If I wait 3 weeks could this cavity become a root canal?!
Question: I went to the dentists 2 days ago and he found two cavities. One is no big deal but the other is where a filling fell out. He said it could become a root canal if I ignore it however I am getting it filled in 3 weeks. Is there any danger of it becoming a root canal? I don't drink soda and brush twice a day floss and rinse.
Answers: I went to the dentists 2 days ago and he found two cavities. One is no big deal but the other is where a filling fell out. He said it could become a root canal if I ignore it however I am getting it filled in 3 weeks. Is there any danger of it becoming a root canal? I don't drink soda and brush twice a day floss and rinse.
I'm a dentist.
Technically, yes, waiting three weeks could turn a tooth that needs only a filling into one that needs a root canal. Realistically, not likely.
If the decay went right up to the pulp so that toxins from the bacteria could harm the pulp, then it's conceivable that waiting three weeks could allow the pulp to become "sick" from the bacteria to the point where it cannot heal itself.
Basically, if the tooth's pulp was right on the cusp (no pun intended) of the transition from reversible inflammation to irreversible inflammation, then three weeks could make a difference.
Realistically, especially if the decay isn't that severe, three weeks won't do any appreciable harm.
Anything is possible-it is hard to predict these things.
Could you tell me where in Oregon you live-I am thinking of moving there.
I would say that yes, 3 weeks can make a difference in the health of the tooth. If the tooth is open because a filling fell out, and saliva and bacteria have been washing over the inside of the tooth, then yes that can be bad for your nerve.
I saw a teenager today who had a filling so large on her 6 year molar that the whole crown of the tooth was soft right up to the enamel layer, and it extended down all the way to be just above her pulp chamber, maybe even right into the nerve. And she said it never bothered her any more that just a little bit once in a while.
The point is, once saliva and bacteria get into the inside layers of the tooth, then there are millions of tubes that carry that stuff right to the nerve. And yes, that can damage your nerve.
3 weeks no, 3 months maybe, 3 years maybe. It can wait 3 weeks you'll be fine. Just don't wait too long