People have far too much faith in the medical profession in general, but I’d have never put up with this kind of thing. I’ll always get a second opinion on any major dental procedure, particularly when the person recommending it is going to perform (and profit) from it. A few months ago, I broke a molar that had been weakened from a filling. But it was just the side, and the basic tooth remained intact. I got the dentist to grind it for a crown, and we avoided killing the tooth (for now, at least). I’m sure a lot of others would have recommended a root canal (though those are generally done by specialists).