Dentists - question 2

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When do you know its time? I have friends who get teeth pulled, and other people who go for root canals - just so you know, I'm a root canal gal. Either way... So, back in the mid-'80's I had a bad tooth. My dentist, may he rest in peace, told me that I would probably need a root canal some day. I didn't want a root canal, I had the impression that they were painful and this tooth only bothered me sometimes. In fact, for years I was able to threaten it with a root canal and it calmed down again. But the day came that a root canal could no longer be put off. Since my dentist no longer did root canals, he sent me to the younger dentist in the other half of his office to get it done. Turned out it was a very complicated tooth and I had to go to a specialist who then had to order special "drills" from Germany to do the tooth. Still, a few shots later and a team of helpers, the tooth was done. Still, over the years, even though I knew that darn tooth was dead, I'd feel pain. Turns out the roots of the upper teeth seem to hurt when you have a sinus infection. I know that the roomie - a teeth pulling type - had frequent sinus infections and sinus headaches until she had one tooth pulled and they stopped completely. Not to say that she never got another sinus infection or headache, but she didn't for years the way that she had before. The reason I'm asking is she had a tooth filled and then started having terrible pains. The dentist wanted to send her to a specialist for a root canal, she went to one doc who thought it might be TMJ, and when she finally got to see her doctor he put her on antibiotics and it turned out to be a sinus infection. So, when do you know its time? Or is it? I've had 3, or is it 4? root canals now and I can assure you that they weren't sinus infections. Just so you know what "TMJ" is, I'll provide a link.