Hi all , found the forum while searching for info on a situation i have. I have been reading about some of you with roots into the sinus cavity, and that is why i am here. Today i saw a dentist for a tooth ach and it is an upper wisdom tooth that he says the roots protrude into the sinus cavity. He says it will be $275 for the extraction and $600 to repair the membrane . What is involved in this prosess ,it sounds odd to me , or should i find another dentist ? Thx! pkeen

Hi
I had a root in sinus cavity molar extraction but it wasnt a wisdom tooth and I went to a really good dentist experienced with complicated extractions. I did not need any membrane repair

Bryanna is the dental expert here so she is sure to have more info for you.
At those costs you quoted tho....my advice would be get a 2nd opinion

Ok,thx for the input Chemar!

Hi pkeen,

It is common for upper wisdom teeth to be located in or near the sinus cavity. Generally these teeth are not removed unless they are decayed or if there is an infection or a cyst has developed around the root of the tooth.

The extraction fee of $275 is VERY reasonable and much less expensive than most for the extraction of a wisdom tooth. The fee of $600 to repair the sinus membrane is also very reasonable. Depending on how much repair is needed, this can be a very delicate and tedious surgical procedure.

Generally when there is a sinus perforation after an extraction, the surgeon will thoroughly clean out the area and use copious amounts of saline to irrigate the surgical site. A collagen membrane, sometimes resembles a thin piece of tissue paper, is placed over the perforation to close off the sinus. This membrane eventually integrates with your own sinus tissue to become one. The area is sutured closed and you are given strict instructions about blowing your nose gently (if at all for several days), sneezing with your mouth open and not drinking through a straw until the membrane heals over.

If you are a smoker, now would be a perfect time to stop because smoking can impede the healing which could require multiple surgeries to fix.

Let us know how you do!

Bryanna

Thx Bryanna, I'm hoping that it can be taken care of with a filling , he said if not then we will need to go with an extraction and membrane repair . I go back in at the end of the month .

Please ask about taking antibiotics before going forward with this if you have to have it. I had a molar extracted at Christmastime of 2006 due to a failed root canal. When the endodontist pulled it, it opened up a hole into my sinus cavity. Three months after the surgery to repair this, I had pericarditis. I am still suffering from the after-effects of that. I would just be real cautious and ask if antibiotics are needed. I wish I had.

Hi Addyson,

So sorry to hear of your dental experience and your ending up with pericarditis. For those reading this, pericarditis is an inflammation/infection of the pericardium which is the sac of tissue surrounding the heart. It can be a fatal condition if not caught and treated in time.

An antibiotic may or may not have prevented this condition. Chances are that the infection from the root canaled tooth had already penetrated the sinus membrane and it was working on moving through your bloodstream. When the tooth was removed, the sinus membrane became open to debris and the infection proliferated into the bloodstream attacking the pericardium.

This serious condition is one of the negative risks associated with root canaled teeth. The infection from the tooth can easily proliferate to any organ of the body at any time. All it needs is what is called a "host" which means an organism that harbors a virus and everyone is susceptible to being a host for viruses.

Were you hospitalized for a long time? Did you have to have a pic line? How are you feeling now?

Thanks for sharing your story...........

Bryanna

Hi Byanna,

Thanks for replying. No, thankfully I was not hospitalized at the time except for my trip to the ER and I did not have a PICC line then. However, the Pericarditis caused another illness I already had, but didn't know I had, to go into overdrive. After the acute phase of the Pericarditis, I continued to have severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate and difficulty breathing. This was even worse upon standing. So when I was referred to a cardiologist, I was diagnosed with with a rare illness called Dysautonomia or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome(POTS). It is where the autonomic nervous system (ANS) does not work properly. For those who are not familiar, the ANS is responsible for bodily functions you do not control on your own...i.e. respiration, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, perspiration, digestion, and other vital functions.

For me, every time I try to stand and perform any tasks, my heart races and my blood pressure drops very low causing me to pass out very frequently. I have passed out approximately 30 times since September of last year and have been hospitalized on numerous occasions for this. I also have chronic pain, extreme fatigue, dizziness, severe gastrointestinal difficulties, migraines, and many, many other issues. I have been homebound since November of last year and basically bedridden except for going to the bathroom.

I am currently under the care of my local cardiologist and I was also see by a physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in March, as they are one of the leading research facilities in the country for Dysautonomia. He is currently attempting to help my cardiologist and me come up with a treatment plan to hopefully help get me some quality of life back. There is no cure for this illness at this time, only treatment of symptoms.

I am on numerous meds, waist high compression hose to help keep the blood from pooling in my legs when I stand and I am on home IV fluids. I am hoping and praying we will eventually come up with the right combination of treatments that will get me back to where I can live a somewhat normal life!