Hi Pam,

Just to clarify so others reading your post do not get confused... the tooth that you had extracted had been root canaled 5 years prior to the extraction. The root canal procedure does not cure an infected tooth because as there is no access to the hundreds of tiny canals inside of the tooth that contain dead and infected nerve tissue. So for 5+ years that infected tooth was at minimum causing inflammation in that quadrant of your mouth. Chronic inflammation any place in the body, especially when it is associated with infection, is going to cause further and often long term problems. Removing the infected tooth was the only option you had to give your mouth a chance to heal and become healthy. However, there is no telling the extent of the problems that have occurred over that 5 year span. In addition to all that you've had and according to your most recent post still have a bruxism habit that has not been managed well.

Pam, I know this has been a very difficult situation for you and I know you just want to feel normal. So many people are in your same situation and so many more are yet to experience it because conventional dentistry does not inform people about the long term consequences of retaining root canaled teeth. If they were informed, some people would still opt to have the root canal but then there would be no surprise when problems occurred.

There is no easy solution and it is best to find a dentist who is honest and forthright about root canals so at least he can understand where the problems are stemming from and attempt to treat you accordingly.

Bryanna