Wow. Small world. I was referred to the exact same place and the exact same dentist. Though I suppose that's not too surprising given where we live.

I didn't take the Clindamycin. After considering Bryanna's advice and really weighing the pros/cons of that medication, I decided not to expose my system to that antibiotic for three weeks given that previous courses of the similar antibiotic Amoxicillin did not apparently remove the infection. So the medication is just sitting in a dry location on my shelf.

I believe the road I'm on is that I'm eventually going to have to extract this tooth. I also know that sooner is better than later. My dilemma is getting over the fact that I have no pain right now (pain is usually what spurs people to action in cases like this) because extraction isn't necessarily an easy procedure and I can't shake this feeling that I'd be getting rid of a tooth that isn't giving me pain right now and then have to navigate the financial costs of getting an implant or some sort of denture. The only issue is the fistula I have.

I will continue to look into options for the best way to extract the tooth and then getting some sort of affordable denture as an interim solution until I can afford one of those expensive implants (assuming I can get one given what my gum/bone situation is after extraction). I'd like to get one of the more expensive implants eventually, but probably can't spring for that financially until a few years from now. I certainly don't want to wait for years to extract this though, so I may have to get some sort of partial in the meantime.

I know that if I see another endodontist, they're just going to recommend an apicoectomy. My question is: has anyone gotten an apicoectomy and actually had the tooth hold up without issue for even 5+ years? I see the 5-year success rates of apicoectomies online, but they're all published by endodontic journals and such. I'd be very interested to know from actual people who have had the procedure if it's truly had any long-term success for them. Seems hard to find.

I did want to just say that in your case, I came across a few stories online of people extracting a back tooth (a molar for instance) and then being okay not replacing them. You should definitely do your own research but I think the general thought is that since the tooth isn't visible and not essential for eating, some people feel that they didn't need to replace it.