I had a mild toothache and saw my dentist in an attempt to avoid a problem.
He drilled out and replaced a filling and told me that it was very close to a
nerve.  I kept experiencing pain and went back to the dentist for additional
x-rays which did not show anything different.  He suggested I see an
endodontist as they have better equipment (scientifically advanced technology)
to determine what was giving me the problem.  I experienced horrific pain for
three weeks in the upper and lower rear jaw area, earaches, etc., before the
dentist put me on an antibiotic and pain killer, prior to my visit with the
endodontist.  The endodontist took additional x-rays which failed to show
anything, tapped my teeth very hard with an object attempting to cause me
pain, and had me bite down very hard on something.  My mouth felt a lot
better than it had two days ago when tapping on my teeth would have sent me
through the ceiling.  He then used ice on my suspected teeth which brought
discomfort to all but one of the places done.  He informed me that the odds
were that it was the lower crowned molar that needed the root canal, even
though I had experienced the filling replacement and additional pain in the
upper jaw on that side.  Is this the best scientific information and testing
available to determine if a tooth needs a root canal?  What if I have it done
and find that the problem has not been solved?  Isn't there a more scientific
manner to determine the problem one hundred percent?