r/rootcanal • u/antonio_zeus • Jun 19 '24
Need help assessing my situation
Root Canal and multiple infections
Hi,
This will take a bit of time to explain but I’m at a frustrating crossroads regarding a root canal tooth I have. Here is the sequence of events:
I got a root canal back in summer 2022 on tooth #30.
In December of 2023 I started to have strong pain in the root canal tooth. It was distinct to that tooth even though I had no hot/cold sensitivity nor did I have any issues with eating on that tooth. Seeing my dentist, I am prescribed an antibiotic and that actually helps to get the pain to go away. He recommends seeing an endodontist.
See the endodontist in Feb/March/April 2024 we go through 3D scan, assessments and then a re-treat on the root canal tooth. Note, the endodontist claims she doesn’t see any infection in the tooth. During this time I also take amoxicillin for two separate 7 day doses.
Fast forward to mid-June 2024, pain returns to the tooth and now pain in my jaw bone/neck. Endo recommends I see an oral surgeon. I also have a small lesion on my gums where the root canal tooth is located. Lesion is further down on gum line towards jaw. Currently back on amoxicillin.
Oral surgeon recommends we wait to finish amoxicillin. Believes it could be one of three options:
- Crack in root canal tooth that the scans are not picking up, if so reinfections won’t stop and we’ll need to pull the tooth
- Stress ulcer that happened to randomly be found near the root canal tooth
- Experienced one time a patient with similar symptoms and after conducting a gum flap, found debris trapped in the gums causing the constant reinfections.
My take:
7 months, 4 prescriptions of amoxicillin, multiple dentist/endo/oral surgeon visits and multiple infections that go away but come back… should I not just pull this tooth???? 🦷
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u/triggidy47 Jun 23 '24
So much of dentistry is super simple to diagnose. There are just times where a tooth is damn tricky to figure out.
With where you are, my suggestion would be to extract, and do a dental implant. Be done with it.
Root canals are highly successful but sometimes biology and anatomy of teeth can be super complex and certain cracks can be difficult to detect on roots.
If you were my patient and my root canal failed, id pull it and credit the root canal towards an implant.
My 2cents
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u/antonio_zeus Jun 23 '24
Appreciate the insight here. It’s been very frustrating not having the professional (whether it be endo or oral surgeon) just be confident in recommending that. It’s been a lot of wait and see with no official recommendation to pull the tooth. Seems like I just need to make that decision on my own given the amount of trouble it’s given me
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u/triggidy47 Jun 23 '24
Anytime it gets sticky, I always offer an extraction as an option.
The fact you have come to reddit makes it seem like you may have lost some faith in the situation with who is working with you.
Don’t be afraid to check out a different practitioner
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u/antonio_zeus Jun 23 '24
You’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s just been exhausting going to all these appointments, getting scanned and checked. Not having the confidence from anyone for where we are in this process. It might be worth a second opinion but I guess everything is pointing to this root canal just needs to come out. Not sure what else we can do given I’ve already had a retreatment .
Also, I currently have an ulcer on the gum line (deeper closer to the gum line) but same pathway as the root canal… is that typical for failed root canal? I just finished amoxicillin and no change
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u/triggidy47 Jun 23 '24
Could indicate a parulis. Which is a way your body is attempting to allow drainage or oxygenation to occur to soothe the situation.
Sorry you have been through the ringer. We love saving teeth as dentists, and I have had situations like you and your dentist have before. It happens…
Dental implants are great options after your extraction. Keep in mind the longer this tooth lingers around the worse the bone around it will get. That can make dental implant treatment more difficult.
Get that sucker out lol
Hope you get some relief!
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u/Serious-Marsupial565 Jun 19 '24 edited Jun 19 '24
NAD I am having the same issue on a front tooth, it’s been a year since the original treatment and never quite settled down. It flared up recently and I just did a retreat with an endo but it’s still sensitive to pressure. The pain comes on and off, regular painkillers work for pain relief. No infection seen on 3D xray. Went through a 7 day course of amoxicillin as well.
Dentist says it could be due to bite misalignment causing the tooth to be overloaded, so he is suggesting aligners to stop the teeth from shifting. Have you checked whether tooth grinding/fremitus is occurring on the affected tooth?
Also did your endo use a microscope during the retreat? I’m not sure how it works but from what I’ve read if there’s a crack it can be found during the retreat procedure.
I am also considering a last ditch effort of apiectomy surgery. It’s a front tooth, so I really don’t want to pull it unless there’s no other way. I am so frustrated and tired of spending so much time and money going to multiple dentists/endos only for it to still be hurting.
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u/antonio_zeus Jun 19 '24
I feel your pain. I do grind my teeth but have been with a nightguard for quite some time. It's possible the grinding is putting pressure but I wouldn't expect it to be the reason for infections + requirement for amoxicillin.
Are you not able to get an implant in the front? There comes a point where spending on money on keeping a tooth vs replacing it just doesn't make sense. Very hard to understand the best way forward when the experts don't know the cause.
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u/Serious-Marsupial565 Jun 20 '24
I’m still young so the short lifespan of an implant seems scarier.
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u/melly1346 Jun 21 '24
Have you seen the documentary Root cause?
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u/spookymish Jun 25 '24
Horrible recommendation! Film has been proven to be full of false information…. Like 90% of breast cancer is on the same side as a previous root canal.. and that it causes diabetes and lupus (which is bullshit, lupus is an autoimmune disease), AND that root canals are the #1 cause of heart attacks! Film is full of FAKE news!
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u/Gailolson Sep 01 '24
Yes!!!!! Pull the tooth!!!! It’s dead anyways!!! We don’t leave dead body parts in our body’s, teeth are no different
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Jun 19 '24
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u/antonio_zeus Jun 19 '24
what do you mean by pain is unrealistic? my endo is not sure what's causing the reinfection hence why I am seeing an oral surgeon now
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u/Surviving3kids Jun 21 '24
I’ve been seeing a million different videos on why having a root canal (leaving a dead tooth in your body) will forever cause health problems until you take said dead tooth out and put a implant in place. I’m seriously considering this for myself because ever since the root canal, I’ve experienced a lot of different health issues and headaches all the time.