Question for Dr. Vinograd

Hi Dr. Vinograd:

I just had my mercury fillings replaced with composites but some of the old fillings were very old and leaking that some teeth had very deep cavities (my dentist said that he could see the nerve exposed and I also saw it with a mirror).

He say that there was a high probability that I would need a root canal because of the deepness in the cavity.

At first, when the fillings were replaced I didn't have much pain, but now I feel lots of pain when I drink water particularly in one tooth. Sometimes the pain wakes me up in the middle of the night and I need to take some analgesic.

Why do people say that a root canal is bad for you?

I think that in my case a root canal would be a good option since I don't want my tooth to be extracted or do you think that if I wait longer the pain could cease?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Roberto