frostyjohn,

During the endoscopy, there is a clear visual of the sinus as it relates to other anatomical structures including the oral cavity. So this is an ideal way for him to clinically visualize what he is seeing on the ct scan. He would then debride the sinus of whatever he can to open up the view even more. If the fistula is related to the sinus, yes, he should be able to see that.

Depending on what the ENT finds, will determine what the next step is. If you do have a sinus and oral communication, and it appears that you do, and you only repair one aspect of that, then you will continue to have the problem.

So if the ENT does his thing and clears our the sinus but the fistula still remains in the oral cavity, that's only half of the problem and the sinus will eventually become infected again. If the OS clears out the oral fistula but does not clear out the infected sinus, that's not good either.

Keep forging ahead and make sure that each doctor knows about the others diagnosis and recommendations. They need to communicate with each other, that is imperative.

Keep us posted...
Bryanna

Hi, All

Went to the other oral surgeon today and didn't have much success. This oral surgeon sounded a lot similar to the other one. He said I didn't have a hole (I know this) and that the puss is not coming out from my gum, his reasoning being no hole=no possible puss coming out. I brought my ct and mri and he had a look at them and said I have sinus issues but no oral issues. I then showed him multiple videos of puss coming out of my gum. I asked him how is puss not coming out the gum, as the video was playing, and he said that it's not coming from the gum. Since there is no hole, it must be coming from somewhere else. He looked me straight in the face and said he didn't see puss coming out while there was puss coming out. He also took a periapical xray and showed me there was nothing wrong in the gum, other than my gum on the side where the puss is coming out healed weird.

He suggested I go through with the endoscopy, so I'm going to do that. Right now it's my only choice. I'm hoping and praying that the endoscopy fixes the problem or at least shows something that's wrong in my sinus

Hi forstyjohn,

Well I give you A LOT of credit for putting so much effort into trying to get a logical an definitive diagnosis. I am truly sorry, although not surprised, with the nonsense you have received from the dentists that you have seen. You obviously have something going on and hopefully the Endoscopy will provide a clear diagnosis.

Hang in there..... I am sure you will get to the bottom of this sooner than later.

Keep us posted....
Bryanna

I don't know if this will help, but there is a structural difference between my right gum, where no fluid comes out, and the left gum, where fluid comes out.

My top left gum did not heal like my right gum. The only way i can describe it as is my gum is smooth and then sinks down into a soft, crater like pocket above the last two molars. It is not firm behind this part of the gum but squishy. The pocket is is covered with healthy skin, so from the surface it looks like normal gum except with an abnormal ending. My top right gum is smooth and firm like bone all the way back to my last molar.

I've pointed it out to the oral surgeons I have seen, but they don't pay much attention to it. They jut say my gum healed weird, but I think it is contributing to the fluid coming out.

frostyjohn,

I agree with you.... there could be a pocket of some sort underneath the gum tissue that keeps filling up. Did any of the dentists probe with an instrument alongside the molar and gum tissue to see if anything drained out?

How are you feeling by the way? Still getting drainage without forcing it?

Bryanna

Yeah, but they said it was abnormally healed but nothin of concern in their eyes.

And i get drainage everyday for several hours (about 4-6 hrs) along with pressure and throbbing and some times headaches. It's been that way since i had my wisdom teeth out three years ago. The three year mark is this week.

The only thing that has ever stopped it is a medicine called clindamycin (150mg). I took it for two weeks and was completely symptom free. Then it started up again after about a week of not taking it.

frostyjohn,

BINGO!! I think you just confirmed the problem!

Clindamycin is an antibiotic that is often used for tooth/oral infections that are involved with the sinuses. The fact that this problem is chronic and this medication "eliminated" your symptoms while taking it indicate that at that time it was affective against the species of bacteria causing the infection. The fact that you didn't stay symptom free indicates that the culprit of the infection is still present. Meaning, there is something that needs to be physically removed. As an example..... if you have a deep splinter in your hand and only a piece of it is removed, the area of the splinter is going to keep festering until it is removed in it's entirety.

Have you decided about the endoscopy yet?

Bryanna

I have scheduled the endoscopy for January 30th. the sinus on side that drains is completely cloudy on the ct scan (i forgot the medical term for the cloudiness) , so hopefully clearing it out and having another round of antibiotics after the surgery will stop the chronic infection (and hopefully stop te drainage in the process).

frostyjohn,

Okay good. I know you are not looking forward to doing this but I really don't see any other recourse and you cannot live with this forever.

Take care and keep us posted.....
Bryanna