Hi all,
Grateful to have found this forum.
A little back-story, which could serve as a cautionary tale.
Please feel free to skip ahead.
About 15 years ago I had only 1 small cavity on #19 molar
I managed to scrape the money to do the proper thing and go to the dentist.
I was shocked told that I had 14 cavities. Being more naive and timid then I did not ask to see the x-ray or anything but I knew enough to know this did not seem right.
So I paid for the x-rays but did not get the cavity fixed.
This incidence kept me from taking care of the cavity when it was small.
Finally about 5 years ago it had grown so large that I had to over come my issues and find a honest reputable dentist. Upon carefully examine my teeth it was confirmed I had only 1 cavity which was now quite large and he put a composite filling on it . My suspicions were confirmed, my previous dentist had lied when he told me I had 14 cavities.

Which bring us up to date.

Tooth #19 with the large filling gave some slight discomfort recently with mild soreness on my jaw line. The panoramic x-rayed reveled a large abscess under the filling the oral surgeon commented that the abscess had started eating away at the jaw. X-ray attached below.
The soreness on jaw line went away after I was given some amoxcillian and the tooth was pulled a few days later. I’m supposed to go in for a post op Monday and start taking Keflex (Cephalexin).
I have read quite a bit online about Osteomyelitis along with the info Bryanna has shared here. Some places say it’s very rare other sources say it is quite common. If this is in fact Osteomyelitis then is it “usually” successfully treated by oral antibiotics alone? I voiced my concern to my oral surgeon and he said there shouldn’t be any complications as long as I have a healthy immune system, which I think I do (barring the resent stressful events). I wonder if he’s not taking a aggressive enough approach in the treatment.
I’m not against the idea of IV antibiotics or even surgery as long as it will rid me off the infection. I have read that infections in the jaw are difficult to treat cause it hard for the antibiotics to reach that area but he seemed fairly confident the oral antibiotics would take care of it.
Only good thing to come out of this so far is I stopped my 2 cigarettes a day habit for good.

Any thoughts input would be greatly appreciated.


Jay

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