My dentist told me I needed a root canal, and I was kinda freaked out because that's a pretty big deal, yanno? I asked him if he was absolutely positive and he insisted there was no alternative.

I wanted to be sure that was the best choice, so I visited a well rated dentist nearly an hours drive away for a second opinion.

He immediately pointed out the encircled areas in the photo and said it was not even an OPTION to get a root canal at that point – that the tooth was already too decayed and couldn't be saved.

He seemed knowledgeable and well informed, and he actually took the time to speak with me and discuss the situation rather than just dismissing me as my original dentist had.

This has lead me to put more faith in the second dentist, who has recommended an extraction followed by a bone graft and then ultimately an implant. It would cost about $3k, and my insurance will only cover the extraction. Ouch.

I wanted to see if I could meet with a third dentist for a third opinion, but my insurance said "naw, two is enough." The only reason I'm hesitating still to make a decision is the fact that two different dentists had such vastly different answers, you know? If I could meet with a third dentist to see which stance they sided with, I think I'd feel a lot more comfortable moving forward.

If there are any dental professionals out there, or dental students, etc., I would really appreciate it if you could chime in on this for me! Thank you!