Hi newseditor,

Sorry for the glitch in your first attempt at posting on this forum. I think we have all been there at some point.... so we understand :/

I am going to re post some of your thread and reply in bold type. It's just easier to follow.

<<I just had my #19 molar surgically extracted by a dentist. I was also given a bone graph as well. I had previously had a root canal on that tooth about 10 years ago. For about a month leading up to the extraction, I'd had a small amount of pain which we had mistaken for a sinus infection. I was on antibiotics for several weeks prior to having the tooth removed. I was also having headaches in the temple area...

OKAY SO THE TOOTH WAS REMOVED 2 WEEKS AGO.
TOOTH #19 IS A LOWER FIRST MOLAR SO IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THIS TOOTH WAS CAUSING SINUS ISSUES. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOUR NEWLY ROOT CANALED UPPER MOLAR IS CONNECTED TO YOUR SINUS ISSUES AND YOUR CHRONIC HEADACHE. I'LL GET INTO THAT MORE LATER.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT ROOT CANALED TEETH ARE NOT REALLY HEALTHY BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS SOME DEGREE OF INFECTION INSIDE OF THE TOOTH DUE TO THE MANY HUNDREDS OF TINY CANALS CALLED DENTIN TUBULES WHICH ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE DURING THE RC PROCEDURE. A TOOTH DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PAINFUL TO BE SICK. IF THE BACTERIA FROM THE TOOTH IS DRAINING INTO ANOTHER AREA LIKE THE BONE AND/OR THE SINUS, THEN THE TOOTH MAY NOT HURT. OF COURSE IT'S NEVER GOOD TO HAVE A DRAINING INFECTION BUT THAT IS TYPICAL OF ROOT CANALED TEETH.

<<The procedure went well, no pain, but the doctor had to cut the tooth out in pieces. I remember seeing the bottom portion of the tooth and it looked black and white (kind of disgusting). I noticed I felt a bit better after the extraction with soreness in the normal places.>>

ROOT CANALED TEETH ARE GENERALLY BRITTLE BECAUSE THEY ARE NON VITAL. MEANING THE TOOTH HAS NOT HAD ANY NOURISHMENT FROM THE VESSEL THAT USE TO SUPPLY IT BLOOD BECAUSE THE VESSEL IS SEVERED DURING THE RC PROCEDURE. FREQUENTLY, RC TEETH BECOME ANKYLOSED, VERY ATTACHED, TO THE JAW BONE. BETWEEN THE BRITTLENESS AND THE ATTACHMENT, RC TEETH CAN BREAK APART DURING THEIR REMOVAL. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE EXTRACTED TOOTH IS TYPICAL FOR AN RC TOOTH AS THEY CAN BECOME VERY DISEASED.

<<About 5 days post op I returned for a check up still complaining of headaches. The doctor took some images and found I had one tooth (upper molar same side) that needed a root canal. We went ahead and did that and without complications. The doctor told me the headaches could be from the muscles in my head readjusting to my new bite.>>

SO WHY DID HE THINK THAT THE UPPER MOLAR NEEDED A ROOT CANAL? IS THIS TOOTH ON THE SAME SIDE AT THE ONE THAT WAS EXTRACTED? IS THIS THE SIDE THAT YOU HAVE SINUS AND HEADACHE ISSUES?
DO YOU SEE THIS DENTIST FOR REGULAR CHECK UPS AN CLEANINGS OR DO YOU BASICALLY GO TO THE DENTIST WHEN SOMETHINGS UP?

<<Its been two weeks since the extraction and I'm still suffering from headaches in the temple area and soreness at the extraction site. >>

IT IS COMMON FOR SOMEONE TO HAVE POST OP HEADACHES, AFTER THE EXTRACTION OF A LOWER MOLAR BECAUSE THE MOUTH WAS PROPPED OPEN VERY WIDE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND THERE WAS A LOT OF MANIPULATION TO THE JAW DURING THE EXTRACTION. THIS CAN CAUSE TENSION IN THE TMJ MUSCLE AND LEAD TO HEADACHES AND SORENESS IN THE TEMPLE AREA.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR HEADACHES BEGAN BEFORE THE TOOTH WAS EXTRACTED. SO IN THAT CASE, YOUR TMJ COULD BE AGGRAVATED..... BUT IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT YOUR HEADACHES ARE STEMMING FROM THE UPPER TOOTH WHICH WAS RECENTLY ROOT CANALED. IS THIS UPPER TOOTH ON THE SAME SIDE AS YOUR HEADACHES?

<<The doctor has looked at the extraction site and says things are healing normally (no signs of infection). However, when I came off the antibiotics this past weekend, the extraction site became sore again and the headaches increased (also light headed). I got an overall feeling of being run down (no fever) and my jaw felt like it was swelling up and I got a slightly sore throat. I went right back on the antibiotics and one day later an feeling better.>>

THE EXTRACTION SITE MAY LOOK OKAY FROM A QUICK CLINICAL VIEW. BUT THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE SOMETHING BREWING INSIDE THE SOCKET. THE FACT THAT YOU DEVELOPED SORENESS AND OTHER SYMPTOMS AT THE EXTRACTION SITE SOON AFTER YOU STOPPED THE ANTIBIOTICS AND THEN
THE SYMPTOMS IN THAT AREA SUBSIDED ONCE BACK ON THE MEDS, MAY INDICATE A BACTERIAL INFECTION INSIDE THE SOCKET. SO IF THIS SITE ACTS UP AGAIN WHEN YOU COME OFF THIS PRESCRIPTION, THEN PLEASE SEE AN ORAL SURGEON TO EVALUATE THE HEALTH OF THE AREA. IF AN INFECTION IS ONGOING IN THAT AREA AND NOTHING IS PHYSICALLY DONE TO REMOVE IT, THEN THE BONE GRAFT WILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL, THE JAW BONE WILL NOT HEAL PROPERLY AND YOU CAN END UP ILL FROM THE INFECTION. SO IT IS SOMETHING TO MONITOR AS IT SHOULD BE GETTING BETTER ON IT'S OWN, NOT WORSE.

ALSO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE UPPER RC TOOTH MAY BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO YOUR PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF NOT FEELING WELL. AGAIN THE ANTIBIOTICS MAY TEMPORARILY SUBSIDE THE BACTERIA AND INFLAMMATION WITH THAT RC TOOTH, BUT IT CANNOT CURE THE BACTERIAL INFECTION INSIDE THE DENTIN TUBULES. IF THERE IS SINUS INVOLVEMENT WITH THAT UPPER TOOTH, ANTIBIOTICS ARE NOT GOING TO CURE THAT AREA EITHER BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE INFECTED TOOTH THAT IS KEEPING THE SINUS INFECTED.

<<I have four days of antibiotics left and am petrified to go off them. Not sure what is going on but I'm beginning to lose faith in my dentist.>>

YOUR DENTIST IS USE TO DEALING WITH CASES LIKE YOURS AND HE IS TREATING YOU ACCORDING TO WHAT IS CALLED A STANDARD OF CARE. JUST TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND A BIT MORE ABOUT ALL OF THIS...... ROOT CANALS ARE DONE TO RETAIN UNHEALTHY TEETH FOR AN UNCERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. THE PROCEDURE DOES NOT CURE THE TOOTH NOR MAKE IT WELL AGAIN. GOING ON A THIRD ANTIBIOTIC WILL ALSO NOT CURE THE INFECTION IF THERE IS ONE IN THE LOWER JAW NOR WILL IT MAKE THE RC TOOTH IN THE UPPER JAW BETTER. fyi.... IT IS BEST TO BE TREATED BY AN ORAL SURGEON WHEN ROOT CANALED TEETH NEED TO BE REMOVED AS THEY ARE MORE EDUCATED AND EXPERIENCED IN ORAL SURGERY.

<<Is it normal to have these types of headaches (just above the ear, referring to the eyes and the back of the head)? Also, if the extraction site is healing as its supposed to is it possible to still have an infection? So very confused.>>

IT NORMAL TO HAVE HEADACHES AS YOU HAVE DESCRIBED AFTER A LOWER MOLAR IS EXTRACTED. IF ALL IF HEALTHY IN THAT SITE, THEN YOUR PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS WILL IMPROVE. IT IS ALSO NORMAL TO HAVE YOUR SYMPTOMS WITH AN INFECTED UPPER TOOTH. ESPECIALLY IF THE INFECTION FROM THE TOOTH HAS SPREAD TO THE SINUS. IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE A COMBINATION OF BOTH IN YOUR CASE.

THE EXTRACTION SITE CAN LOOK LIKE IT IS HEALING EVEN IF THERE IS AN INFECTION IN THE BONE. AN XRAY CAN OFTEN HELP DIAGNOSE A LINGERING INFECTION IN THE BONE AND CAN PICK UP TOOTH OR BONE FRAGMENTS IN THE SURGICAL SOCKET.

What are you doing to take care of the extraction site? Are you using warm salt water rinses? Anything else to rinse with? Are you eating a soft food diet or are you chewing normal food?

Bryanna