When I went to my dentist last week for my regular six-month check-up and cleaning, the hygienist found an area of decay under the gum line on my upper second molar. I had noticed some periodic tenderness when I brushed that area, but I thought it was just an irritated gum. After the decay was found, an x-ray was taken of the tooth (which took three tries because of the difficulty of getting a good view of the tooth). The x-ray showed quite a lot of decay inside the tooth, but there is no decay on the outside. My dentist said that is pretty rare, but can happen due to bacteria getting inside the tooth. I have always taken good care of my teeth , and the others are in good shape, so I m really surprised and upset that this has happened. Previous x-rays didn t show any problem with this tooth, so this must be something that has developed pretty quickly. The options I was given were 1) Do nothing for now (I don t want to do this) 2) Do root canal and a crown, which would cost maybe $2500 total and require several appointments; or 3) tooth extraction. The affected tooth is above a bottom molar that has never come in fully, and the two teeth don t meet for much chewing. I also had an impacted wisdom tooth removed behind that area years ago, and that area will always be tender. Bottom line is that I can t and don t chew much directly on those back teeth on that side. I really hate to lose that tooth, but I m also reluctant to start down that root canal/crown road with the expense (I don t have dental insurance) and the possibility of trouble with it later. So I m on the fence and having a hard time deciding what to do. The tooth is not causing me much discomfort yet. Any thoughts, advice, or experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!