cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

I'm wondering if anyone can help me.
I've been going to a dental school to get cheaper prices on my dental work. The first thing they did was to tell me I needed a root canal and so I let them do it.

That was six months ago and it hurt after they did it. They kept saying the pain would wear off. I think it's also making my sinus blocked up and I have a sinus headache all the time.

Finally they did xrays and the head of endodontry said that the root canal looked beautiful. He tapped on my teeth and I almost went through the ceiling when he tapped lightly on the root canal tooth.

The he tested my teeth for cold and he said that it was the NEXT tooth to the root canal tooth that the gum was sensitive to cold.

He says THAT tooth needs a root canal.

Meanwhile, the original root canal tooth that they did is killing me. I can't chew on that side and even if I put my finger on that tooth it hurts.

I always though that after the nerve had been removed from a tooth you couldn't have pain. This is horrible. Can anyone help? TIA
Message 1 of 230
latest reply
229 REPLIES 229

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL


With all due respect to the hygenist not every hygenist has much of a clue about hard tissue.



what do you mean? hard tissue?
Message 106 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

ok hard tissue means the tooth--
and you are right ---

I am not that good at hard tissue but I think after 26 years I can figure out a fractured root.


a little story:

I was working for a DDS -she had 10 years experience as a
DDS

pt. presented with a huge pocket around tooth number 15--
infection, black bone in xray whole nine yards..tooth had endo

she wanted to treat it with arrestin---
I refused and told the patient the tooth was probably fractured---it WAS NOT a perio problem at all.

she was furious with me to say the least but agreed to send the pt. back to the endodontist:

we saw him again in 2 days to ext. the tooth--
DX: fractured root

she fired me not too long after that.
Message 107 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

OP here again. Maddykin, I hope you don't mean ME when you say that people have been neglecting their teeth. I have always put health first and that includes my teeth. I've always had a cleaning every six months, I floss, I brush, and I have all my teeth and I am probably MUCH older than you think) --all my teeth except for one molar in the back which I lost a few years ago. Even when I've been between jobs, I've kept up with my dental work. And I'm a woman, not a man.

I went to Tufts Dental School because I was going through a divorce and the ex (being a compulsive spender) had spent every penny we had. I went because a lower crown had fallen off, I did not go there for a root canal on an upper molar!!!

I trusted Tufts because I had heard such good things from people and I read raving reviews on the internet. So I did my research. I think I just got a bad student dentist. There was not very much supervision -- a teacher would stop in every few visits and try to pressure me into having expensive BONE TRANSPLANTS! I knew I needed a few small fillings but they wouldn't do them.

I think they are in it for the money and the training for the students but the patient seems to come LAST. I don't think I needed this root canal, all I wanted was to have the crown cemented back on or get a new crown.

I DID ask questions and I DID complain of pain after the root canal but no one would listen to me or believe me. I brought it up again and again. It was like a nightmare. Finally I refused to go anymore unless they did something about this unusual pain. That's when they sent me to their endodontric (sp?) dept where I got great treatment. They re-did the root canal and put me on antibiotic mouthwash. (However, the head of that department told me at first that all I needed was ANOTHER ROOT CANAL, that this was not the painful tooth, it was the TOOTH NEXT TO IT!) Of course I didn't believe THAT for one minute!

Nothing much happened though, except more xrays and more recommendations to stay on the mouthwash. I don't have the pain anymore, just a little bit off and on, but I'm pretty sure it would come back if I stopped this mouthwash. I've changed to a real dentist but I had to wait MONTHS for an appointment with him because he comes very highly recommended.

He, unlike Tufts, told me to have the tooth extracted and to get an implant. At this point, one year after getting this stupid root canal at Tufts (which I don't think I even needed) I still have the tooth, still use the mouthwash and intend to get the tooth taken out. I'm having surgery next week, unrelated to the dental problem, so it will be as soon as possible after I recover that I will deal with the tooth extraction.

I really resent having spent all that money at Tufts, gone through all this living nightmare, and now I have to spend $8000 for an implant. It just goes on my credit card -- I don't know how people afford dental treatment anymore unless they have really good dental insurance.
Message 108 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

tams_k
Enthusiast
I can't even tell you how many times my mother hears that she is ignoring her tooth health. It's BS if you ask me, a HUGE portion of the way your teeth end up is due to genetics. (I had specialized also in genetics while in school) My family did everything they are supposed to do, they go to the dentist ALL the time..and frankly..they go above and beyond the "normal" person. However, in my family's history, EVERY SINGLE person has lost ALL their teeth by the age of 30, my mothers family is the worst! They have all had dentures by 20! It's NOT neglect, as most dentists might want you to believe, it just happens! Now, I'm NOT pointing my finger towards anyone in my family (BUT..LOL) it doesn't help that we have ALOT of English blood in us! The other parts get worse down the line! LOL
I think I'm actually the 1st person in the history of my family to actually look into my husbands family history BEFORE I married him. HIS teeth (and his parents) are PERFECT..he's NEVER had a cavity, never had ANY problems and my god, they are perfectly white and from what he's told me, up till college, he never took "care of them", I almost dropped dead when he mentioned that he NEVER brushed daily..never flossed daily... until now!
So, next time someone tries to pull the whole "you obviously neglected your teeth".. throw a tomato at them for me..huh?
;)
Message 109 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

now I have to spend $8000 for an implant

shop around.....
thats way too much.....

where I live? and its near Philadelphia so I'm not in the boonies.....

bone placement ( if needed) implant, abutment+ implant crown

costs around $3500. and you can get it for cheaper.....
but that $3500 is the cost of the guys I work for......
the periodontist I work for has placed 10,000+ implants--
very few failures.....
so he's good, but pricey.
Message 110 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

**good_rockin_faith**
Trailblazer
🙂 Exactly!! We have that English blood also & I was the oldest to endure the teeth problems. Grandma, clean should have been her middle name, had her teeth gone by 25 & Mom did by age 27. It runs on both side of our family so our children have much to look forward to. :( Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
Message 111 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

It's BS if you ask me,

tams ?

I have been a clinical chairside hygienist for 26 years.....full time no breaks

Perio practice
general practice.

and I'm sorry to say but I disagree.

there are certain occasional genetic factors that may come into play.....

definetely certain diseases: diabetes, radiation tx, scelederma, sjogrens syndrome......certain Rx. medications....these will contribute to complications in dental health.


but bottom line dental disease is one of the easier diseases to control--it takes alot of work,

I KNOW , I'm not guessing here....I know most people think they are flossing right, but they are not.....and it makes a big difference if you do it right or not.

btw: root canal problems HAVE NOTHING TO do with homecare of the mouth---

root canal is an INTERNAL infection of the tooth; so you can floss and brush til the cows come home and it won't fix it.
Message 112 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

English blood?

come on! do you really believe that?

I don't mean to sound cruel but ......there are lots of cultures that have dental problems....

Asians tend to have what is called "short root" syndrome--
Indians have a greater tendancy to periodontal disease
thats a fact.....

but the Brits? I don't know what their dental care system is there but here in USA its geared towards PREVENTION....

the Brits's I have treated simply have had poor preventitive dental care

Prevention is a
huge difference in treatment.

example:
one of my patients today is 11 years old.
I have been treating him since his first dental visit at age 2 1/2. He gets fluoride tx. every 6 months, xrays if needed--early intervention orthodontic's---(needed in his case)

his mom has never missed an appt for him----oh and did I mention he gets a very fun lecture from me---
about what he's doing right and what he's not doing right????

I give him a mirror and SHOW HIM the plaque on his teeth.
I am very gentle, not berating at all.....
I try and make them laugh
and 75% of the time their homecare gets better.
Message 113 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

tams_k
Enthusiast
OMG, you have to be kidding. I'm not going to get into the mechanics of it, I've gone to school for this and I doubt very much if they're teaching BS. I don't want to downplay your career, but we definitely go into more depth on everything. Its a HOW and WHY, you focus on prevention and NOW. Genetics is a HUGE factor in MANY health issues including dental. My entire family has been to the dentist religiously, have done the whole "preventative care" and it's ridiculous to assume that improper flossing is the cause of all dental problems, including the need to extract the entire mouth and put in all false teeth. I think the subject material is a bit beyond your scope or education (no offense).
When I was mentioning this, I wasn't just talking about root canals, I was talking about teeth and genetics in general. I never EVER assume anything and I never EVER speak about crap I don't truly know about..in other words..unlike some people.. I don't talk outa my butt.
And yes, I know it's not JUST English heritage, I was just speaking about my particular family, we also have Czech & French in us.
This is supposed to be a forum on our experiences with our dental problems and thats what I wrote about, read it or not, but do NOT portray yourself to be an expert, because although you've been working in the field a while..frankly..so has quite a few DENTISTS that have screwed up MANY peoples teeth..so length of job experience unfortunately doesn't mean much these days.
I believe NewEnglandnew has found out the hard way...stay away from the ones that yell the loudest that THIS is what you SHOULD do..always get a second opinion AND don't let anyone tell you that the pain your feeling doesn't exist, they'll say that because they don't know HOW to fix it!

Newenglandnew...I'm getting mine extracted as well..I can't wait, the tooth is driving me crazy! Keep me informed on yours!

Tams
Message 114 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

think the subject material is a bit beyond your scope or education (no offense).

ok, I do agree my 26 years in the trenches mean nothing--

my hundreds of hours in continuing education....my degree and my state license.....my working knowledge of being employed by some of the best DDS's in the state....
not general practice mind you but periodontics's.....



I gracefully bow to your expertise.
good luck with your dental health.
Message 115 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

Let's not fight. 😞

I'm learning a lot on this long thread and I hope others will gain information here too.

I went to a dental school because I was in a tough place in my life, going through a divorce and not having any money. I didn't have the money to go for a second opinion and frankly, I was too worn out from the divorce to stand up and fight so I followed their orders. Yes, I questioned them (student dentist and supervisor) on what I really needed but when they still insisted upon the root canal I didn't fight it.

I am now going to a regular dentist again.

I could write a book on what doctors have told me, one in particular would have me dead by now!!! Good thing I strongly believe in impartial research and second and third opinions.

sort of off topic (hee hee hee)but I am of English stock too. 100%. I don't know if that has anything to do with it though. I do know that my ex had PERFECT teeth -- he was Polish. Never even a cavity, ever. Didn't floss, just went to the dentist once a year for a check up.
Message 116 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

**good_rockin_faith**
Trailblazer
I read an article that stated that tribes in Africa have bright white teeth & are dental healthy. This ought to tell us something. :) Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
Message 117 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

frazzedmom
Trailblazer
LOL tams...if I were a NP and saw you were edentulous, that would tell me SO much about your mindset & lack of proper knowledge, I would promptly switch MDs.

Good luck in your career, all-knowing-med-student = )

For your own sake, please don't go to your DDS with this 'I am God attitude'...you too will have patients like that in your own practice when that day does finally come, and you will realize how annoying those patient types can be. Have respect for your attending professional, and they will treat you with the utmost respect as well = )





If your gecko is broken, you have a reptile dysfunction.
Message 118 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

tams_k
Enthusiast
I've only read the last post by Laura, but I'm curious, where do you find that I don't have respect for the attending?
My "beef" was with someone who in my opinion was acting as if THEY were "all knowing god".
People come on here for advice and to see if others are going through the same problems as themselves. People are obviously coming out with what they WANT to see in my post, not what is actually THERE.
Unlike Coldpplayfan, I'm not trying to come off as an expert, which I feel she was trying to portray herself to be.
My other "problem" was the fact that she couldn't entertain any other possibilities (such as genetics playing a role in dental problems).
*I* know that I don't know everything...I can't say the same for some people posting on the boards and to try to fight with people is so ridiculous (which is why I wont read any other posts, I'm emailing N.E. directly) if they want to keep yelling as loud as they can that THEY are right..then let them be narrow minded and clueless..I'm too mature for bickering.
Message 119 of 230
latest reply

PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

Unlike Coldpplayfan, I'm not trying to come off as an expert, which I feel she was trying to portray herself to be

I wonder what constitutes an "expert" in your opinion?

I have worked clincially in this profession for more than half my life........
genetics play a very small part in ones dental health.

how else to explain an entire generation of grandmom's and grandads whose grandchildren have perfect teeth?
its called prevention:

6month recall's (cleaning)
fl.tx every six months
floss, floss, floss
brushing 3x a day

the biggest role I have seen genetic's play is when a parent does not take their child to the dentist until they have a major dental problem.

lets say tooth # 3 ....needs root canal ...parent can't afford to pay or doesn't want to,

tooth gets extracted on a 10 year old and believe me it all goes downhill from there.

I wish I could entertain genetics as playing a HUGE role in dental problems but it is my clinical experience that shows me that is not true.

Dental problems are caused by BACTERIA--and host response

that is the single BIGGEST FACTOR that contributes to dental disease.
Message 120 of 230
latest reply