Hi x3dgme123,
Your tooth #19 has been diseased for several years according to your statements. The spread of infection from the tooth to the jawbone does not occur immediately... it is something that is brewing or growing for quite some time. So this may mean that the infection in the bone is deep and probably more extensive than what it appears on the xray. The reason you did not have any complaints about this tooth prior to the root canal procedure is because the infection was draining from the tooth into the jawbone.
Root canaling this tooth will not cure the infection inside or outside of this tooth. You may have less pain now as the antibiotic has temporarily subsided the inflammation. But that does not mean the infection is cured and NO amount of antibiotics will cure this infection because the tooth is what is causing the infection to remain active and the bacteria in the bone cannot escape or miraculously vanish. It is evident by the discoloration of the gum tissue that the bone is still infected. The area will swell up again after your body has metabolized the antibiotic.
The only way to cure this infection is to remove the source of the infection which is the tooth.... the surgeon would need to remove the tooth, the periodontal ligament and debride (clean thoroughly) the bone of all necrotic tissue and diseased bone. To keep this tooth means to keep the infection of which the bacteria will continue to spread into the bone.
Your dentist should have informed you of the serious health risk associated with an infected jaw bone relating to a posterior tooth such as #19. That risk is called Ludwig's Angina or syndrome. It is when the bacteria and inflammation causes cellulitis to occur underneath the tongue. This can and will close off the airway.
If you had left this tooth alone... it would have abscessed anyway as it was on it's way to doing that.
I urge you to not take a wait and see approach with this tooth. It would be wise to see an oral surgeon, give him the history and let him take his own xray.
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by x3dgame123
I had a history of malformation teeth, the dentist said it is a genetic disease, and it form a bubble in the tooth, and once the top of the bubble wear off, it become a shortcut to the root, and bacteria can infect the root and destroy the tooth.
I had multiple root canals done since I was 13, but there this one tooth that I just never bothered (I think is it #19). I knew there was infection there, but since it was contained and never give me problem, I let it alone.
This year, I finally have dental insurance, so I thought to have a check up after many years, my regular dentist suggested a roof canal and referred me to the endodontist. After a thorough exam, the endodontist said that there is infection in the tooth and an abscess in the bone near the root, and he said the root canal treatment will take care of the infection in the tooth, and the abscess will heal overtime.
So fine, I had the roof canal done, he put in some medication in the canal and scheduled me to do the permanent filling after 6 weeks. Two days later, my gum start to turn red and swell up quickly near the root. When I touched my the swelled bump, it feel really hard, thus I was suspected that my bone start to swell up too. I was in lot of pain, and I couldn't use my right side to eat. So the endodontist gave me a course of Clindamycin 300mg four times daily, and I took that for 10 days.
It has been two weeks since I have the root canal done. Now, I pretty much don't have any pain, except when I using that tooth to bite. My gum are still red, and I still can't use my right side to eat. I still have a very hard bum near the root underneath the gum. The endodontist doesn't want me to take anymore antibiotic, and he said something about the infection has push the peridontal something (I didn't catch the technical term), it feels hard, because I was feeling my bone. He promised me the swelling will go down, but will take longer period of time.
I am just very confused. For years, I was fine. Now I got the roof canal done, and I was in a worse sharp than before. That very swelled bump that I am feeling, is it from swelling from the bone? Bone doesn't just swelling up unless there is increasing abscess formation. I am not a dentist, but I have enough medical training to know that if you have an abscess, you have to drain it in order for it to heal. If draining is not an option, you treat with a longer course of antibiotic, 7-14 days for soft tissue infection, and minimum of 28 days for active bone infection.
Is my endodontist doesn't know what he is doing or am I overly concerned? Please help, I have lost many night of sleep over this. Thanks in advance
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