Nukuspot,

I am going to re post some of your thread and answer in bold type. I just want to mention...... I feel awful that you are going through this AND the timing of it with trying to get things together for your trip is adding so much more stress. I feel for you, I really do. I think I've come to know you well enough to believe that you want to gather all the information that you can and this is why you came here and why you stay here. So I am going to keep giving you the information to help you understand things from the "dental" perspective.

<<The dentists I saw are pretty much the most holistic of all the options in about a 200 mile radius of my area. So I was pretty surprised when the one (who I think has about 1/4 his practice as root canal extractions) said that of all my options, root canal with ozone might be the best, albeit temporary option I have if the pain will not spontaneously cease by either reversing the inflammation or the natural death of the nerve.>>

HE MAY VERY WELL BE VERY MUCH INTO HOLISTIC DENTISTRY. WHICH IS GREAT! BUT EVEN A HOLISTIC DENTIST WILL RECOMMEND ROOT CANAL TO A PATIENT WHO BASICALLY LEAVES THEM NO CHOICE. MEANING YOU ARE ADAMANT ABOUT NOT REMOVING #7 IN SPITE OF THE DIAGNOSIS AND IN SPITE OF THE INTENSITY OF THE SYMPTOMS. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE, AND FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU MENTION, THAT YOU DO NOT WANT THIS TOOTH REMOVED. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE REMOVAL OF THIS TOOTH IS INEVITABLE, YOUR DENTISTS ARE TRYING TO WORK WITH YOU ON WHAT YOU WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO. THIS IS WHY THEY ARE WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH WHATEVER TEMPORARY MEASURE YOU DECIDE TO TAKE.

<<To answer your question, if I did get an abscess, I would extract that one and have to only hope an implant would be successful. Without it, I might have to adjust to life with a missing front tooth. It would be devastating.>>

THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE WAY TO KNOW THAT A DENTAL IMPLANT WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL OR NOT IN THAT AREA OF BONE UNTIL THE BONE WAS EXPLORED AT THE TIME OF THE EXTRACTION. A PRE OP 3D DENTAL SCAN MAY ALSO BE HELPFUL AT SHOWING THE DEPTH AND DENSITY OF THAT BONE. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PROGRESSION OF THE INFLAMMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BACTERIA WILL CAUSE THE INTEGRITY OF THE BONE TO BREAK DOWN. THIS OCCURRENCE WOULD FURTHER REDUCE WHATEVER CHANCE THERE IS FOR THE IMPLANTATION OF THE DENTAL IMPLANT. YOUR DENTISTS SHOULD BE INFORMING YOU ABOUT THAT BUT THEY ARE PROBABLY HESITANT, LIKE I AM, TO ADD THAT CONCERN TO EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON.

<<So for right now, my only choice open to me is between keeping on like this and getting the root canal with ozone.>>

THIS IS YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE AND EVERY DENTIST IS LEAVING THE DECISION UP TO YOU.

<<So that is why I am living in pain. I told my husband today I think that 99 out of 100 people would have had the root canal weeks ago. He agreed. I just am clinging to any hope that it will just go away at this point.>>

THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE HAD THE ROOT CANAL WOULD BE THOSE WHOSE DENTISTS SOLD THEM ON IT WITHOUT DISCUSSION. OTHER DENTISTS WOULD HAVE SAID THIS TOOTH IS COMPROMISED IN SEVERAL WAYS, TAKE IT OUT AND PUT IN AN IMPLANT...... WITHOUT MUCH OR ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE BONE.

<<My dentist really thinks that the occulsal adjustment is going to reduce the pressure on that tooth and stop the pain. However, that is not for over 2 weeks since I am going away and they couldn't even get me in until 4 days after I return for the adjustment. (I am going to call on Monday and beg for an earlier appointment.)>>

YOUR DENTIST IS MOST LIKELY PUTTING OFF THE OCCLUSAL ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE TOUCHING TOOTH #7 WITH A DRILL WHILE THE LIGAMENT IS INFLAMED IS NOT GOING TO BE VERY COMFORTABLE AND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE VIBRATION FROM THE DRILL CAN CAUSE FURTHER TRAUMA TO AN ALREADY INFLAMED TOOTH. HE IS NOT LOOKING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE AND IS WILLING TO LET YOU RIDE THIS SITUATION OUT AS LONG AS YOU CAN. IF THE TOOTH CALMS DOWN IN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS, HE MAY TRY TO ADJUST IT THEN. BUT REMEMBER, IF THE NERVES AND LIGAMENT DIE, THE PAIN MAY SUBSIDE MAKING YOU THINK THE TOOTH HAS GOTTEN BETTER. SO AN XRAY OF THIS TOOTH SHOULD BE TAKEN PRIOR TO ADJUSTING THE OCCLUSION TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OBVIOUS RADIO GRAPHIC CHANGES.

<<I might have to rely on Motrin while I am away if this gets worse. So far I have only taken my herbal supplements. I am trying to save Motrin for worst case scenario time.>>

MOTRIN MAY BRING SOME RELIEF. BUT KEEP IN MIND ANTI INFLAMMATORY DRUGS CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE KIDNEYS AFTER TAKING LARGE DOSES AND/OR LONG TERM USE.

<<If the adjustment in 2.5 weeks doesn't help, and it's not at all improving, I am going to have to get the root canal. I still am not at peace with that decision yet but in a few more weeks of pain, I think I will be.>>

YOU KNOW THE RC IS AT BEST ONLY A TEMPORARY MEASURE. BUT IT IS YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE AND IF THAT IS WHAT YOU FEEL YOU WANT TO DO, THEN DO IT.

<<This totally sucks!!>>

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!! I PRAY YOU GET SOME RELIEF AND SOME PEACE WHILE YOU ARE AWAY WITH YOUR FAMILY.