On 12/14/2025 at 7:25 PM, Jingthing said:

OK, I have a mouth situation that is new to me.

My good dentist who does good work and I do largely trust told me that I had a cavity too big for a filling and then he didn't want to do anything about it (which would usually be a root canal and crown). Well, more like wait and see if/when it gets worse as it isn't painful at this point.

I think you'll agree that dentists bless their hearts generally err on the overselling of procedures as opposed to underselling. 

But it's my understanding that untreated cavities are a form of inflammation that can create risks in OVERALL health. So I don't like just letting it be.

I'll be seeing him again in some months and will talk to him about it again. I'm not sure if he would agree to do a root canal on it if I demand it. I guess he probably would. 

It's upper back right which is not a cosmetic issue if pulled but I looked it up and that area is very bad for anything other than crowns or implants.

But maybe he's right and I should just watch it as he suggests?

 

Yeah, it may be that the cavity is nearly to the nerve in the tooth and to put a filling on it might cause you to suffer pain.  I agree that you shouldn't put it off, but have him do the root canal, etc immediately instead of having that rot remain in your mouth.  Could always check with another dentist but...up to you.

On 12/14/2025 at 7:35 PM, Jingthing said:

Not in all cases but my dentist already said if I was to crown it, it would need a root canal. Short of an implant though.

That depends on whether the cavity exposes the root or is close to the root, in which case a root canal should be done before the capping. 

Otherwise, a root canal is not necessary. 

I have/had over a dozen crowns, some with, some without root treatment. 

The replies so far have all failed to point out a neglected area of Dentistry called "Tooth Restoration".  What Mr JingThing needs is someone who is an expert in this area.  My Dentist says he is an expert in this area and has rebuilt many teeth for me and I have benefitted from his treatment.  Yes, crowns have their place as do many other treatments that they offer.  It does seem that because crowns are a good and a cheaper option, that is what expense averse people want.

 

As ever, you get what you pay for.  I only have treatment from BDS qualified Dentists as I am not expense averse.  There are lots of them in Thailand who were trained in the UK but you should ask the additional question about the Dentist's experience in tooth restoration.  If they haven't got any, then either move on or find alternatives.  Up to you, as they say here.

Couldn't the hole in the tooth at least be disinfected, then filled with some kind of cement? Some "provisional" filling.

2 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Couldn't the hole in the tooth at least be disinfected, then filled with some kind of cement? Some "provisional" filling.

He doesn't think any filling will last long there.

21 minutes ago, DiDiChok said:

The replies so far have all failed to point out a neglected area of Dentistry called "Tooth Restoration".  What Mr JingThing needs is someone who is an expert in this area.  My Dentist says he is an expert in this area and has rebuilt many teeth for me and I have benefitted from his treatment.  Yes, crowns have their place as do many other treatments that they offer.  It does seem that because crowns are a good and a cheaper option, that is what expense averse people want.

 

As ever, you get what you pay for.  I only have treatment from BDS qualified Dentists as I am not expense averse.  There are lots of them in Thailand who were trained in the UK but you should ask the additional question about the Dentist's experience in tooth restoration.  If they haven't got any, then either move on or find alternatives.  Up to you, as they say here.

Tooth restoration simply means a choice of fillings, crowns, bridges, and implants. I've done two root canals plus crowns with this dentist, many fillings, and now my first implant. For the implant he could do a bridge but suggested the implant as better for long term and lower maintenance. 

Er, I hadn't realised that it was possible to twist the point that I was trying to make about "restoration", which I meant as using material of the same colour that bonds to the tooth that's left, so building it up again.  It seems to involve something that can then be shaped and sets on exposure to some kind of light.  I really don't know how it's done, but I can tell you that where I've had it done I find it is excellent.

 

Maybe wrongly, but I regard fillings, crowns, bridges and implants effectively as replacements of tooth parts, whether in part or in whole.  Should I have used the word "rebuilding" instead maybe?  Is my attempt at improving your treatment hanging on a single word?

 

The point I was trying to make was that if I was asking your Dentist about treatment, I would ask about his knowledge of the latest developments in tooth rebuilding rather than piecemeal part replacements.  Technology and materials are moving things along really rapidly these days. 

 

To me you do not seem to be taking advantage of recent developments and are stuck in the replacement era ideas, good though they are.

On 12/16/2025 at 1:22 PM, Sheryl said:

The "too big to fill" part puzzles me. I can only guess that due to the size of the cavity he anticipates the tooth might crack in the process. But leaving it untreated is not a sensible option.

On the other hand, pushing any health care provider to do something they feel unable to do/don't feel comfortable about, is also not a good idea. Again, get anther opinion. Another dentist might have more experience with cavitie4s of this size/feel more confident about undertaking it. 

You don't have yo change dentists altogether. Just for this one specific problem.

Listen to this very honest voice of reason. Don't wait to treat it.  If I may, I recommend my dentist here in Bangkok for your second opinion.  His name is Doctor Somchai (well of course it is).  He's in his fifties and does very quality work.  The office that I attend is in Thaniya Plaza on Taniya road situated about 2 blocks from Lumpini Park.  The BTS station there is Sala Daeng. The clinic is Thaniya Dental, 02 231 2124 and is located on the 3rd floor. He's only in that clinic on Mondays and Fridays.

Get it fixed before it starts hurting or worse decides to abscess.

On 12/14/2025 at 11:29 PM, Hummin said:

I have pulled a few myself 

Beautiful post and this folks is why I keep coming back to this forum 

A post with vulgar connotations was removed. @papa al

Great place to keep your chewing gum.

16 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Listen to this very honest voice of reason. Don't wait to treat it.  If I may, I recommend my dentist here in Bangkok for your second opinion.  His name is Doctor Somchai (well of course it is).  He's in his fifties and does very quality work.  The office that I attend is in Thaniya Plaza on Taniya road situated about 2 blocks from Lumpini Park.  The BTS station there is Sala Daeng. The clinic is Thaniya Dental, 02 231 2124 and is located on the 3rd floor. He's only in that clinic on Mondays and Fridays.

Get it fixed before it starts hurting or worse decides to abscess.

I think this can wait until my next appointment as I'm in the process of starting an implant. If my current dentist can't provide me with a very compelling reason why he recommends not treating the big cavity sooner than later, then of course I'll be forced to seek another opinion.

On 12/15/2025 at 4:34 AM, Jingthing said:

Yes.

It seemed to suggest untreated cavities were an unhealthy inflammation risk for the body.

Bad cracks can lead to infected roots, which can cause bone loss. So you should get x-rays to check on this (dark shadows around the tooth. Been there done that! I had to have that rotten tooth removed and had an implant. Fistulas may occur in the gum near the tooth. This indicates the tooth is cracked and infected. Keep an eye out for that. I had one and ignored it after it cleared up. Not a good idea.