Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi eurso2,

Sinus infections and toothaches are often connected because there is an anatomical communication between some of the upper teeth and the sinuses. The upper canine or incisor teeth can have very long roots and inflammed sinuses can cause these teeth to ache. If a canine tooth becomes infected, the infection can undoubtedly spread into the jawbone into the sinuses. A serious or chronic sinus infection can also spread into the jawbone and into a tooth. However, it is also common to have chronic sinus inflammation without infection that could cause some teeth to hurt.

I am not saying this is your case but more often than not in conventional dentistry, when a dental patient complains repeatedly about a particular tooth hurting, many dentists will suggest to root canal the tooth irrelevant of whether or not there is clinical or radiographic pathology. Their thinking is that a root canal procedure will render the tooth non vital, therefore the patient will stop complaining about the pain. This is never a good option because the tooth will continue to hurt because the source of the problem has not been resolved. Thus the patient then ends up with a tooth that was needlessly made non vital and is now chronically inflammed which can lead into other issues.

Was there evidence on the radiograph that your canine was infected? How does that tooth feel now? Radiographically, is there any pathology with the other canine that began hurting recently?

I think it is wise to seek the opinion of an ENT BEFORE ungergoing another root canal and perhaps go for a cat scan that is done is "slices" to visualize the communication between the various layers of the sinus and oral cavity.

I am ashamed to say this but if I had a penny for every patient that I've seen who had root canals done in teeth that were healthy and their source of pain was NOT originated in their teeth......... I would literally be a multi, multi millionaire!

Do seek an ENT consult and have them check out your situation thoroughly before undergoing any more root canals........ please keep us posted on how things are going!

Bryanna