Ill effects of Second year Molar Extraction + root canal

[CrossStealth]

Hello I am 24 and have had agonizing tooth pain for at least the last 4 years. I was kicked out of my moms house at 18 and all of my money has gone directly to bills so Ive had no money for the dentist. I am probably one of the few people who Love going to the dentist now, as I relate it to extreme pain relief. Anyway I just went to see my dentist yesterday and the result are I need 4 root canals and need 2 impacted wisdom teeth pulled on the left lower side. The 4 root canals are both Upper second year molars Lower left second molar and right 1st year molar(second from back). My dentist has suggested I get all root canals. I only have Careington dental discount available for use. The 3 root canals and 1 extraction(That I asked for) would be about $4500-$4600 not including the wisdom teeth after my discount. And since I have trouble making $500 for my part of the rent along with my other bills this is a problem for me. Sorry I am giving so much useless information but I don't want to miss any details.

Anyway it would be much better if I could extract all 3 of the second year molars and just got 1 root canal on the first year molar (since I think it would cause more problems if extracted) and then dealt with the wisdom teeth once I had everything paid off.
So I guess my real question is what are the ill effects of getting these teeth extracted? Ive heard that these teeth don't normally cause the other teeth to drift/shift when extracted and since the top and bottom on the left side would be gone I think that wouldn't cause anything to super erupt. So would the only problem be my last second year molar possibly super erupting? Is this a very big deal?

I dont want to make a bad decision about these teeth but I also don't have the resources to pay for root canals without years and years and years of stress filled debt which Im already up to about $6000 in credit card debt as it is and I dont want to end up giving up and leaving the teeth the way they are due to lack of funds. I haven't gone to college because I dont have the money. So spending it on teeth is disappointing. Please tell me the pros and cons of my decision.
Again I apologize for all the useless information but I was trying to paint a picture of my situation without skipping any important details along the way
Thanks in advance
Eric

P.S. If you need any other information Please ask

[Zzzdentist]

People can and do function just fine without second or third molars. I have seen people eat with no problems even missing all molars in their mouth. They do well with their bicuspids. It's nice to have a full set of teeth, but people do adapt to different situations. If funds are limited, certainly extracting the second molars (also called 12 year molars as they usually come out at about that age - 6 year molars = 1st molars and 18 year molars = 3rd molars) is something to consider and not the end of the world. Super-eruption can happen, but sometimes it doesn't. It will depend on the tooth and the forces around it whether it wants to move around or not. Some stay put just fine.

[CrossStealth]

Ok Ill call the dentist in the morning and change over to 3 extractions on the second year molars and root canal the first year molar.
Do these prices seem ok to you or should I look elsewhere? I think they probably sound ok.

Pulpotory $89
Root canal $593
Post $174
Crown $613
Extraction $140
Panaromic X-Ray $58
2 Bitewing x-rays $22
Exam $5
Prophy $10

This is the discount after Careington 500.
Do you suggest I get any other insurance to further decrease these numbers?
Thanks for the advice

Update:
Just called the dentist he said he is fine with the 2 top second year molars being pulled but he still wants the first year molar and second year molar on the bottom to have a root canal. Is there a reason he would want the lower second year molar to stay put even if there wont be a tooth above it? I dont see a need to spend an extra $1380 compared to $140 for that tooth.

[Zzzdentist]

I'm guessing those are US prices? They seem pretty reasonable actually. $10 for a prophy is darn cheap! $174 for a post sounds a bit high, but I wonder if that's for a post and core maybe.

I'm not sure why he wants to keep the lower second molar, but it could be due to the fact that lower wisdom teeth don't tend to erupt that well into the place of second molars. If you have some upper ones that are still coming down, they might erupt into the extracted second molar locations. BTW, I hope you do keep in mind that my information here is based on generalities so using it to make dental decisions without being seen might not be the best idea. People do survive without second molars, but if there's a way to keep teeth it can be better than extracting them. I'm just saying in a financial pinch that yeah taking them out can be an option to consider. I just would hate to have you make a decision that is pretty permanent without carefully talking it through with a dentist who has actually seen you and knows what is in your best interests.

Why don't you ask your dentist these questions? He should be able to tell you a lot better than me as anything I say is just a guess!

[tjl]

Are your wisdom teeth in a position where, if your second molars are extracted, the wisdom teeth could possibly erupt in a useful position, taking the place of the second molars? You may want to discuss this with your dentist when deciding whether to extract or root canal the second molars.