Rick,
It was a foreign matter but could have been tooth or bone related. Sometimes (quite frequently) when a tooth is extracted, a piece of the tooth or a piece of the jaw bone gets splintered or fractured off and it gets pushed during the surgery into a place where it may or may not be seen on an xray or a scan. Depending on where it is, sometimes it will work itself out through the mouth or the nose. The infection however may have progressed beyond the actual site of where the "piece" was pushed to. This could account for chronic sinus infections and the current perforated sinus.
It is imperative that your OS and the ENT collaborate on your case. One should not be doing anything without giving consideration to the problems in their entirety. Meaning, neither issue should be dismissed or overlooked when dealing with the other. The septum issue and the tooth related infection should not be dealt with separately.
The ENT must take into consideration all that has transpired with the extracted root canaled tooth. Beginning with the history of that tooth ... the fact that it was root canal and when ... the problems you had that lead up to the tooth being extracted ... the oral surgery to extract it and what was found during the surgery ... the post operative complications that occurred ... the timing of the sinus infections ... the "rice" like finding ... the pus that extruded ... the abnormal air flow ..... ALL of these things are important notes to be taken into consideration when dealing with your septum if you are to heal properly from that surgery.
The ENT and the OS need to collaborate on your case. You may have to insist upon it because doctors often have egos that get in the way of sharing cases with other doctors. Or they hesitate to make the contact because they know or suspect something has gone amiss with the care and they have to be careful how they approach the case. Either way, those issues are not your problem. Your problem is getting the best and most thorough care possible.
Please consider the information that I have given you seriously. If you have some doubt about the importance of the doctors collaboration ... read through all of Angels31 dental saga here on this forum. She's been through hell because her ENT and OS have yet to collaborate on her dental situation Which by the way with a few minor differences, happens to be very similar to yours.
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by XFitRick
I didn't save it, but felt it was the "plug" that would occasionally "pop," irritating that area resulting in new sinus infections. I don't think it was part of a tooth, as the tooth I saved shows metal breakage. The OS later did an xray and I assume would have been able to see anything hard-like.
ENT is through the VA who did the CT scan. They didn't say anything about the extraction site other than being able to see a missing tooth (soft tissue). Their focus seemed to be unrelated to the extracted tooth and concluded the deviated septum as the root of the sinus infections.
The VA medical side has been positive from my experience; their process to get things done is more of an issue.
My OS is private practice and did the extraction. I'm assuming he can do the bacteria culture test and the surgery flap? I'm scheduled to see him this week.
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