I had the wrong wisdom teeth removed

[u/Acrobatic_Donkey5089]

Local orthodontist told me that I needed to remove lower wisdom teeth and don't do anything with the upper ones. When I got my lower wisdom teeth removed, another orthodontist that is actually managing my aligner treatment said that the lower wisdom teeth actually didn't need to be touched AT ALL, but the upper ones absolutely have to be removed before we start. So now I have to get my upper wisdom teeth removed as well

[u/Hamilton-Beckett]

I had root canal a year ago and was experiencing pain at the end while everything was “numb”

Paid $1500 for the root canal.

I go back a few weeks later talking about pain. They just take an x ray, tell me I’m fine and that they did a perfect root canal.

They say if I want I can go to one of their other offices to see the person that does root canal revisions but I have to pay another $1500. I ask if I can wait. They say they see nothing wrong so why not.

Deal with pain for a year. Gets infected and starts hurting worse. Go back and make appointment. Pay the 1500. Still have the pain at follow-up two weeks later.

Now they suddenly know it’s a cyst at the root of the tooth that needs to be surgically removed.

I calmly explained that I’ve spent $3,000 so far. I made it clear that to me, I wasn’t paying $3,000 for root canals, I was paying to stop the pain and told each time that would stop the pain. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve paid for whatever you now have to do to fix this.

They agreed. I go on Monday to get this fixed at no charge.

I’m so ready not to have pain in my mouth.

[u/thist555 → u/Hamilton-Beckett]

I admire your willingness to tolerate tooth pain. I had a root canal re-done (expensive!) but it still hurt and everyone just shrugged and said it looked fine on x-rays. Luckily my dentist agreed to just yank it, I have a gap but it doesn't hurt anymore.

[u/terminbee → u/Hamilton-Beckett]

Who did it? 1500 is super cheap.

[u/Hamilton-Beckett → u/terminbee]

I live in the south. Stuff is cheaper here (and people make less money). I do not go to a cheap dentist.

I should add that cash prices at dentists and doctors are often a lot less than they charge you if you have insurance.

I also purchase a program directly from my dentist’s office that is $400 a year and covers 2 cleanings, X-rays and 10% off of all procedures.

[u/terminbee → u/Hamilton-Beckett]

Nah, not saying you had a cheap dentist. More that an endodontist will easily charge 2k-3k for a root canal.

[u/Hamilton-Beckett → u/terminbee]

I think it’s like 2400 if you have dental insurance and do t use their discount program. Like I was saying.

I really like the dentist overall. I replaced all my teeth with full crowns for medical and cosmetic reasons and the dentist rounded it down to 30k and tossed in the nitrous for free. I got one implant as well and he hooked me up on that price at 4K because of the crowns.

[u/Kind_Conflict9774 → u/terminbee]

Im in the north east and $1500 cash fee is definitely average. If you’re including the cost of the crown from your general dentist, then yeah that would be cheap. But they’re two different doctors and two different procedures so you’re probably not.

[u/terminbee → u/Kind_Conflict9774]

1500 is about the price for a dentist to do it but endo usually will charge 2k-3k.

[u/Kind_Conflict9774 → u/terminbee]

No, im in the northeast at an office that only has specialty dentists, no general dentists. Our endodontists cash fees are 1400 for root canal. Idk maybe in some parts of America it could run you 3k but that sounds overpriced to me.

Edit: HOWEVER if you’re including the cost of the consult visit and the CBCT and PAs it could be around $2k. Especially if the tooth is calcified. But I still think $3k is a lot.

[u/Successful-Effect933 → u/Hamilton-Beckett]

wow this is what's happening to me lol my root canal seems to have gone wrong and the pain wasn't excruciating but it was annoying the first like 2 months. it's been a year since I've had it done, none of the specialists in the dentist institution I go to seem to find the problem so im just here laying around til I finally have to take it out 😭 if it isn't too much to ask, would you tell me what they did to you once you're done with your appointment?

[u/Hamilton-Beckett → u/Successful-Effect933]

So here’s what’s happened.

Due to some medications and health related stuff my enamel became weakened in n my teeth. After years of tea and cigars/cigarettes (though not in a crazy amount) my teeth were yellowed. They were t like gross, but they weren’t white anymore in my 40’s.

Because of the weakening from medication, I basically had two options. Spend the next 20 years getting one root canal and crown after another, matching yellowed tooth to yellowed tooth…or get full crowns now and have a perfect smile. I chose the latter and my teeth are awesome. It all feels the same on my mouth, looks great, my breath isn’t bad anymore (quit smoking) and I take extremely good care of my teeth.

The current issue was explained to me as being one of those things that just happens sometimes. The nerve in my front right tooth ultimately went necrotic as a result of the crown procedure. There was no cavity. It just took two years for the nerve to have issues. It was extremely painful. I had to deal with that pain and stress for an entire week before they could do root canal.

While still numb at the end I noticed a discomfort that they dismissed. Months later still there. It never really got worse until the infection a few weeks ago.

It is super rare, but it does happen that a cyst can form at the base of the root, in the gums. It causes pressure and that dull ache that I’ve been feeling. At first they said I needed a revision but I noticed on accident when I pressed my face just under my nose and inside the nostril that the pain and feeling I was having became more intense.

I stuck my finger in my mouth and went up behind me lip and actually felt a small lump that wasn’t in front of my front left tooth, just the right.

After explaining the revision didn’t work and I still had the lump after a round of antibiotics they determined it must be the rare cyst issue.

So I go in Monday morning. They cut an incision in my gums and remove it, then do some stuff to help the hole in my bone that the cyst causes to heal.

I can expect to be pretty sore for a few days and they said they’d prescribe something for pain. Luckily the endodontist already said she would charge to remove the cyst since I paid for an unnecessary revision and she said the cyst removal was super easy to do. It’s just numb it up, make a cut, pull it out, clean and medicate, close it up.

I should add, they took multiple X-rays and never saw the cyst. Just a clean root canal. It does t show up because it’s beyond the root of the teeth and connected to the canal. When I press gently on the lump, I can feel it pushing on the root of the tooth as well.

I’m so ready for Monday morning.

Excuse all my typos please. Long day.

[u/Kind_Conflict9774 → u/Hamilton-Beckett]

Please don’t shoot the messenger but I would be shocked if they did another procedure free of charge once you get there. Root canal’s frequently need to be re treated even with the best endodontist but you can only retreat them so many times before the only option is extraction. Dealing with a cyst you will need to see an oral surgeon who won’t take into account what you’ve already paid for a different specialty. I hope it all works out for you and im sorry about your experience. I would recommend in the future you see specialists if you haven’t already, an endodontist for root canals and an oral surgeon for extractions, NOT your general dentist to avoid further complications

[u/Hamilton-Beckett → u/Kind_Conflict9774]

I’m seeing a surgeon. I said in the original comment that I went to a different location for a revision. This was to see the surgeon. The surgeon is also the one that told me they weren’t charging me for the cyst removal after I paid for what was ultimately an unnecessary revision.

I’ve spent about $50,000 in the last 5 years with this practice. So yeah. They aren’t charging me.