Metal Mouth Message Board

hi everyone - could you share your insight or experience please?

my 1st molar had root canal done years ago & my ortho told me to extract that tooth for my upcoming braces...so i went to see my dentist and ask him re extraction on that root canal tooth, he says that during extraction it might break because it's more brittle than the regular teeth & asked if i rather do it at an oral surgeon with general anesthesia..

my preference for extraction is local as i really prefer local vs general anesthesia...thus did anyone had a root canal tooth taken out using local or general? and did it break during extraction?? yikes...i'm scared...

thanks everyone for your input in advance.

I haven't had a root canal tooth taken out, but one with a huge filling. I don't know how much the difference in brittleness is, but with the huge filling there was no problem at all.

my 1st molar had root canal done years ago & my ortho told me to extract that tooth for my upcoming braces...so i went to see my dentist and ask him re extraction on that root canal tooth, he says that during extraction it might break because it's more brittle than the regular teeth & asked if i rather do it at an oral surgeon with general anesthesia..

Is he extracting this tooth because it has a root canal in it, or does he need to do extraction either way? I would post this to "Ask the Doc" to get clarification.

If he is extracting the tooth just because it has a root canal in it, did you ask him why? Also, do you have to have a tooth on the other side extracted to make it even or does he plan to put an implant there?

hi jcdamon3 - my ortho says it's a weak tooth and it might cause problem when on braces...so he says might as well take it out...

that rooth canal is upper 1st molar....i'm also taking out 3 2nd-set biscuspids (one upper left & the 2 at the bottom on both sides)....

i think that root canal one is problalby brittle cuz it's got BIG hole in there... ....yikes...

Hi Carrie,

The tooth is brittle because the nerve and vascular supply were removed and replaced by an inert substance (Gutta purcha). The brittleness is self limiting, but it will change the color and texture of the tooth. Ever wonder why posterior teeth always have to be crowned after a root canal? There you go

It is hard to say without an x-ray if the extraction will be better under sedation or with local anesthetic. The chance of a root breaking is much greater on a maxillary first molar (3 rooted tooth) as compared to all others. Add the root canal and it complicates things. It will not be a problem to remove it and you will not feel any pain if you choose local anesthetic. But it could be uncomfortable and you will feel pressure and tugging and pulling. If you are scared easily then sedation may be the best bet so you are comfortable. But I would ask the OS what they recommend and seriously consider that option.

Good Luck,
Rory

Carrie, does the root canal tooth have a crown on it? If it does, you may be able to use a molar band for the bracket and not have it extracted. I have a root canal molar with a crown that is banded with no problem. If it's never been crowned, that's probably the problem. Root canal teeth do get very brittle. You say you had the RC done years ago. I'm surprised the tooth is still holding up if it's never been crowned.

I had a molar root canal done many years ago and put off having the crown done a little too long and the tooth split in too. It had to be extracted in pieces, but my regular dentist did it with only local anesthesia. For me, it was no different than any other extraction. It just took a little longer because he had to take it out in several pieces instead of just one.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Hi, yes, I got that done recently and it was quite hard to pull. It hurts more than the usual but it healed okay. Don't be scared! It's going to be fine Think how wonderful your teeth will be when you are done.
Good Luck,
Joanna

Perhaps an oral surgeon would be willing to try the extraction with a local anesthesia. That way, if there's a problem and it breaks, he can put you under and take the rest out if necessary(????)

I will say that I have my wisdoms out under general anesthesia and the whole idea freaked me out beyond belief. However, it was such a non-issue I couldn't even believe it. I was under for barely 15 minutes and the surgeon used a fast-acting (Brevitol) so when I woke up it was like nothing had happened.

I agree on the general anesthesia. When I had my wisdom teeth out I woke up very easily afterward. In fact I woke up kind of laughing. That was some good stuff they gave me! Nothing like other surgeries I have had where I woke up slow, felt groggy and grumpy. I think the issue may be cost though. Unfortunately it seems alot cheaper to have this done under local.

Thanks to all who explained about the root canal issue. I understood why the tooth might be weaker but didn't understand if it was absolutely necessary. It sounds like it is possible to have braces with them but it is not required to take them out. It sounds like it depends on the individual situation. I have a crowned tooth that has not been RC'd.

You learn something new on this board everyday!

My very last molar on the lower right side (not sure what number it is) is a root canal tooth. It will be crowned eventually but my dentist wanted to wait until my ortho treatment was complete until he makes the crown for it. He wanted to make sure that it would fit into the grand scheme. Extraction of the tooth has never been mention. Right now I have braces on my uppers and lowers, but they never banded the last molars. My ortho said he would band them only if it was necessary. From what I can tell, they have aligned themselves with my new arch configuration pretty well on the top. Everything looks good there.

My dentist and my ortho both try to stay away from extractions. They like to keep all of the teeth they possibly can. Extraction only happens in extreme cases. The only teeth I have had removed are my wisdom teeth. I had severe crowding and thing seem to be coming out OK for me.

I've extracted many molars with root canals. They are brittle and sometimes tend to break off into pieces, but I've always done them with the usual local anesthesia.

It's certainly not impossible, and more than likely just up to the preferences of the OS.