I had a root canal 3/4 days ago. Everything went well during the procedure. Since I was so terrified he numbed me really well. There was no pain during or even the next day. Their was area soreness and some normal swelling now however, there a good lump and the lower jaw below where the root canal was. I thought it was pretty normal but the pain is going down the neck and near my ear. Also having a slight headache.

The dds didn't give me any meds for infection. I go back in this week for a deep cleaning on that side then back the following week for the crown.
Should I be worried right now that their is a deep infection that needs immediate attention? Also, if the infection is inside the jaw/root area would it matter if I rinsed w/a good mouth wash?

Thank you for your help

Hi Sharon,

First of all do not rinse with any mouthwash other than salt water. Any mouthwash that contains chemcials, preservatives, dyes or alcohol is not only very irritating but carcinogenic to the gum tissue. There is no need to use anything harsh in the mouth to kill bacteria. Thorough brushing and flossing along with a nutritious, low/no sugar diet helps to keep the bacteria in balance.

Secondly, the swelling and radiating pain you describe is "typical" of root canal therapy. However, it is not healthy and it does indicate infection and inflammation. What happens is, the infection inside of the tooth along with the inflammation from the trauma of the root canal procedure causes pressure to build up in a very confined place. The result is swelling and pain. You can not reach the source of the problem because it is not on the surface, it is deep in the jawbone.

People tend to gauge their root canal success by how painful the procedure is or isn't. The truth of the matter is... that is irrelevant to what is really going on. All root canaled teeth are infected because there is no access to the tiny canals that continue to harbor dead nerve material even after the procedure is done. Antibiotics do not cure the infection either because the dead tissue inside of these tiny canals breeds numerous strains of bacteria that cannot be cultured (unless the tooth is removed) to determine the proper strain of antibiotic. In addition to this, the tooth no longer receives nutrition because the main nerves to the blood vessels have been cut rendering the tooth non vital. So the tooth and the ligament holding the tooth in the bone as well as the surrounding bone all become ischemic. So no wonder it hurts!!

The only way to rid yourself of the infection is to remove the tooth. As long as the tooth is present, the infection will be too. Antibiotics may subside some of the physical symptoms for awhile but they will occur again and again.

I would also caution you to avoid any deep cleanings until this tooth is taken care of because the scaling will spread the bacteria from this area to others.

Also, just in case your dentist suggests to go ahead and crown this tooth........ definitely not the answer because the infection will still be present and you will be throwing your money away as the tooth will eventually be removed.

I'm sorry to be telling you this bad news..... I know this is not what you want to hear. Please consider your overall health when deciding whether not to "retain" this tooth.

Please let us know how you're doing......
Bryanna

It sounds like you believe root canals to be an entirely wrong practice. And maybe a bit like you don't trust dentists in general. I'm interested in your statements here. You've said some things that make a lot of sense in my current situation, but where did you get this information that makes such a huge part of dentistry sound like a scam?

Hi monosaras,

I've been in the dental field for over 30 years. My brief bio will be at the end of my reply to you.

Trust is a tricky term to explain when referring to the dental industry. There are good and bad in all professions. Some practitioners are well meaning and others are not. To label all dentists has being untrustworthy would not be fair but the lack of information or misinformation given to a patient in many instances does warrant some trustworthy concerns in my opinion based on my professional experience.

To say endodontics is a scam....... it's a procedure that dentists know is flawed due to the anatomy of a tooth. It is also common knowledge that it is unhealthy to retain a dead body part any place in the body. Teeth are not an exception to that fact. There is an abundance of information to support all of this... some of which is from many years ago, some is more recent, and some is written in journals for just the profession. However the anatomy of a tooth and the pathology associated with a dead body part will always remain the same.

Performing root canals can be very lucrative and this is a livelihood for many many dentists. One article that I just recently read in a dental journal pertained to increasing a dentists yearly revenue by $90,000 ..... just by performing more root canals. I will see if I can find which journal that was and share it here.

I personally and again this is based on my extensive experience and my vast knowledge of the actual procedure .... would never choose to have a root canal. I would rather seek a long term result and one that was not a potentially serious risk to my overall health. However, not every one would make that same decision as it depends on whether or not a person is looking for short term or long term results and if they prefer to take their chance with the risks associated with retaining infected teeth.

With that said.....my biggest issue with endodontics and dentists in general is that people are not being properly informed of the risks associated with retaining an infected tooth making it impossible for a person to make a truly informed decision.

My purpose has always been to inform people of the multiple facts associated with their dental procedures and offer options so they can make a more informed decision. Sometimes the facts are not pleasant or favorable at that moment but I believe everyone has the right to be informed. I've been told many times by my employers, teachers and co workers that some dentists would give their right arm to employ someone like me.... others not so much!

I believed in root canals once upon a time. I don't anymore. Once I had one become infected that had already been treated and crowned. I did some research and found out the truth about RC. This is a temporary fix to a situation that has NO good resolution if you retain the tooth. It doesn't last, and most of the time they cause trouble down the line. My own doctor did tell me the truth. Most dentists do not, as it is a huge money making adventure for them. If your immune system is out of balance anyway, even more risk is involved in keeping an infection that can spread to other areas of the body. Bryanna is correct in her assessment of the RC. It is just that most professionals don't tell all of the truth. No one likes to lose a tooth, but it is better than spending all that money on something that does not last. ginnie