Hi Jeanie,

FYI... I am in the dental profession and think I can be of some help to you. I can at least explain and make sense of what has happened since the onset of your dental problem to why you are in this predicament now. I will post in caps after <<your statements>> to make it easier to follow.

<<I am a type 1 diabetic diagnosed 2004, I had thrush in my mouth before diagnosis and unfortunately had a hard time getting diagnosed and ended up in hospital very sick and finally found out what was wrong. A few months after being diagnosed I went to the dentist, I needed lots of fillings as the high sugars had done a lot of damage. Even though I have good teeth and have always looked after them, brushing, flossing, etc.>>

SOME DIABETICS REQUIRE PREVENTIVE DENTAL CARE MORE OFTEN THAN NON D BECAUSE DIABETES IMPAIRS THE WHITE BLOOD CELLS WHICH ACT AS THE BODY'S MAIN DEFENSE AGAINST BACTERIAL INFECTIONS IN THE MOUTH. SO A SIMPLE ORAL SORE OR BUILD UP OF PLAQUE COULD BECOME A HUGE PROBLEM FOR A DIABETIC AND CAVITIES CAN BECOME RAMPANT VERY EASILY. THRUSH CAN ALSO BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET UNDER CONTROL AND MAKE YOU VERY ILL. ORAL HYGIENE NEEDS TO BE VERY THOROUGH AND THE DIET NEEDS TO BE GEARED TOWARDS KEEPING THE INSULIN IN BALANCE.

<<About 4 years after diagnosis I had pain in gums and face, a burning stinging pain and went to the dentist who said nothing was wrong on xrays. That weekend I was in pain so I found another dentist who said he couldnt see anything either but gave me some antibiotics.>>

IN A DIABETIC THESE SYMPTOMS ALWAYS MEAN SOMETHING IS BREWING. PERHAPS THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM DONE AT THAT TIME AS THE ANTIBIOTIC WAS JUST A BAND AID.

<<I felt slightly better, I was going abroad for xmas and on the plane my face swelled up I found a dentist in Spain who ssaid I had a huge abscess on a tooth on my lower jaw and no wonder I was in pain! He removed the abscess over 3 hours, put antibiotics in it and got me to come back a few days later. When I did he put a temp filling and told me to get RCT when I got home. I did this and thought nothing of it.>>

THERE IS NO WAY POSSIBLE TO REMOVE AN ABSCESS FROM A TOOTH OR FROM THE BONE SO LONG AS THE TOOTH IS PRESENT. ONCE A TOOTH IS INFECTED, IT REMAINS INFECTED IRRELEVANT OF WHAT IS DONE TO IT OR THE SURROUNDING BONE. THE ONLY WAY TO CURE THE ABSCESS IS TO REMOVE THE SOURCE OF THE INFECTION WHICH IS THE TOOTH. THE ANTIBIOTIC COMBINED WITH WHATEVER HE DID TO THIS TOOTH SUBSIDED THE EXTREME SYMPTOMS BUT DID NOT CURE THE INFECTION.

<<Over the last few years I have had a couple of what I thought were mild gum infections and taken antibiotics or sometimes they just went on their own. >>

IN A DIABETIC THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A MILD GUM INFECTION AND THEY DO NOT JUST GO AWAY ON THEIR OWN. ANTIBIOTICS CAN TEMPORARILY SUBSIDE THE ACUTE SYMPTOMS BUT INTERVENTION IS ALWAYS NEEDED.

<<2-3 weeks ago I started getting occassional burning sensation through my inside cheek, gum and jaw on the right. Gradually the pain was more often and more intense, I went to the dentist who took xrays who said that there was an infection my RCT tooth that needed to be redone.This would cost €850 plus €500 for a crown. I told him i couldnt afford it and he put me on antibiotics and said get it done as soon as. >>

REDOING THE RCT IS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY AND IT IS TAXING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. AS A DIABETIC, IT IS DANGEROUS FOR YOU TO HANG ONTO THIS TOOTH. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO WAY TO CURE AN INFECTED TOOTH BECAUSE THERE ARE COUNTLESS TINY CANALS IN THE TOOTH THAT CAN NOT BE CLEANED OUT AND WILL ALWAYS CONTAIN DISEASED NERVE TISSUE. THEREFORE THIS TOOTH HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY INFECTED FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

<<I live in Ireland and unless you have a medical card you get no help with paying for this dental treatment, I work partime, have a lot of debt and no way of getting this money.>>

I UNDERSTAND HOW EXPENSIVE DENTISTRY IS AND MANY PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD IT. ASIDE FROM THAT, KEEPING THIS TOOTH IS NOT HEALTHY FOR YOU AND WILL CAUSE YOU CONTINUED PROBLEMS. IT CAN, IF IT HASN'T ALREADY, BECOME A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM AS WELL. THE INFECTION WILL ALSO SPREAD TO OTHER TEETH.

<<By Tuesday I was now in pain eating, then drinking hot drinks and by Thurs even room temp water hurt so bad. I rang one of the specialist endodontist my dentist had given me the number of and made an appointment for the day after (Friday) by Friday I was in agony, when I explained everything to the endodonist he kept telling me that the pain I was describing would not be due to infection or tooth and sounded more like a diabetic neuropathy in the dental area and face!>>

THIS DENTIST IS BASICALLY MISINFORMING YOU. YOUR DESCRIBED SYMPTOMS ARE RELEVANT TO AN INFECTED TOOTH AND GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THIS TOOTH, IT IS NOT EVEN QUESTIONABLE.

<<He wrote up a referral let, I tried to explain tht the pain I was describing was present when I had my abscess a few years ago and went awa once it was treated he ignored me. >>

HE KNEW THE ABSCESS DIDN'T GO AWAY BUT DID NOT WANT TO INFORM YOU OF THAT... BECAUSE AFTER ALL HE DOES ROOT CANALS FOR A LIVING AND IS NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT I JUST HAVE. LET ME GUESS, HE SAID THE TOOTH NEXT TO IT WAS INFECTED...??

<<Finally he looked in my mouth and with cold sensation test he found that it was actually the tooth beside the original RCT tooth that was causing pain and he did an emergency RCT on that, I had to borrow €300 from my mother to pay and I have to find €300 and go back this Friday to finish the treatment.>>

BINGO.... AS I SAID ABOVE, THE INFECTION HAS SPREAD TO THE TOOTH NEXT TO THE ORIGINAL ABSCESSED TOOTH. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE ORIGINAL TOOTH IS OKAY, IT'S NOT.

<<He told me I needed to have the other one redone as soon as>> OF COURSE HE DID.... MORE $$$ FOR HIM. THIS TOOTH IS NOT HEALTHY AND NEVER WILL BE.

<< I said I couldnt afford it and could I get it out and all he kept saying was you will have a gap and thats not a good idea. He prescibed anti infams and told me to stop taking the antibiotics and only take them if my face swelled up.>>

YOU ARE BETTER OFF WITH A SPACE THAN A LIFE THREATENING INFECTION. DO YOU AGREE? DOES HE NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE A DIABETIC WITH A LONG TERM ACTIVE INFECTION??

<<Anyway I have done lots of research and I am now terrified of what RCT is doing to me and my diabetes. I have felt unwell for weeks with the pain and also run down and exhasuted with blood sugars unstable.>>

RESEARCH IS GOOD AND YOU ARE RIGHT TO BE TERRIFIED OF THE SYSTEMIC CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH INFECTION. THE MOUTH IS VERY VASCULAR WHICH MEANS THE BACTERIA FROM THESE INFECTED TEETH IS TRAVELING AND FILTERING THROUGH YOUR ORGANS. I AM NOT TELLING YOU THIS TO FRIGHTEN YOU MORE.... BUT YOU NEED TO BELIEVE THE SEVERITY OF THIS SITUATION AND STOP LETTING OTHERS PUT BAND AIDS ON IT.

<< I have made an appointment with my original dentist who is a very nice woman but was unavailable the day I went for the xrays 3 weeks ago, Im going to talk to her about getting a partial denture for the first RCT tooth and having an extraction because I can't afford all the work it needs.>>

YOU KEEP REFERRING TO THE $$$ EXPENSE OF ALL THIS TREATMENT WHICH IS TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE. BUT IT IS NOT AS SIGNIFICANT AS THE EXPENSE IT IS COSTING YOUR HEALTH.

<< She can't fit me in until next Wednesday (13th Feb) and Im at the endodontist to finish the second one Friday. Ideally I would like to have them both pulled but I know my dentist will talk me out of that as its just had the RCT.>>

WHY NOT REMOVE BOTH TEETH AND GET A PARTIAL DENTURE? SHE CAN ONLY TALK YOU OUT OF MAKING A DECISION THAT IS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF YOUR HEALTH IF THAT IS THE WAY YOU WANT TO GO.

<<Anyway sorry for such a long post Im just so stressed, crying in pain last week and terrified of what to do what not do this week, plus theres not much help here in this country all dentist seem to think havig a RCT and keeping your tooth is the be all and end all for all their patients even with autoimmune deseases. >>

HERE IN THE US, RCT IS THE NUMBER ONE DENTAL TREATMENT PRESCRIBED AND ALSO THE MOST LUCRATIVE ALL OF THE DENTAL SPECIALTIES. WHY? BECAUSE THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO HAS RCT IS USUALLY IN PAIN AND IS NOT INFORMED ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC CONSEQUENCES OF KEEPING INFECTED TEETH.... ESPECIALLY IN DIABETICS.

<<Im looking for some help/advice. Is the burning stabbing pain a neuropathy or am I right that it is an infection connected problem? >>

IT IS INFECTION AND MAY BECOME, IF IT HASN'T TO SOME DEGREE ALREADY, A NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEM. THE LONGER YOU HANG ONTO INFECTED TEETH THE MORE SEVERE AND WIDESPREAD THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS WILL BE.

<<If my dentist will take the original problem tooth out will she take the periodontal ligament and infected bone out? When I asked the receptionist at the clinic if I would need antibiotics before extraction she said the infection usually comes out with the tooth but you can discuss it with the dentist, this gives me the impression it would just be numb the area and yank it out leaving everything else in there.>>

IN YOUR CASE, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD BE COVERED BY AN ANTIBIOTIC FOR THE EXTRACTION. BUT PLEASE CONSIDER ALL THAT I HAVE SAID ABOUT REMOVING BOTH TEETH AS YOU WILL END UP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IF YOU KEEP THIS OTHER TOOTH. THINK ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC CONSEQUENCES.
WITH REGARD TO REMOVING THE PERIODONTAL LIGAMENT... YOU HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING!! ) THIS LIGAMENT SHOULD ALWAYS BE REMOVED, NO MATTER WHAT. HOWEVER, IF IN DOUBT AND THERE IS REASON TO BE DOUBTFUL AS NOT ALL DENTISTS REMOVE IT, MAKE SURE YOU TELL WHOMEVER TO REMOVE THE LIGAMENT AND ALL NECROTIC TISSUE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT IS BEST FOR YOU TO SEE AN ORAL SURGEON BECAUSE THESE TEETH MAY BE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE DUE TO THE LONG STANDING INFECTION WHICH MEANS THE BONE WILL NEED TO BE CLEANED VERY THOROUGHLY AND ALSO THE ROOT CANAL THERAPY CAUSES THE TEETH TO BECOME BRITTLE FROM KILLING OFF THE VITALITY. ORAL SURGEONS DEAL WITH THESE TEETH ALL OF THE TIME AND HAVE THE INSTRUMENTS TO TAKE CARE OF THESE ISSUES.

ALSO GET YOUR MONEY BACK FOR THE ROOT CANAL THAT WAS JUST STARTED. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE YOUR MIND IF YOU BELIEVE IT IS UNHEALTHY AND UNWISE TO CONTINUE ON THAT PATH OF TREATMENT.

<<Should I have stopped taking the antibiotics Friday on the Endodontist orders?>>

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT REASONING AT ALL. BUT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DECIDED BY THE DENTIST WHO IS TREATING YOU.

<<There were no xrays taken of any of the other teeth beside these bad ones and Im worried they could all be infected! Is this possible?>>

YES, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOU HAVE OTHER DENTAL PROBLEMS AND A FULL SET OF XRAYS SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. IF IN FACT YOU HAVE OTHER INFECTED TEETH ON THE ARCH THAT THESE OTHER TWO ARE, YOU MAY CONSIDER BEING PRO ACTIVE AND REMOVE THEM AS WELL. THAT WAY YOU COULD HAVE A PARTIAL DENTURE MADE TO FILL IN ALL OF THE GAPS. RATHER THAN PROLONG THE INEVITABLE WHILE JEOPARDIZING YOUR HEALTH.

<<I wanted to see my doctor to discuss how this is affecting my diabetes and immune system but she cant fit me in until Tues 12th. So the only health professional Il be seeing in the next week is the endodontist.>>

AGAIN, THINK TWICE ABOUT CONTINUING WITH THIS ROOT CANAL.

<<I was off work all last week with pain and exhaustion, felt a little better over the weekend after emergency RCT and pain killers, went to work yesterday and by 1pm was exhausted with really bad pain in head and eyebrow and face on right side and was out of breath walking up the stairs. Im 32 and usually quite fit! Also the money situation is stressing me out I still owe €300 and would need €500 to crown it. Never mind the €850 and €500 they want for the other tooth! If I get that one extracted it's about €100 annd could get a partial denture for €120.>>

THINK ABOUT ALL THE $$$, PAIN, LOST WORK TIME, PHYSICAL ILLNESS THAT THIS IS COSTING YOU. ONLY TO BE LEFT WITH TWO INFECTED TEETH.... AND POSSIBLY OTHERS.

<<Anyway Im rambling again any help much appreciated.>>

ACTUALLY YOU HAVE NOT RAMBLED AT ALL! YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SORTING THINGS OUT.... AND EVERY WHICH WAY YOU LOOK IT POINTS TO ONGOING EXPENSES THAT HAVE NO END IN SIGHT IF YOU CONTINUE ON THIS SAME PATH.

Jeanie, you are young and can get a handle on your dental and physical health. Review all that you have been through and make a decision that you feel is in your best interest. NO ONE can tell you what to do. Assert yourself and ask questions until you are comfortable with the answers. Look to the long term of bettering your health and not the immediate fix because that will only cost you more $$, more time, more pain and possible serious health risks. The choice is yours, go with your intuition and the knowledge you have learned through your research.

Come back and give us an update..ok

Bryanna