Hi Vowel Lady,

You made a few statements that I think is only fair to clarify for the lay person so I will re-post them and give my two cents in bold type.. just easier to follow that way....

<<I've experienced a complicated situation involving simple dental work that went wrong. A crown on a cracked tooth with an rc tooth next to it.>>

ALL CROWN PREPARATIONS ARE NOT UNDER THE CATEGORY OF SIMPLE DENTISTRY. ALL DENTAL RESTORATIONS REQUIRE DRILLING INTO THE TOOTH. EVEN A TINY AMOUNT OF DRILLING CAN CAUSE BACTERIA TO MIGRATE TO THE PULP AND FURTHER.... OR NERVE DAMAGE TO OCCUR WITH THE NERVES INSIDE OF THE TOOTH. THIS RISK IS ELEVATED WITH THE SEVERITY OF THE DRILLING AS MORE AND MORE TOOTH STRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED AS IN THE PREPARATION OF A CROWN. THE RISK ALSO ELEVATED EACH TIME THAT TOOTH IS DRILLED INTO TO REMOVE AN OLD RESTORATION AND PUT IN A NEW ONE OR DO A CROWN. UNLIKE COSMETIC DENTISTRY, FOR A CROWN TO EVEN BE SUGGESTED THERE HAS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TOOTH STRUCTURE ALREADY GONE OR THE REPLACEMENT RESTORATION WOULD SUFFICE WITH A FILLING.

THE RC TOOTH NEXT TO THE ONE THAT HAD THE CROWN PUT ON HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE "NERVE" PROBLEMS THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING. WHY? BECAUSE NOT ONLY WAS THIS TOOTH INFECTED AND INFLAMED PRIOR TO DRILLING INTO THE ADJACENT ONE BUT THE SURROUNDING NERVES, BONE AND LIGAMENTS WERE ALSO INFLAMED AND UNHEALTHY JUST AS THEY ARE WITH ALL ROOT CANALED TEETH. AS YOU KNOW TEETH ARE INTRICATELY RELATED TO BUNDLES OF NERVES THAT NOT ONLY SURROUND EACH TOOTH BUT THEN BRANCH OUT INTO OTHER AREAS OF THE MOUTH, FACE,..... ETC.

<< My cracked tooth was root canaled...what a horror. Then, I had it removed...the pain remained. >>

THE PAIN REMAINED AFTER THE EXTRACTION MOST LIKELY BECAUSE YOU HAVE RETAINED THAT OTHER INFECTED AND INFLAMED OTHER RC TOOTH AND/OR THE SURGICAL SITE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY DEBRIDED LEAVING BEHIND NECROTIC TISSUE.

<< I do not believe I had one single good dentist...although I went from dentist to dentist begging for help and was willing to spend anything for good care. Instead, I spent a LOT of money for horrible care and ended up with permanent pain and ill health.>>

THIS IS WHY I REFER TO DENTISTS AS TOOTH CARPENTERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO FOCUS ON THE TOOTH CARPENTRY NOT THE BIOLOGY. I INFORM PEOPLE TO NOT EXPECT THEIR DENTISTS TO INFORM THEM OF THE PROBLEMS WITH ROOT CANALED TEETH BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GO AGAINST THE TIDE AND RISK BEING OSTRICIZED BY THEIR PEERS. THE PATIENT IS THE ONE WHO HAS TO BRING UP THE SYSTEMIC CONNECTION TO THE DENTIST AND NOT BACK DOWN ON IT. THIS IS WHY I AM HERE... TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BECOME BETTER INFORMED SO THEY REDUCE THE RISK OF ENDING UP WITH A NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEM.

<< I know my recent dental care was HORRID and I'm beginning to suspect the entire industry is wracked with LIARS, cheats, unprofessionalism, cheapskates and cruelty...and this has been going on for decades. Just IMHO. >>

OKAY, YOU SAID IT. IT IS AN INDUSTRY NOT UNLIKE THE REST OF OUR HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. IT IS THE $$$ THAT DRIVE MOST PEOPLE TO DO WHAT THEY DO FOR A LIVING AND DENTISTS AND DOCTORS ARE NO DIFFERENT.

<<I believe my severe and permanent pain occurred from dental work and it's been determined by oral surgeons and neurologists that the cause is damage to the Trigeminal nerve.>>

IT MOST LIKELY OCCURRED AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST ROOT CANAL AND IT HAS SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL SINCE THEN. THE RC PROCEDURE CAUSES TRAUMA TO THE FRAGILE AREAS OF THE TOOTH... THE NERVE TISSUE AND BACTERIA BECOMES LODGED IN THE HUNDREDS OF TINY CANALS CAUSING THAT NERVE TISSUE TO BECOME NECROTIC .... THE BACTERIA BECOMES INFECTIOUS AND PROLIFERATES BEYOND THE TOOTH... ADD TO ALL THAT THE INFLAMMATION. THIS IS WHY IT IS SO LIKELY THAT RETAINING A SICK TOOTH WILL RESULT IN A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM LIKE NEURALGIA.

<<One of the oral surgeons is also an MD...pretty cool. I trust him greatly.....he actually apologized to me for the dental profession. Odd, huh? *Correction...at least I think he has a better understanding of how dentistry can influence the body and oddly, he doesn't seem to trust dentists.>>

IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR AN ORAL SURGEON TO CARRY A DUAL DEGREE. SOMETIMES THEY ADVERTISE IT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. WHEN A PATIENT CONFRONTS AN ORAL SURGEON ABOUT THE RISK OF A SYSTEMIC CONNECTION TO A ROOT CANALED TOOTH, 9.5 OUT OF 10 ORAL SURGEONS WILL CONFIRM THIS TO BE TRUE. THEY ARE CAREFUL HOW THEY DISCUSS IT AND GENERALLY DO NOT OFFER AS MUCH INFORMATION AS I DO. THE HALF PERCENT OF THEM THAT DISMISS THE NOTION... ARE THE ONES WHO ARE EATING OUT OF THEIR REFERRALS POCKETS AND WON'T JEOPARDIZE THEIR INCOME BY GOING AGAINST THE TIDE.

<<I think you should consider removing the tooth by a well respected oral surgeon and also see a neurologist, especially if your pain doesn't improve. Pam, don't panic, but some of your pain is similar to mine...so IMHO, you probably should try to make a decision soon. ?|>>

IF NERVE DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED FROM THE TOOTH, IT CAN TAKES MONTHS OR YEARS FOR THE NERVES TO REGENERATE. IT DEPENDS ON HOW LONG THAT RC TOOTH WAS PRESENT, HOW MANY TIMES IT WAS ROOT CANALED, AND HOW PROLIFERATED THE INFECTION BECAME. NEUROLOGISTS ARE VERY QUICK TO PRESCRIBE A MYRIAD OF MEDICATIONS. NERVE REGENERATION CAN OFTEN BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH NUTRITION AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS. A NUTRITIONIST WOULD NEED TO BE CONSULTED FOR THE PROPER PATH. SOME PEOPLE WOULD CHOOSE THE MEDS... WHILE OTHERS MIGHT CHOOSE TO ATTACK IT FROM A NUTRITIONAL STANDPOINT. THAT IS WHY I MENTION IT.

<<Although I don't have it all worked out ... I highly suspect root canals are dangerous. I ordered the book mentioned above as well as "Root canal Coverup.">>

YOU ARE BECOMING BETTER INFORMED THAT'S FOR SURE! YOU WILL ACQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF KNOWLEDGE FROM BOTH BOOKS.

I always welcome and appreciate your input here. I know so many people who are in your shoes and it saddens me to know what you are going through. Don't give up learning, you will find the answers you are looking for!