For the last two weeks, I have been having pain that comes and goes on the left side of my mouth. I finally called a dentist. I haven’t been to a dentist in my new city yet because I have been so busy, so I just had to take the one who’d see me first. He did an x-ray and told me I have a cavity on a tooth that already has a filling. He told me that only about 10% of the tooth is viable, so while he can try to save it, he really thinks he’ll have to extract it and do a dental implant to replace it. I feel really weird about this. I know he is the dentist but this seems so extreme compared to other treatments I’ve had with my old dentist. For some reason, I feel like he can’t be trusted. Should I get a second opinion or am I overreacting?
Katie
Dear Katie,
No, I do not think you are overreacting. There are a couple of things that bother me about this. If you had such a serious infection, it would have been hurting much further back than two weeks.
Second, decay that extensive would not require an x-ray to see. You’d have been able to see it yourself in a mirror. It is also likely that the filling you already had would fall into the decay in your tooth.
So, yes, I want you to get a second opinion about this tooth. When you do, make sure it is a blind second opinion. By that, I mean do not tell the dentist who you saw or what the diagnosis was. Just tell him or her you’ve been having intermittent pain and see what they say. If it is truly as bad as the first dentist said, then they will let you know that you have a dental emergency on your hands.
This blog is brought to you by Parma Ridge Dentist Dr. Gecovich.