Hi rdavies,

I'm sorry you have been through so much misery with your tooth.

The most important thing to know here is that ALL root canaled teeth remain infected irrelevant of how well the procedure was done...or how many times the procedure is done... or if the tooth has a crown put on or a new filling put in. The reason the tooth remains infected is simple...... there is no access to the tiny canals inside of the tooth allowing the removal of the dead nerve tissue which becomes infectious bacteria. The only infected nerve that is somewhat removed during the root canal procedure is what is found in a few large canals and what the dentist can visually see. There are other anatomical reasons why the tooth remains infected and why the infection can become a systemic problem but they a bit more complicated to explain here. So it is not uncommon for someone to have such pain as you have described with their root canaled tooth..... because it continues to be infected and inflamed.

Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of the infection and the pain is to remove the source of the infection.... which is the tooth. If you wait to remove it, there is a high possibility that the infection will spread from the tooth into the jaw and possibly to other areas of your mouth, etc.

Regarding the pain you experienced with the injections...... sometimes needles can hurt depending on where they are positioned in the mouth. Sometimes the injection is given too quickly or too rough and that would make it painful also. However, the first injection may be uncomfortable... but the subsequent ones if given in the same spot, should not hurt at all because the entire area where the needle goes in would already be numb. If the dentist was giving you injections in various areas of your mouth, then each one of them might pinch a bit. But rarely should they be SO painful that you are afraid to have another one. I'm sorry that you had that bad experience.

If you decide to have this tooth removed... please seek the care from an oral surgeon and not your general dentist. Especially since he seemed to be so rough with you. Also, it is up to you as to whether or not you want to remove your tooth, not your dentist. Root canaled teeth are routinely extracted by oral surgeons every single day... perhaps it is one of the most commonly performed extractions that they do.... because these teeth are always infected and eventually they all need to come out.

I'm sorry for the bad news... but it is your right to be properly informed. I wish there was a way to make this tooth better... but the outcome is inevitable for the reasons that I have stated above.

I hope you get the care that you deserve and all goes well for you!
Bryanna