Hi Fhen,
When the tooth was extracted, was the implant placed in that site immediately...if not, how long thereafter? When the implant was removed, were there any specimens taken of the surgical site for biopsy and culturing purposes?
At the time of the implant placement, an xray should have been taken to determine the location of the implant in relation to the sinus membrane. I don't know if that was done in your case but if the implant was seen on the xray to have perforated the membrane, then the implant should have been removed immediately. Depending on the size of the perf, it would either be surgically closed over or allowed to heal on it's own. Then after several weeks to a few months, a second surgery could be attempted to place the implant again. If the implant is left in the sinus, infection is imminent and it will be very difficult to eradicate.
One big problem that occurs when a tooth is root canaled is..... the original infection in the tooth becomes even more abundant from the lack of oxygen and blood because the nerves and vessels have been severed during the procedure. The tooth becomes overwhelmed with infection and inflammation which always proliferate through the tooth into the jawbone. The longer the root canaled tooth is present the more deterioration occurs in the jawbone. ANYtime a dental implant is placed in the site of a previously root canaled tooth, the risk of infection and failure are elevated due to the avascular necrosis.
What typically occurs in cases like yours....the bone becomes infected from the root canaled tooth, the implant is placed in infected necrotic bone, and the infection migrates into the sinus cavity. The perforation of the sinus is often a secondary issue to the already compromised jawbone and may have even been open prior to the placement of the implant... just not diagnosed.
I am a huge believer of Integrative medicine and personally feel all medicine and dentistry should be Integrative! Your MD is wise to refer to your condition as a "smoldering infection"... that is right on!! All root canaled teeth are smoldering infections and the mess they leave behind is unmeasurable. He's correct that this type of infection is very difficult to treat. I have to admit that I have never seen ozone injections cure this type of infection, but I have seen it temporarily relieve some symptoms. Has your MD talked to you about aggressive antibiotic therapy at all?
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fhen
Hi Bryanna, Just a little history for you on my case: I had a root canal approx 5-6 years ago. Shortly after I had the root canal tooth extracted and a titanium implant placed. That is when my illness started. It was a gradual onset and I didn't pay attention to symptoms the first year. In Jan 2011 I had the implant extracted and found out it had perforated my maxillary sinus when it was placed. Cone beam ct scan showed the hole in my sinus was healing but my chronic sinusitis persisted.
To answer your question, I have been getting ozone injections from my dr who is MD. He also does acupuncture, homeopathy, etc. I think he calls it integrative medicine. He will use conventional med if there is a benefit but most of his practice is in alternative therapies.
He told me I have a "smoldering infection" from the root canal and implant. To paraphrase him, anytime a foreign body is put into your jaw like that it often brings along bacteria and when it enters your body it turns anaerobic due to the lack of oxygen. Anaerobic infections are almost impossible to kill off because they are so hard to get to. While this infection is smoldering in your body it is producing very powerful toxins, some of which are carcinogenic. I did a quick google search and found a link between root canals and breast cancer. Ozone has been shown to kill anaerobes and that is why he wanted to try it. I felt much worse after the ozone injections so we are holding off for now while we treat the mold and mycoplasma.
From what I gather, the root canal and implant put my immune system a tizzy to say the least and so I keep getting infections that wouldn't make most healthy people sick. I have been under the care of my dr since April 2011 and have been basically putting out fires as they come along, looking forward to regaining my health.
Hoping you are in good health, I haven't read much here yet
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