Dear Bryanna,
Thank you for the education. However, after reading the links you provided, it seems like there is no good course of action to take in my situation. If I leave the root canaled tooth in place, the infection continues: if I have it extracted, I release even more bacteria and will most likely develop a cavatation. Unless I missed something, it seems I'm damned no matter what I do?!
Seriously, this is enough to make a person panic. I need to make a judicious, informed decision. After reading your post, I was ready to have the tooth extracted to be rid of this infection, despite the fact that I lose a front tooth that has a brand new crown, and I wll probably need an expensive implant down the road. But after reading the link in your post, I dont see a route to getting better.
Can you please set me straight on this? I'm very grateful to you for taking the time to educate a stranger, but I seem to be missing something. There must be a correct action I can take, but my time is running short, since I have a very painful condition that needs attention.
I do feel sick, and cant taste the Eugenol in my mouth from the cotton filled hole made by the dentist, left open to allow drainage that isnt happening! The lump in my gum, or fistula, has not opened from what I can tell, and your advice to use warm soaks to try to 'bring it to a head' seems wise, although I'm tempted to take a sterile diabetes needle and try to draw it out. My lower nostril is now numb, and I'm getting worried. I dont know what to do.
Thank you for your time and patience in answering my questions.
Regards,
JEff