Question about my Dentist?

I went to my dentist for a check up because I had a toothache. He told me that I have an abscess and I need a root canal, thats after he came back with the x-rays. But he said he will try to do a filling. I went to the dentist and he gave me a filling on that tooth. I don't think he even knows if I have an abscess or not, because he just gave me a filling, don't I need a root canal on my abscessed tooth?





I don' think my dentist really knows if I have an abscess tooth or not because he told me I did, then he changed his mind, and it sounds like he isn't sure, thats why he only did a filling.





What should I ask or tell my dentist?

Question about my Dentist?
Maybe there was no clear abscess on the xray. Sometimes it is hard to tell. Sometimes the normal appearance of the xray looks similar to the beginning of an abscess. Perhaps your tooth was still displaying symptoms of an alive tooth which complicates the diagnosis if the xray doesn't show a clear abscess.





Sometimes a deep filling really close to the nerve can cause the tooth to die. sometimes it doesn't. Perhaps he is trying to save the tooth with a very deep filling. The prognosis isn't usually very good and it will end up needing a root canal anyway, but sometimes its worth a shot.





But if there is clearly an abscess on the xray then doing a filling isn't really going to help much. Perhaps you could ask your dentist to show you what an abscess looks like on the xray and to show you where it is or isn't on your xray :)
Reply:It doesn't sound that strange. Sometimes they offer solutions that may resolve the problem especially when the patient doesn't have insurance. If you are concerned, though, you can request your records and x-ray films so you can read what his official diagnosis is. You can also try a dental school which should be less expensive because you agree to be seen by students (who are overseen by a licensed dentist). Good luck.
Reply:Did he give you a antibiotic?I hear theres a program through Baylor school of Dentistry where you can get fillings etc..





He probably went ahead and filled your tooth since he knew you didn't have the money for a root canal. In hopes the filling would work for you in the meantime...so you didnt have a tooth with a hole in it to get even worse as food got in it..Good Luck
Reply:hello..when u went to the dentist he told u that root canal treatment is to be done after the xray...that means infection is till the pulp...he must have excavated teh caries and given u temporary filling,,,,maybe the cavity is too deep...whtever ,,th ething is u should have checked ur xray before gettin your teeth filled...do u still have pain after gettin your teeth filed or its gone...maybe for sum days it won pain,,,afte two or three weeks if pain is not dere get the x ray again u will *** to knw,,,whether the treatment is done gud o r not/// is he told dere is absceess den u check urself..take a spoon catch it rm da end and ppercus your tooth....if on touchin wid spoon end there is pain...means infection isdere till da pulp ..and u have to go for rct////
Reply:I'm a dentist. If you have an abscess, the tooth either needs root canal therapy or needs to be extracted. He cannot do the root canal therapy in one session, he needs at leat two, but maybe he's started it? It's not enough with a filling if you had an abscess. I don't understand what he did.





Just ask if there is anything else.
Reply:Has your toothache gone? Perhaps the x-rays were not conclusive. Do you have a follow up appointment? Did he say to call if your toothache persists?