Tooth Infection
 

Bryanna - I have read a few of your replies about dental care and would like your opinion on my situation...
About 3 years ago I began noticing that my chin was very tender and then I noticed it starting to be really red and swollen. I began picking at it (which ended up being a big mistake... it bleeds and drains puss all the time) and then decided to see my reg. doctor and he said that I had a cyst so he did a small surgery on it just to break it up. It went away for awhile but came back. I seen a few different dermatologist and they too agreed that it was a cyst and one did another surgery. That time it never did go away. So I was referred to a plastic surgeon... he had to go all the way to my jaw bone to get the cyst out and then he said that he thought it may be my teeth causing it because he had to go so deep. It went away for a few months and looked a lot better. It came back a few weeks ago so I decided to go ask the dentist about it. The x-rays did in fact show an abscess on my tooth. He said the infection has went through my jawbone to my tissue and thats why my chin is bleeding w/ puss. He wants me to go see a specialist... so my question to you is should I let him do a root canal or should I just have it pulled and get a fake tooth put in? He also said that I still have infection under a tooth that has already had a root canal done on it (about 2 years ago)... what should I do about that one? Also, is this something that can be deadly to me if I dont get it done ASAP because it's going to take me awhile to get the money together to have all this work done. (He did put me on an antibiotic)
Thanks so much and sorry this ended up being a book! LOL
-Christina-

Hi Christina,

Ok, I'm going to be very straight with you on this one. This is not something that should wait. The infection started in your mouth and proliferated (spread) from the original site through the jawbone into the facial tissue. This is a nasty infection that will continue to proliferate from one area of your jawbone to another and yes, it is has become systemic, meaning it is traveling into your blood stream. The fact that it seems to keep re-occuring is because the source of the infection is still present and all of the treatment that you have had done so far has not eliminated that source. The dental xray determined that the tooth is now the source. The only sure way to eliminate the infection is to remove the tooth and any other teeth that may also be infected. Replacement options for that tooth (teeth) may be limited because of the damage that has occured (and is continuing to occur) in the jawbone. Dental implants may or may not be doable or successful for the long term in that area.

It's important to know that all root canaled teeth are infected. There is no way to access the millions of microscopic canals inside of the tooth, therefore, the nerve material inside of these canals remain infected necrotic material keeping the tooth chronically infected. The infection eventually spreads from the tooth to the jawbone. There are no exceptions to this as the anatomy of our teeth are the same in every person other than those who were born with a rare condition in which they have no nerve canals inside of their teeth. But that's a whole other topic completely.

I am alarmed (although not surprised) that your dentist would even suggest doing a root canal in that lower tooth. It would not be wise to do that and you are risking your health as long as that infection is present.

With regard to the other abcess in an already root canaled tooth... again, so long as the source of infection (meaning the infected tooth) is present, the infection will be present. Retreating that tooth with another root canal procedure or a surgical procedure called an apicoectomy is a waste of your time, money and ultimately your health.

Christina, I urge you to seek treatment and not wait to take care of this infection. The antibiotic is only going to subside your symptoms temporarily and it will not cure the infection.

I apologize for being so blunt but I've seen your situation before and it is best that you deal with it soon.

Please keep in touch with us... OK?

Bryanna

Thanks for your reply Bryanna! (and thanks for being blunt, thats what I wanted lol)
I have made an appointment with the specialist for April 5th. They are insisting that I get a root canal... I don't know what to do... I don't want to be toothless but I obviously want to get this taken care of. As far as the other tooth that has already had a root canal... the lady I talked to said I will probably have to have it removed. I'm only 29 years old and I'm already getting very short on teeth. :( I'm going to talk to the specialist personally when I get there and see what he has to say about these infections that won't go away.

Hi Christina,

I am glad that you were open to my "blunt" reply to you. I want you to know that what you have is serious and it is imperative to eradicate the infection as completely as possible or it will keep recurring.

Chances are you're going to be pressured to do a root canal .... or you may be given the choice to do it or not and if that is the case, then it would behoove you to become well informed about what a root canal is. You also may be told that a root canal will "cure" the infection in your tooth. It is imperative to understand that when referring to root canal therapy or an apicoectomy surgery, the term "cure the tooth" really means "retain the tooth" because it is not possible to "cure or sterilze" an infected tooth. There is a huge difference between those two things and you need to be aware of that.

I would like to make one suggestion before you see the specialist...consider purchasing and reading a book called "Root Canal Cover-up" by Dr. George Meinig. It is very informative and it can help you to make an educated decision irrelevant of whether or not you decide to have a root canal.

Dr. Meinig was a well respected dentist and one of the founders of The American Association of Endodontists as well as an educator in the field of root canal procedures.... until he read the works of Dr. Weston Price (a dentist and researcher) and became aware of the systemic health conditions related to root canaled teeth. Dr. Meinig's work and his story is very interesting and I hope that you will consider taking a glimpse at it.

I feel so much compassion for you as I have seen your situation so many times. I know this whole ordeal is scary and you truly have not been given the proper guidance or treatment thus far. Please become better informed about your situation and your options before making a decision.

Keep us posted.... ok? :)

Bryanna