Re: Tooth Implants
What you hear about mostly in these forums are the things that have gone wrong.
I am probably a bit older than most of the posters. I grew up in a time when the slightest discoloration on a tooth was drilled out and filled with
Amalgam if it were on a biting surface and a composite if it was at the front.
After a few years, you'd discover decay around the
Amalgam and tooth, a ring of decay - so more drilling and filling.
By the time you are in your 30s, you have a shell filled with
Amalgam and after a while, a piece will crack off and your sitting at a dentist getting your first root canal.
I have 7 root canals, one implant, a rootectomy, and I've had all the
Amalgams removed with compsites replacing them.
Of the 7
root canals only one "went bad" The tooth originally had an infection visible on the x-ray and much work went into clearing up that infection first. That
root canal lasted 5 years before the infection returned. All the others have not given me an ounce of concern or trouble. Some are over 20 years old.
I ask a lot of questions and since I had a tremendous amount of work done I became educated and could 'read' an x-ray as well as the dentist could. You can actually see a pocket of infection - it shows. You can see how far the files and reamers go down the root when they are being cleaned out. You can see if the tooth is properly sealed with gutta percha.
root canal teeth do not become black. They can discolor slightly, but I've never seen one turn black. I'd check that out with a dentist. Maybe a different dentist.
You get a dull pain when you bite down? If it is an old
root canal that should not be happening. If it is quite recent, give it a bit more time. Remember your teeth are cushioned by the tissues that surround them. There's a bit of "give" when you bite down. You could be hitting a sore spot that needs more time to heal.
Hope this helps.