Hi danzergurl,
You are very welcome and I'm glad I was able to explain all of that clearly enough for you
Sometimes it helps to understand the "why" or "how come" of things as it can take away some of the anxiety of what happened.
A heartfelt word of caution about getting pregnant right now.... it would be in your best interest to NOT get pregnant until this tooth is removed and you have healed for several months. The mouth is very vascular so the bacteria in our mouths filters throughout the blood stream. Pregnancy hormones can trip up even a latent infection and make you quite sick and put you into a high risk category for pregnancy and birth problems. So if you can, please postpone a pregnancy until you know you are well. Also, if you are contemplating a dental implant, it is best to not do the implant while you are trying to or are pregnant as there is always a risk of infection and failure. Especially when the immune system is already compromised or working hard to keep "2" people healthy.
Do not feel guilty about having the root canal done. I know how dentists market root canal therapy leaving the patient to feel like it's their only real option to "saving" their tooth. The irony is that the only thing the rc saves is the infection. Systemically there are major risks with retaining (saving) infected and non vital teeth. I personally feel every patient should be informed of those risks so they can make an intelligent informed decision as to what they feel is in their own best interest without feeling pressured.
The surgery to extracting #31 while infected and now root canaled may take some time to do. The difficulty depends on how infected it is and how well the anesthetic takes. The antibiotic will be helpful in your case and you may need an additional rx after this one. The tooth is large, it's sick and it's fragile. So the oral surgeon knows to take his time and ease the tooth from the bone. He may need to section each root from the rest of the tooth to remove it which is commonly done especially by holistic minded surgeons. But that is a judgement call on his part. All dentists know it is imperative to remove the entire tooth, the ligament and all diseased tissue and bone. However, not all of them do it with every extraction :/ So again if you want to be an informed advocate for yourself, then in a gentle but assertive manner just make it known to the dentist that you expect those steps to be taken.
Can you post the surgeons website or name either here or in a PM to me? I can take a look to see what his specialties may be and offer you my opinion.... if that's okay with you
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by danzergurl00
Thank you so much Bryanna! That makes so much sense now. I was so upset with the first dentist after getting the crown, thinking he caused this, but now I understand the tooth was already in bad shape and infected. That is what has caused pain for almost 3 months. I am so ready to be done with this infection and just get this infected tooth out of my body.
I knew deep down a root canal was not the right choice, but the pressure from everyone about "keeping my teeth" made me choose it. I don't feel comfortable with getting an implant at this time either because I have autoimmune disease in my family and have a positive ANA myself.
How big of a deal will it be to clean the infected tissue and bone after extraction? Is that a quick process or will it be a major surgery? I called the oral surgeon's emergency line, but I haven't heard from them. I don't think i'll be able to see them til Monday. How do I know they are good at what they do? The holistic oral surgeon I found has information about cavitations on his website, so hopefully he will know how to remove it all.
Thank you again for your time. I have learned so much from reading your responses and reading Dr Mercola's website. My pain is somewhat controlled today with Advil. I couldn't take it before because there was a chance i could be pregnant. I will keep you all updated. Thank you!
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