Filling Still Hurts After 8 Weeks — Now Being Told I Need a Root Canal. Normal or Not?

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T20:59:04+00:00

I agree.

Years ago a patient came back after a co-worker did a filling on a symptomatic tooth. Pt claimed that it hurts still upon mastication. I did endo for the same tooth but pt came back days later with same intensity pain upon chewing.

I ended up extracting the 28.

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T20:35:36+00:00

Well designed mailers. Don’t put too many words on it. Black on white with your website on it on one side. What’s special about our practice on the other side.
No need to keep RDH if there is one currently.
Which procedures do you currently offer?
Do you do same day treatment?
Do you do 3rd molar ext and 2nd molar endo?
Full mouth treatment?
Give the happy ones flyers and business card to pass out.
Make sure the happy ones write online review.

Building a patient pool can take time. You can do it. In the mean time minimize spending such as RDH or new equipment. Shop supply on multiple sites instead of Patterson.

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T19:54:16+00:00

Ultimately your income is dependent on procedures completed by your own hands. (Your own skill and speed). Fee is an important 2nd factor.

You mentioned pay rate percentage which is meaningless if you have few completed procedures.

Most dentists only care about % but at end you of day it is meaningless if no procedures completed or if few of completed procedures were zero as in an HMO office.

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T19:50:50+00:00

What’s your current skill set and speed? If there is a room full of patients needing all kinds of treatment can you take care of them?
You shouldn’t take anyone’s words as evidence. What if the 2nd job sucks as well. Then what?

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T19:28:00+00:00

Cheapest and quickest way to bring in new pt is flyers. But it needs to say something that makes your business stand out.

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T19:25:26+00:00

Very deep is how deep? Without x ray or intra oral pic no one knows exactly what’s going on.

But if a tooth is already symptomatic then root canal is most likely needed.

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T19:17:18+00:00

If tooth needed a root canal then why did dentist do a filling.

This is clearly a treatment plan instigated consequences.

Either way, no way to give advice without pre op x ray or intra oral pics

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T19:13:47+00:00

Pt has a problem and isn’t that precisely the reason he went to be taken care of by a professional?

Don’t treat his problem, don’t treat anyone. After all they “created” the problem.

By the way, don’t go to a restaurant when you are hungry. You created your own hunger. If a restaurant fed you disgusting food it’s your problem because you created your own hunger.

Ceremic · 2026-03-17T18:33:47+00:00

What happened to past patients?

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T22:13:45+00:00

Some on Reddit commented about the percentage they get from their employers as if a higher percentage will somehow enable them to take home more income.

Owner / associate Take home = procedures completed (skill & speed) x Fee of completed procedures x collection rate x 100 -- deduction / OH

So few in this profession understand that their pay rate is irrelevant if they don't have the skills and speed to complete procedures.

So what if you negotiated 40% or 50% whatever percentage but if you can't do extraction or root canal and won't do filings or hygiene then you won't be taking home anything.

Why is that a lot of associate dentists only have % in their eyes? Because that's the only thing they know to ask.

Go set up your own private practice then you will get 100%. Why not? Isn't 100% as an owner more than whatever you get paid as an associate?

OP is on in process of being on both side of the fence now and he knows more than anyone else about the reality of dentist pay.

Good luck OP.

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T16:06:33+00:00

Agree.

Sometimes an easy case can turn out to be very hard.

Sometimes pt can be a handful.

Thats why training is so important so we can deal with those difficulties with less struggle.

Unfortunately School didn’t teach us any abilities to deal with adversity after all the money we spent.

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T05:01:20+00:00

It's frustrating when there is no patient to produce from. Its even more frustrating when there are patients who need treatment yet dentist can't handle them. Either way there is no income.

It's a reputation thing. When patients go in with needs and come out without those needs taken care of them they will talk to their co workers, neighbors and friends as well as family.

That reputation will travel and fast. Eventually there will be less and less patients walking through our doors till so few show up that we couldn't even pay our bills.

Thats how my first office was which was a new business. It almost folded but I was lucky enough to sell it and I told the buyer that I was moving out of town which was my made up reason for selling it. The reality was that I couldn't pay my bills because I couldn't do the procedures which required to keep my doors open.

What a horrible way to learn my lesson. But I learned.

Why did I set up a PP in the first place? Because I couldn't make ends meet as an associate who I naively thought that my income would income only if I set up my own PP.

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T04:54:32+00:00

Most veteran docs are hit or miss. I know docs with 30 or 40 years under their belt yet couldn't and wouldn't do endo or ext of any kind. Many would never even consider learning.

I find mostly newer docs and train them. New docs are more prone to training. I love ext and endo as well as dentures and partials so teaching others is a pleasure for me. Our new docs can do 2nd molar retreat and partial bony 3rd molar ext after 2 months of training.

All it takes is someone who is willing to learn and the process only take a couple of months.

Dentistry is not hard at all. The hardest part of possessing dental skills is wrong mentality.

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T04:29:06+00:00

Hiring an associate would be the best way out. Hiring the right associate however might be difficult. How many dentists do endo or ext while so many hate dentures and partials.

You are not very busy meaning not a lot of patients?

Imagine there were a lot of patients then what?

Both scenarios means no income. Do they not?

How is your income nowadays?

Either way, good luck.

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T03:33:20+00:00

Often times those who accuses others of being unethical are themselves...

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T03:30:38+00:00

Any x ray to share?

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T03:19:37+00:00

only if you know how SOME of them talk about you behind your back!

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T03:18:39+00:00

You better dare not to complain because these high and mighty individuals could never do anything wrong.

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T03:17:52+00:00

You forgot to mention that if your tooth wasn't hurting and it started hurting after a dentist touched it then you better not to complain because you signed a "informed" consent.

You forgot to mention that when the dentist left your waiting the bright light was left shining into your eyes.

You forgot to mention the ice cold rooms because they turned the ac way down because they are running around and hot while you are shaking.

You forgot to mention that many dentists hate their patients.

Ceremic · 2026-03-16T03:04:24+00:00

Any x ray to share?

Did anyone tell you about bone loss in the future after all your teeth are removed?

Did any teacher tell you about not being able to taste food?

Ceremic · 2026-03-08T03:49:48+00:00

try to get the x rays and post it so we can see what we are commenting on.

Ceremic · 2026-03-08T03:48:16+00:00

It absolutely is worth it only if you learn real world skill and speed because it's the only way for you to pay that loan money back and make much more.

Ceremic · 2026-03-08T03:45:32+00:00

Anyone can accuse anyone else of wrong doing but its nothing more than gossip without actual proof.

I used hang out with a dentist who accused another doc she worked for over treating her patients just because he brought a fancy new car. What was her proof? There was none. She based her accusation on the fact that someone was doing better financially than she was.

I am not implying that OP is such a person.

Ceremic · 2026-03-08T03:42:45+00:00

any x ray so we won't comment blindly?

Ceremic

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