Thank you so much, Bryanna, for your thorough replies and helpful information. I wish I had known this information 8 years ago when the first flare-up occurred! I couldn't help or prevent that first root canal, so long ago, and apparently, many of my lifelong issues might be connected with that first surgery.

I made the appointment with my general physician a few weeks ago, before I recognized that the implants/teeth/infection might be the source of the problems. So I might not get much help in that area. I had a serious outbreak of (what I thought was) the cold sores last year, on the inside of my nose, with ongoing sores for over 8 months. They tested the sores and discovered some other bacteria, possibly MRSA, and a strong dose of antibiotics finally cleared that up.

So when I thought the recent problem was merely all of these cold sores, I thought that maybe another similar skin infection was happening again, and we might be able to deal with that.

I have had NO success from any conventional or alternative medicine with the cold sores, in the last 23 years, since my first outbreak. (I have both strains of the herpes simplex virus, and suffer from genital and oral outbreaks.) Nothing topical helps, no prescriptions, l-lysine, etc. Obviously when I am in good health, the outbreaks are less frequent, maybe 4-6 times a year. Every time I experience an outbreak, I get flu-like symptoms for about 24 hours - general achiness, swollen lymph nodes, low fever, etc.

So when these symptoms started to recur every few days, I was concerned! And I spent day after day, not feeling well. This started in earnest about a month ago. In the last 4 weeks I have had at least 8 separate outbreaks of cold sores, in odd places on my face. (They usually recur in the same area as the initial outbreak, which is inside my nose, or directly below my nose, above my lips.) I have recently had them on my neck, below my lips, my earlobe, and now my eyebrow.

The last several days, I have started to write things down and do some research, and that is why I am beginning to see that all of this might be connected to the old root canals and the infection that is likely still in the bones, jaw, sinus, or wherever.

I don't remember if the implants are titanium or zirconium. I think the oral surgeon said that the bone looked healthy when he put in the implants, immediately after the extractions. So I think now, that I should have had more extensive surgery to clear out the infection, before placing the implants?

Is it at all possible to deal with the infection, likely in the bone and maybe sinus cavity, by some sort of surgery or other treatment, while still leaving the implants intact?

The total cost was about $10,000 for these implants - it took us most of the last 3 years to pay that off! I know we can't put a price on good health, but it is discouraging and scary to think of having to take these implants out.

None of my other teeth have implants or root canals.

I believe the crowns are separate crowns, not soldered together.

I have suffered from numerous sinus infections in the last 10 years or so.

I also was a normal weight kid until the first root canal at age 10. That was the year my parents separated and we moved several times, and I started gaining weight. I always figured that the weight gain began due to stress and hormones and puberty. I wonder if that tendency (I have struggled with weight issues ever since then) is connected to the infected teeth, all that time?

I know this is kind of a rambling answer, and I appreciate all the help you have already offered. Might be helpful for others to read my story?!

I will keep my appointments next week, with the regular physician and the oral surgeon, but I will do some additional research and strongly consider finding a holistic dentist and getting another opinion. (The closest one may be about 90 minutes away.)

The way I have felt the last few weeks and especially the last few days, I guess I would choose to gladly have these implants removed, even if it means no front teeth! I stayed home this weekend instead of traveling to family wedding because I just don't feel well enough to attend. I have a low fever, constant pain and a severe headache. I certainly can't live like this every day for much longer.

So really, after all this, I guess my only question is whether any kind of treatment is possible while still keeping the implants, if the infection from the old root canaled tooth is indeed in the bone and surrounding tissues, etc?