ever on the root canal tooth, but my dentist said we should remove the canal, apply bone graft and wait a months for the implant. Im 25, its the tooth next to my Canine (which they say is a strong healthy tooth) and they said they dont want it to cause issues. I haven't had any, and I don't know how long the bone graft recovery will leave me bed ridden (I had the wisdom removed in February, not great). So, any help? Can I wait or just do it asap?

Hello, last Friday I went to the dentist and had a bit of an odd experience and kind of feeling uncomfortable. I wanted to get some other people's opinions on it to see if I'm valid in my feelings and if I should move on to a different office.

Last Friday I went to a new dentist, I haven't been to a dentist appointment in a few years, I've recently got Medicaid which has allowed me to go now and I'm definitely overdue. I've been having issues with my gums being swollen and in pain, and headaches that I believe are because of my gums. Which I told them when I made the appointment and during the appointment. I told them that I believe it's periodontal disease as I had that a few years ago and it feels similar but I haven't been able to keep up on regular cleanings/check ups due to no insurance and I believe it's been slowly creeping back with plaque buildup.

Anyway, I made the appointment thinking I'm getting a full exam/x-rays. During my appointments they come in and she is literally in my mouth not even 2 minutes. She only looks at my front teeth. She found two small cavities with partial decay that she says isn't bad but they need fillings. I then noticed that she's putting the equipment up and I asked if that was it what about my back teeth? She replied "Oh, this is just a partial exam, We'll do a full exam later". So then I asked about my gums again and what she thinks is wrong, bring up periodontal disease again too and also ask if those two teeth could be causing the issue. She says oh yeah your gums are pretty swollen but I don't know why and she doesn't know if its periodontal disease or not (probably because i didnt get a full exam and she was in there less then 2 minutes). She doesn't think that those two teeth would be causing it which I don't think they would be causing it either as they haven't bothered me yet.

She then told me that I just have to start brushing my gums more and flossing. Which I'll admit I don't floss often but I do brush my gums and I don't think that's really the issue. They then kind of rush us out to the lobby to make appointments to get these done but I'm told that I have to make a separate appointment for each of these fillings even though they're really tiny and near eachother, a separate appointment for the full exam, and a separate appointment for the cleaning.

They made me an appointment this Monday for one of the fillings which I also thought was weird that I'm not getting a full exam my next appointment, they want to do the fillings first. After this Monday the next appointment isn't available for 2 months almost.... so I'm already going to be five appointments possibly more if they find other things after my full exam. I'm just worried that they are purposely stretching these out to charge Medicaid as much as they can, I was also hoping to get this all done much sooner as I'm not sure how long I'm going to be on Medicaid and also dealing with this gum pain and headaches.

Another thing that's minor but does strike me as weird as we were leaving the dental assistant stops us and says oh by the way your partner isn't allowed in the back of the room next time but we made it an exception for you today. Granted they didn't say anything when we headed to a room when called back and there were chairs in the room for people to sit on already. He wasn't in the way and didn't really talk so I don't see the issue, so I asked her why and all she said was that some dentists just like it that way and walked away. I thought it was very strange and does bother me a little bit as I have anxiety with dentists and having my partner near me even if he's not talking helps lower my anxiety down.

Sorry, I know this was very long but I was just feeling really uncomfortable and wanted to get some second opinions on if this was a normal or strange visit and if I should move on or go tomorrow for my filling. Thanks.

I have a parent who ended up with severe issues after having me and my siblings and the treatments didn’t work and now they have implants. My parent is fine with it but it honestly just makes me sad because I don’t think anyone should go through pain for years.
I went to the dentists growing up and then I lost insurance/have very little funds as a student.I have a proper routine with flossing but idk if I’m getting paranoid or what but I’m scared for an upcoming appointment. Like I hate to be dramatic but as someone who already has anxiety about so many life things,I don’t think I can take another issue especially one regarding teeth,bone loss and gums issues. I don’t even have a social life and like zero confidence and having teeth/gums issues will just make it worse.