Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi Liamleon,

Sorry you're having dental problems.
Lingering pain is common after a difficult extraction and more often if the tooth had been root canaled previously because the bone and surrounding area had been infected since the initial infection in the tooth. Root canal therapy does not make a tooth or the bone healthy again. The rc procedure is done in an attempt to retain the tooth, not cure the problem.

Regarding the retainment of a piece of the tooth after an extraction .. that is rarely acceptable because depending on where it is, it can move up further into the sinus and/or it will be a constant source of inflammation and bacteria.

The dentist who did the extraction may have inadvertently pushed that piece of tooth pretty far up near or into the sinus cavity trying to retrieve it. Since routine dental xrays are 2 dimensional they can only pick up the location of the tooth remnant that is superficial. If it appears to be near the sinus, then a dental CT scan would help determine the exact location.

Ideally, the tooth remnant should be removed sooner than later before the bone starts to fill in making it more difficult to remove. Also, the longer it's present the more inflammation and bacteria will develop.

Your dentist is at fault for not removing the tooth in it's entirety. He should pay the oral surgery bills, CT scan and surgery to remove it. But if you wait to have it done, he may try to convince you that in spite of the remnant, all was well and something "new" developed.

Taking OTC pain meds daily is toxic to the kidneys and not in your best interest to do long term.

Hope this info is helpful to you and you're able to get it taken care of soon.
Bryanna