Hi! A little background. May 5th (almost 3 months ago) I went to the dentist to get a crown.tooth #31. He said I needed one because I already had a large filling in the tooth. I didn't want to do it then, and I really wish I hadn't. As soon as the numbness wore off I had pain. It always felt like nerve pain to me and the dentist did nothing to help, he suggested I put heat on it. I finally couldn't take it anymore and went to another dentist. Based on my research I was pretty sure my tooth was dying.

I am very natural minded and know of all the dangers of root canals, so I really didn't want one. I found a dentist that accepted my insurance that had holistic training, but runs a traditional office. They tested the tooth and confirmed it was infected/dying. The cold test on the tooth sent me through the roof. I told them I was concerned about root canals and they agreed, but also still do them. I found no good options for replacing the tooth, as implants have their own set of problems, so I chose to go with the root canal. I feel I was a little mis-lead as the assistant told me all about a bio-modulator they use and made it seem more "natural" than it was. One of my fears was still having the same pain after. I debated and made myself sick for weeks before finally choosing root canal over extraction.

So, on Tuesday (3 days ago) I had the root canal. It seemed to go well, they said I had infection in my jawbone, however the 1st dentist (same office) didn't seem to think so. She said the inside of the tooth had a lot of blood and pus and that it was definitely the tooth causing the problems. The x-ray after the procedure showed that the Calcium Hydroxate had leaked out into the "infected" space. She said it was no big deal at all and would be reabsorbed into the body.

When the numbness wore off I didn't really have much pain, but as the days have gone by I have unbearable pain. It is worse than any pain I have ever experienced. I take tylenol every 4-6 hours and it only works for about 30 minutes. Today i have been on the couch crying all day. My daughter turns 5 tomorrow and it breaks my heart I will be in pain on her special day.

The bone under the tooth hurt and the tooth itself is tender and the root feels like it's throbbing. The pain runs from the jaw joint down along to almost my chin, but it worst at the joint to the tooth. #31. Under the tooth the bone feels bruised. Everything looks fine though. No visible swelling, redness, etc.

What do I do???? Is the leaking calcium hydroxate causing this? Is it just because the tooth was infected and causing so much pain before? Will an extraction help? I already want an extraction anyway. The dentist is not helping and saying this is normal. There is no way this much pain is normal. Please please help.

I also wanted to add that I have pain in every tooth on the right side of my mouth. it feels like pain and pressure, top and bottom teeth. What can cause this?

You need to get the tooth extracted ASAP by an Oral surgeon. Tomorrow would be best!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to answer. I can't sleep, I can't do anything. I just found a holistic oral surgeon, however…since tomorrow is Saturday, I'm sure I'll have to wait til monday. I'm not sure I can take this pain any longer.

Should I get a bone graft?

What if the extraction doesn't make the pain go away? I'm so scared that I will always have this pain now. Massaging my jaw joint helps it feel better… why would that be?

Hi danzergurl,

Your tooth is very infected and obviously has been for awhile because in order for the bacteria to become evident in the bone on the xray, it has to have been brewing for some time. So the tooth was not healthy when your original dentist prepared it for the crown. Why he didn't see that on the xray or did see it and just not inform you of it nobody really knows. Drilling into an infected tooth causes the nerves to react unfavorably and pain sets in. The blood and pus inside of the tooth are also clear indicators that the tooth had been infected for awhile.

At this point, extraction is the only means of eliminating the pain and removing the source of the infection. However, in most cases like yours the patient is put on antibiotics for 3 days prior to the extraction. The reason being is that the tooth is "hot" with infection which means the contents of the tooth and the surrounding area is very acidic. Local dental anesthetic is very alkaline. So since acid over takes alkaline, in order to obtain adequate anesthesia, the acidity of the infection needs to be reduced by an antibiotic for a few days. Otherwise the anesthetic may not be very effective and the extraction would be intolerable. Within those 3 days of taking the antibiotic you may notice a reduction in pain as the antibiotic is temporarily reducing the acids from the infection and some inflammation. However, this does not mean the antibiotic is killing the infection and curing it. The only means of attempting to cure the infection is to remove the source which is the tooth.

Bone grafts should only be placed in healthy bone. Otherwise you run the risk of further infection. See an oral surgeon and be sure to request that he remove the tooth in its entirety as well as all diseased tissue and bone. If he feels that he has been able to do that without any question and feels he is on solid healthy bone, then the graft can be placed. If he has any doubt about any of that, they the bone graft should not be placed until about 2 weeks after the extraction.

I would recommend that you call your holistic minded dentist, today, and ask for a referral to a like minded oral surgeon. He can prescribe the antibiotic for you. But be sure to have the tooth removed while on the antibiotic. I know you would like to have your insurance cover this, but in all honesty the priority is seeing someone who is best qualified to remove this tooth and not just working for the insurance company. You can discuss reimbursement of this crown and root canal with your dentist after the tooth is removed.

Please check in and let us know how you are doing.
Bryanna

Thank you so much Bryanna! That makes so much sense now. I was so upset with the first dentist after getting the crown, thinking he caused this, but now I understand the tooth was already in bad shape and infected. That is what has caused pain for almost 3 months. I am so ready to be done with this infection and just get this infected tooth out of my body.

I knew deep down a root canal was not the right choice, but the pressure from everyone about "keeping my teeth" made me choose it. I don't feel comfortable with getting an implant at this time either because I have autoimmune disease in my family and have a positive ANA myself.

How big of a deal will it be to clean the infected tissue and bone after extraction? Is that a quick process or will it be a major surgery? I called the oral surgeon's emergency line, but I haven't heard from them. I don't think i'll be able to see them til Monday. How do I know they are good at what they do? The holistic oral surgeon I found has information about cavitations on his website, so hopefully he will know how to remove it all.


Thank you again for your time. I have learned so much from reading your responses and reading Dr Mercola's website. My pain is somewhat controlled today with Advil. I couldn't take it before because there was a chance i could be pregnant. I will keep you all updated. Thank you!

Also, i am taking Amoxicillin. I will still be taking it on Monday, will that be enough for the extraction?

Hi danzergurl,

You are very welcome and I'm glad I was able to explain all of that clearly enough for you Sometimes it helps to understand the "why" or "how come" of things as it can take away some of the anxiety of what happened.

A heartfelt word of caution about getting pregnant right now.... it would be in your best interest to NOT get pregnant until this tooth is removed and you have healed for several months. The mouth is very vascular so the bacteria in our mouths filters throughout the blood stream. Pregnancy hormones can trip up even a latent infection and make you quite sick and put you into a high risk category for pregnancy and birth problems. So if you can, please postpone a pregnancy until you know you are well. Also, if you are contemplating a dental implant, it is best to not do the implant while you are trying to or are pregnant as there is always a risk of infection and failure. Especially when the immune system is already compromised or working hard to keep "2" people healthy.

Do not feel guilty about having the root canal done. I know how dentists market root canal therapy leaving the patient to feel like it's their only real option to "saving" their tooth. The irony is that the only thing the rc saves is the infection. Systemically there are major risks with retaining (saving) infected and non vital teeth. I personally feel every patient should be informed of those risks so they can make an intelligent informed decision as to what they feel is in their own best interest without feeling pressured.

The surgery to extracting #31 while infected and now root canaled may take some time to do. The difficulty depends on how infected it is and how well the anesthetic takes. The antibiotic will be helpful in your case and you may need an additional rx after this one. The tooth is large, it's sick and it's fragile. So the oral surgeon knows to take his time and ease the tooth from the bone. He may need to section each root from the rest of the tooth to remove it which is commonly done especially by holistic minded surgeons. But that is a judgement call on his part. All dentists know it is imperative to remove the entire tooth, the ligament and all diseased tissue and bone. However, not all of them do it with every extraction :/ So again if you want to be an informed advocate for yourself, then in a gentle but assertive manner just make it known to the dentist that you expect those steps to be taken.

Can you post the surgeons website or name either here or in a PM to me? I can take a look to see what his specialties may be and offer you my opinion.... if that's okay with you

Bryanna

Thank you again, I am so thankful that you are so willing to help someone you don't even know.

I understand about pregnancy. We choose not to prevent pregnancy. I am actually nursing my 10 month old right now, so I was surprised I already got my cycle back. It usually is much longer. We will prayerfully consider waiting til my body is healed. Thank you for letting me know.

Is a bone graft necessary in all cases or only if you expect to get an implant in the future? I am already missing a bottom left molar. I left it with a space. The problem with tooth #31 is they say my top molar will move down if I leave the space. What do you recommend? A partial? My parents chose to have 4 teeth pulled before braces and my wisdom teeth out. so, I am missing 9 teeth and i'm only 33! This is so upsetting, I am willing to do anything to not live with this pain. I can't wait to see the oral surgeon.

These are the 2 I have found in the DFW area.

It won't let me post links.

One is Dr William Langston in Mesquite, TX. **

The other is Dr. Stacy Cole at Clear Fork Dental. **
Let me know if you know of anyone.