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Avatar universal

Root Canal gone bad and looking for options

Hello,

I am 45 years old.  I had a root canal done about 10 years ago that started to give me problems a couple years ago, namely infections.  I went to a oral surgeon who tried to correct the problem.  During this period we found a crack in the enamel so there was nothing that could be done with the tooth.  This all happened a year ago.

Everything seemed well enough and I have let it be.  The problem is that where the crack in the tooth, just above the gum line, puts off a unpleasant odor and I need to get this tooth pulled.  Of that much I am certain and have no problem with that.

What concerns me is what to do after that.  It seems a bridge is going to cost in the area of $3200 and a implant is in the neighborhood of $4500.  A bridge is not a attractive option to me because the two teeth beside the removed teeth will have to have so much enamel removed.

I am tempted to just have it removed, but I have heard a lot of bad things about doing this.  The tooth in question is my lower left (my left hand side) first molar (from what I have identified from a tooth map).  I have my wisdom teeth and the tooth in question is the third one counting from there.

Is it necessary to have a molar replaced and are there any other options (less expensive) for resolving this?  I know my child needed a spacer when he had a baby molar removed, is there a permanent spacer or something along those lines?  I am not a vain person, I just don't want things to get worse.

Can I have the tooth removed now and how much time do I have to make a decision?

Thanks for your help
2 Responses
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Avatar universal
Consequences of missing lower first molar without replacement may cause teeth shifting. Ideal treament would be implant or fixed bridge. however, if financially difficult, removable partial denture would be an alternative option.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Removable partial denture sounds like a good interim solution.  The prices I have been hearing for a bridge to implant (lows of $2600 to highs of $5500) seem a bit over the top.  I hesitate to do a bridge simply because I do not want to tear down two good teeth with a seemingly short term solution (bridge that last around 10 years).

Thanks for responding.
Helpful - 0

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