Hi I've just joined this sight as I'm very worried about my brother. He has recently had root canal treatment and has symptoms of his face burning and pain on and off at the site the tooth was treated. This has deeply affected his mental health as no one seems to believe he has these symptoms and they have put it down to stress. Prior to this, he had been fine, no major stresses in his life and no other presenting problems. Is it possible he has nerve damage and if so ate these symptomatic of damage. I am desperate to help him to deal with this but don't know where to go next. He has seen two doctors who say it is stress, yet no one has checked his mouth. Hoping someone can help in some way with this

He might want to check with a reputable oral surgeon and also with a neurologist.

I have nerve damage after dental work and it is one of the worst, if not the worst, experiences Ive had medically to date...and I've had many health issues.

I understand some people take longer than others to heal, but if it seems longer than appropriate and/or the dental professionals are acting indifferent and not answering his questions, then get him to an oral surgeon (think twice about any procedures though/don't do any further dental work unless there is excellent evidence it is needed) and check with a neurologist.

He might want to use Sensodyne toothpaste and he should probably have an X-ray of the area. Let any talk of stress being the sole reason for his pain go in one ear and out the other.

I am not a professional, but it doesn't sound like your brother is being listened to. Stress alone cannot account for that kind of pain. The other post is correct about seeing a neurologist. Also if you can, ask for Bryanna in a post. She has alot of experience with dental issues, and has been a source of help here on NT. I hope that you can find help for your brother soon. ginnie

Hi Kaylea,

I am in the dental profession for 30+ yrs..... frequently patients will describe a burning or radiating pain in the area of a root canaled tooth or in that side of their face. Sometimes it is felt soon after the procedure.... other times it's some time later on. Sometimes the pain is intermittent and other times it's constant.

This is not something to ignore. The fact is that all root canaled teeth are inflamed and infected because for one reason there is no access to the tiny canals which will continue to harbor infected nerve material. Secondly, the blood supply is permanently cut off from the tooth during a root canal, therefore, the tooth can no longer receive nutrition rendering it necrotic and non vital. Thirdly, the inflammation and lack of blood supply causes pressure and irritation to the surrounding bone, nerves and ligaments. So if you think about those three things, it would not be surprising to then have nerve pain from the inflammation and infection. The truth is, root canals are done to "retain" a tooth for an undisclosed amount of time, not "cure" the infection ....as most dentists would like to lead you to believe.

The only chance of eliminating the pain would be to remove the tooth. The longer the tooth is present the more diseased the area will become.

I'm sorry to give you this information as I'm sure your brother was not informed of this prior to the root canal procedure. However, the pain is not stress related and he needs to believe that. It is up to your brother to decide whether he wants to continue with this pain or remove the tooth.

Please let us know how he's doing.

Bryanna