I'm new to this forum. I discovered it when researching dental problems.

I had a root canal done of the lower extreme molar a year back. Now there is a minor pain in it only when chewing. Actually, this problem has been there since the root canal, but I had ignored it, probably using the other side to chew more often. The problem became more evident only when a recent tooth problem on the that other side caused me to use the root canal tooth more often for chewing during last few weeks.

On viewing the xray, the dentist says it's a bone infection and needs a surgery where the bottom area will be flapped open to remove the infection.

Before committing to surgery, I want to confirm if it's really a bone infection or an inflammation. Actually, I have had difficulty chewing from that side since the time the root canal was done. Now that I tried to analyze it, the crown is a little elevated and on closing the jaw, that molar makes contact first. That means when chewing it gets the maximum pressure. Could this pain be due to that? How to confirm this? I'm thinking of using only the other side for a while and see if it lessens the pain.

Thanks,
Sanjay