After my second root canal on the same molar, my dentist gave me two options: wait it out and let the tooth heal on its own (which could take months), or go for a surgical fix if things don't improve fast. I’m kinda torn—waiting sounds less stressful, but I hate the idea of lingering pain. Anyone here prefer one way over the other? What was your healing like?
Honestly, after my second root canal on the same tooth, I was convinced my molar was auditioning for a soap opera. I waited it out, mostly because the idea of more drills made me want to hide under my bed. The pain did linger for a while—like, “hello, remember me?” every time I tried to eat—but it slowly faded after a couple months. If you can handle some annoying twinges and you’re not in agony, waiting might not be so bad. But if you’re losing sleep or living on painkillers, I’d probably lean toward the quicker fix. Everyone’s tooth drama is a little different, though...
I get the whole “wait it out” approach, but after my third root canal on the same tooth (yeah, I’m collecting them like Pokémon), I learned the hard way that lingering pain isn’t always just “annoying twinges.” Sometimes it’s your tooth waving a red flag.
For me, waiting ended up with a nasty infection and a surprise Saturday ER visit. I get wanting to avoid more drills, but honestly, sometimes a quick fix beats months of “maybe it’ll get better...”If you can handle some annoying twinges and you’re not in agony, waiting might not be so bad.
I totally get where you’re coming from about wanting to avoid another round in the dentist’s chair, especially with how expensive and stressful dental work can be. But honestly, I’ve tried the “wait and see” route myself—mostly because I was hoping to dodge another big bill—and it didn’t pan out great. The pain just kept creeping back, and then suddenly it was a full-blown issue that cost me more in the end.
Sometimes it’s your tooth waving a red flag.
That hits hard. I used to think if I could just tough it out, maybe things would calm down on their own. But after dealing with an infection that made me miss work (and pay for an emergency visit), I realized sometimes a quick fix actually saves you money and stress in the long run. Waiting just meant the problem got bigger—and more expensive.
I know everyone’s situation is different, especially with insurance and budgets, but if the pain’s sticking around or getting worse, I’d say it’s better to handle it sooner rather than later. Not fun, but way better than risking a nasty surprise ER bill.
But after dealing with an infection that made me miss work (and pay for an emergency visit), I realized sometimes a quick fix actually saves you money and stress in the long run.
That’s honestly my biggest worry—that if I wait, I’ll just end up dealing with more pain and possibly a bigger procedure later. But at the same time, the thought of surgery kind of freaks me out. I keep reading about people who heal fine after retreatments, but my pain is still sort of on and off. I’m not sure if I’m being impatient or if it’s a sign something’s wrong. Your story about missing work is exactly what I’m scared of… it’s hard to know when to draw the line between toughing it out and making things worse.
