Hello,

Can anyone please give me some advise? I feel total panic stricken and don't know where to turn or what to think!

Right here goes,

Just over two & half weeks ago I started having sensitivity in a back right molar. This became worse to the point where I got sharp pain to eat bread or to drink room temp water.
This led to my first dentist appointment. I already had a metal filling & I was scheduled in for endodontic/root treatment, with just over a weeks wait. He put a paste on top of the tooth & said not to drink for one hour, this was my first session regarding the matter.

I woke up the next morning in moderate discomfort & called my dentist again. I was told to come back, this time an x-ray was taken & a white paste that remained on the tooth was added. He acknowledged that the tooth was irritated and that was all.

Forty eight hours past and I was in considerable pain! Another appointment & he drilled off the paste saying that it was the bite that was making it tender. By the evening I was in significant pain & called the private practice that I attend to be told I could be seen in the morning at a different practice being that it was late Friday night. Normal over the counter pain relief were not working so a late night trip to A&E with my girlfriend was needed. A doctor said I had an abscess & prescribed 100mg Diclofenic Suppositories & 625mg Amoxicillin plus acid. I went to the emergency dentist on the Saturday who did some drilling & told me she had cleaned the tooth. She agreed to tooth was very irritated.

72hour later I was back for the main appointment to have the root filling procedure. I informed him of the hospital visit & the emergency session. His response was I didn't need the antibiotics, then he did the root treatment & took another x-ray, then I was on my way being told everything would now be fine.

Next morning I was in so much pain I wanted to pull out the tooth myself! I feel let down by my dentist & made a decision to see my GP. Funnily enough the dentist reception called straight after to see how I was doing. My reply was I'm going to the doctor because I'm terrible pain. She said that it was just tender & bruised and to cancel the appointment. She said I didn't have an infection else my dentist wouldn't of carried out the treatment!!! Also that the treatment was a complete success. She then called me back asking me to come down to collect a coarse of amoxicillin?! I went to my doctor who felt swelling on my right gland & jaw. I was told to take two tramadol four times a day & 100mg Voltarol every sixteen hours for the terrible pain.

The pain is horrendous, I've had a kidney stone so I understand extreme pain & this is up there!!! I had an appointment with the brother of my usual dentist today. I just want it ripped out now I'm at my wits end, however this is not an option I'm told. He admits there is an infection under the root filled tooth. Apparently the numbing stuff that's used won't work with a tooth so inflamed & this is why he can't do an extraction?! He's given me a different set of antibiotics from a different family to take along side the others, Metronidazone.

Basically I'm in so much pain & my central nervous system is all over the place, feeling rather unwell. I've never in my life had to take so many tablets & felt so run down, I'm truly terrified!!! Im losing weight that i cant afford to lose just eating soft stuff, bread & soup etc. I'm rinsing with warm salt water regularly & resting up. Also Im getting a side affect from one of the medications, not sure which one but I'm struggling to pass urine. Family are feeling helpless & worrying about me!!! Also they think my dentist shouldn't of carried out the root canal filling treatment with a present infection, is this correct?


Please any info or suggestions would be so very gratefully appreciated!!! Thank you for your time who ever is kind enough to reply.

Regards,

Steve.

Hi Steve,

I am in the dental field and may be of some help to you here.

You wrote...
<<This led to my first dentist appointment. I already had a metal filling & I was scheduled in for endodontic/<<root treatment>>>, with just over a weeks wait.>>

ARE YOU SAYING THAT THIS TOOTH HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ROOT CANALED?

<<<Also they think my dentist shouldn't of carried out the root canal filling treatment with a present infection, is this correct? >>>

IF THE ROOT CANAL HAD BEEN STARTED AND NOT COMPLETED... IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THE TOOTH IS GOING TO REMAIN INFECTED IRRELEVANT OF WHETHER THE PROCEDURE IS DONE OR NOT.

The tooth is obviously showing signs of infection. People are told that when they have a tooth root canaled, their tooth problems are then solved. Unfortunately, that (mis)information could not be any further from the truth. Once a tooth has become infected the hundreds+ of microscopic canals that encompass the interior areas of the tooth cannot be treated because there is no access to them. So irrelevant of what treatment is done to the infected tooth... or how many times the tooth is treated .... the tooth will remain infected. It is just a matter of time before the tooth and/or the jaw bone start to show signs of the infection. Believe it or not, sometimes the first sign of a tooth infection is not in the mouth at all but in a physical ailment... fever, rash, auto immune disorder, digestive problems, etc. Sometimes there is a combination of physical things going on which will include swelling and/or pain in the mouth.

It is true that an inflamed tooth that is infected will not get very numb from a local dental anesthetic. The reason being is that the anesthetic is an alkaline solution and the bacteria is acidic. So the two will battle each other and the bacteria will win every time. In these cases it is best to be on an antibiotic for 48-72 hours prior to the extraction as the meds will temporarily subside the inflammation and temporarily reduce the level of bacteria. Then the local dental anesthetic will be more effective.

With regard to the side effect of difficulty urinating... call the pharmacist and tell him what you are experiencing so he can tell you which medication could be the problem. Keep drinking plenty of water.... not all at once but sipping it throughout the day.

You need to see an oral surgeon this week to have that tooth removed.

I will answer your pm now...

Bryanna