For around six months I have been having varying degrees of tooth, jaw, ear and headache on both sides of my face. It started on the left side. I visited a dentist who took some localised xrays of teeth and decided that I should have a root canal of the second upper molar. The pain persisted so I had a root canal of the first molar but still without solving the problem.

I then started to get pain on the right side and, not being convinced with the dentist's diagnosis, I visited a second dentist who took a complete xray of the jaw. There were large amounts of infection visible under my lower wisdom teeth. The dentist prescribed antiboitics (amoxycillin I think) and removed both teeth three days later.

For a couple of weeks everything was great. For the first time in ages I felt normal again with no head, tooth or jaw pain. I also realised that the infection had been causing general malaise, but only noticed this due to its absence.

Now I again have slight but noticeable and worsening jaw, tooth, and ear pain on the right side and a general feeling of malaise that I now associate with infection. I returned to the second dentist who again took a full xray but this time nothing interesting was visible. He spent a while pressing parts of my jaw and face but there was no noticeable increase in pain. He sent me away without any further treatment.

Any suggestions what steps I should take next? I need to get this sorted out but how? Should I visit a doctor? or the dentist again? How should I suggest they proceed?

I think I have some kind of ongoing infection that was alleviated temporarily by the antibiotics. How could this be confirmed or ruled out?

Thanks,

Tom

Hi Tom,

I am in the dental field and may be able to help you. Any chance you could post both xrays? Just make sure your name is not visible.

I am curious as to why the first dentist thought to root canal the second molar in the first place?? Was there radio graphic pathology or indication of an infection in that tooth? Did it have a large filling in it or a crown?

Bryanna