I have a filling on two teeth which are adjacent to each other. I started having pain with those teeth. Eventually, the pain got so bad that I went to see a dentist. I will admit to not liking to go unless it is necessary. I do get one cleaning a year, but that’s about all I can handle. The dentist did an x-ray and told me that there is an abscess and the teeth will need to be pulled. I’m sort of a wreck over this. I don’t like the idea of not having those teeth. Is there any way to save them?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

I am sorry you are in so much pain. What I would like you to do is get a second opinion on these teeth. Just because you have an abscessed tooth does not mean that the tooth has to be extracted. Unless the tooth is too far gone to be saved, the typical solution is to do a root canal treatment. This cleans out the infected pulp of the tooth. In most cases, you will also need a dental crown but this allows you to save your tooth.

I’m having some doubts that your teeth are as far gone as to necessitate an extraction. If they were that bad I do not think an x-ray would even have been necessary. To be honest, some dentists are just more willing to put in the work to save teeth than others.

You mentioned that you do not like going to the dentist. That is usually a sign of dental anxiety and is more common than people realize. When you get your second opinion, I would like you to see a sedation dentist. They can provide you with some medication which will allow you to feel completely relaxed in the dental chair.

If it does turn out that you need your teeth extracted, you will want to replace them as soon as possible. If you don’t, the adjacent teeth will drift and tip into the empty space, which can lead to painful TMJ Disorder. If it comes to that, the best tooth replacement is a dental implant.

Don’t put off getting this double checked. You do not want it to turn into a dental emergency.
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