But you scare me when you say the bacteria can go to the brain. So if the infection has spread and is spreading, will taking the tooth out solve it? where will the bacteria which has got into my blood go?

i read that the tooth must not be extracted while its infected. So do i need antibiotics first or not? which antibiotics? and also i read that the area needs to be cleaned once extracted. This is more work than with a wisdom tooth. You dont need to clean a wisdom tooth. So the question is, if the dentist doesnt clean the area properly after extraction cold it lead to more chronic infection?

what frustrated me is that i read abcesses can easily be diagnosed. After tapping the tooth and applying cold, he said he didnt think there was anything wrong. Even though the xray did show something odd, he still did not seem sure.
So what more tests can be done? He didnt see any decay or holes in the tooth. there is no fillings on the tooth.

yes the xray was a digital file - He showed it to me on the computer screen. I will ask him to email it to me and i will post it if and when i obtain it.

yes you are right i have not been to the dentist before this in about 5 years. This is the only teeth which is discolored and giving slight pain and symptoms.

Does the fact that when i apply ice and i cant feel anything not confirm that its dead?