Hello,
I recently had a root canal redone on my front tooth and I am still getting pain. It was very pricey and I expected to be pain free now but it's been over 2 months. The pain comes and goes but it is very nagging and frustrating. I already have a crown on root canalled tooth and an endodontist drilled through the crown to redo the root canal. Also next to the crowned root canal tooth I have a veneer on the other front tooth. This is very sensitive to cold like drinks, cold air etc.
I seems to get alternating pain in the root canal tooth and the veneer tooth. The pain is more severe in the root canal tooth but both front teeth never seem to hurt at the same time. I have been told that once I am pain free I can get a new crown to match my other teeth better but I'm wondering what to do about this pain. It has been like it for quite a few years now and I just want the pain gone. Also I was told by the endodontist that it would be a great shame to lose the tooth as I am only 30. She also said that removing the tooth may not even cure the problem which really worried me.

Any help I can get on this matter I would greatly appreciate.

Thank you

Craig

Bryanna, I see you have given excellent advice on here. Any sort of help I would be grateful.

Hi Fawkes,

The only thing I can honestly tell you is that all root canaled teeth along with the ligament that holds the tooth in the bone and the surrounding bone are chronically inflamed and infected. It is irrelevant how many times or how well the procedure is done.... the tooth remains inflamed and infected.

Not all people will experience pain... some have sensitivity... others have swelling ..... sometimes the pain is intermittent.... sometimes constant..... every case is different in that manner.

You wrote...
<<<Also I was told by the endodontist that it would be a great shame to lose the tooth as I am only 30. She also said that removing the tooth may not even cure the problem which really worried me.>>>>

Age has no bearing regarding infected teeth. This is a scare tactic to convince you to keep re doing the root canal therapy. Instead she should be telling you about the systemic risks of retaining infected teeth. Her statement about removing the tooth ...... this concerns me as it may indicate that the infection has spread to the bone and she may not be informing you of that. Any way you can post an x-ray here?

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna, thanks for the reply.


The info you have told me has made me even more concerned.
The endodontist said that the root canalled tooth is healthy which I couldn't really understand because it's 'dead'. She said all infections have been removed.
After calling again, she cannot understand why there is still pain and even during the procedure I could feel pain even though I had a strong anesthetic.
Are you saying the best solution in the long run is to have the tooth extracted?
The only way I can get an x-ray is if I book the regular dentist who should have received the x-ray from the endodontist and I can try and get a picture.
I just have to believe there are always solutions and I'm hoping that this forum can help me finally fix this problem.

Fawkes,

The endodontist is not disclosing all of the information to you about the health of this tooth. Once you sever the blood vessel that feeds the tooth nutrition, the tooth and the ligament die. Any remaining nerve tissue inside of the tooth... and there is a lot of tissue left inside of the tiny accessory canals that cannot be cleaned out....all become necrotic, inflamed and infected. The bacteria eventually spreads from the tooth into the jawbone causing further necrosis. This is not uncommon and it is what she should be informing you of.

The only way to cure the problem is to remove the source and that is the tooth. Root canals are performed to attempt to "retain" a tooth for an undetermined amount of time. The procedure is not designed or intended to "cure" or magically make a tooth healthy again. Once the vitality is removed, there is not returning this tooth back to life again. I think you already know that irrelevant of what this dentist is telling you.

Do a google search... type in... Dr Mercola and root canals. He does a great job at explaining this.

Bryanna