swelling after root canal
 

Hi, I had a cracked tooth with no infection. Then I had a root canal six weeks ago and they placed the permanent crown three weeks ago.

Yesterday I noticed a small red swelling under the tooth, it's the second to the last bottom molar.

It looks like a pimple and it's a little tender but doesn't really hurt.

I tried to look it up and some sites said this is common and should go away on it's own in a few days - others said that even if it does go away it will come back and the tooth will have to have more treatment. Which is right?

Hi violetseven,

I am in the dental field and can offer you some information here.

The pimple like swelling is called a fistula. This is a common occurrence with a root canaled tooth because the tooth is not healthy. Every root canaled tooth harbors necrotic infected nerve tissue inside of hundreds of inaccessible tiny canals. The fistula forms when the bacteria spreads from these canals and goes into the jaw bone. The infection is looking for a path to release itself so it burrows a hole through the bone eventually out through the gum. This does not mean the infection has left the tooth. It means the infection has spread and the problem will not resolve on its own.

This occurs will all root canaled teeth. Some people will have oral symptoms of this while others will not. However, the infection is chronic and always present. Having another root canal or a surgical root canal called an apicoectomy does not alter the infection inside of these tiny canals.

Your dentist should have informed you that the root canal is done to attempt to "retain" this tooth for an undetermined amount of time. It is not done to "cure" or "prevent" an infection. The only way to resolve the infection is to remove the source of the infection which is the tooth. Anything other than extraction will result in the same situation that you have right now.

The longer you retain this tooth, the more bone loss will occur and the further the infection will spread.

I'm sorry if I am the one to be telling you this as your dentist should have shared this information with you prior to your consent to do the root canal.

If you want to read about this further... go to google and type in Dr Mercola and root canals.... or Dr Meinig and root canals. Or click on this link...
http://www.robertgammal.com/RCT/FocalInfection.html

I know this is not what you wanted to read.... but I hope this information is helpful to you.

Bryanna