PAIN IN TOOTH LONG AFTER ROOT CANAL

[newenglandnew]

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

[tams_k]

LOL, I know, sorry, I've been on pain meds and I don't think I worded that correctly, I WILL be going to a specialist on the 29th, where I hope to ask them (after they check it out) if it's something that SHOULD be done by them OR the general dentist that I have been going to... personally, I like the dentist (just met him) but I don't appreciate the lengthly wait they are putting me through.

[dull*women*have*immaculate*homes]

Molars don't have one big root (only the incisors and cuspids have thoses)......they have usually 3 or 4. The cost of the canal will be dependent on how many roots yours has. Some teeth are not candidates for a root canal (some molars) because if the roots are twisted the specialist will not be able to get his brushes in to remove the dying pulp, you will have to have an extraction.

A qualified root canal specialist will not cause you any pain. They will numb the area and then work their magic. I had zero pain during the proceedure. If yours is absessed, then the doctor should have you on antibiotics first. That will eleviate the infection and will result in any pre-root canal swelling subsiding.

http://www.aae.org/patients/mythsrootcanal/

Don't be afraid....look at it this way. You as of now have a tooth that is dying. Anything should improve the situation.

[garthkitty]

i have been in the same boat this last week. the tooth with the root canal is now infected completlyu. the tooth must have cracked into the roo and it caused a severe infection. i have been on antibiotics and it can't be saved. the tooth will be pulled and a bridge made. yes they are pricey but we worked out a payment plan. be careful, a tooth infection can cause a cardiac issue. i am a respiratory therapist. i would go to a gooddentist and have an x;ray. garthkitty

[tams_k]

I have an appointment at an Endodontist Friday..the same people who did the original Root Canal. I always premedicate before any dental procedure since I DO have MVP with valve regurgitation. I'm hoping that the crack did not crack all the way through to the root, otherwise they will have to pull it and I refuse to get a bridge..but then again, it IS a back molar, so I may be ok without one, my mother in law had the same problem with the same tooth but on the RIGHT side and she had hers pulled without a bridge and it's been years with no problems...Honestly, I just can't see filing down perfectly good teeth on either side (in MY opinion..RUINING them) to put a bridge in..now, if it were towards the front, I MAY have considered it, but I think I'd probably opt for them drilling through my jaw bone and putting in a fake...
I actually had a nightmare last night that my endo. stopped giving any type of local and wanted to give some stupid new age herbs instead...LOL

[tams_k]

Oh, btw, didn't they tell you that after having a root canal, that if you have an infection, taking antibiotics don't help because you dont have the system there any longer to distribute the meds..which is one reason why they normally do a Re-Treat, however if it had cracked all the way down, that alone makes it impossible to save.

I hate dental problems!

[newenglandnew]

tams, you have that appointment tomorrow? I hope all goes well. If it's in the back and it has to be extracted, it's probably best to just leave it alone. I know I never want to have bridgework myself.

I finally got in to see a REAL dentist and their xrays showed that mine had been infected and still could be -- he said it takes a long time to heal so they can't tell.

He also told me to wait one more week after this re-treatmend of the root canal and then get the tooth extracted. The pain goes up into the bones of my face and skull -- hateful and scary. I am going to opt for an implant and just throw it on a credit card. 😞

[tams_k]

Ouch!
My initial dentist said mine was "sick"
I guess they didn't realize that if they told a Medical Student that a tooth was "infected" that I might not know what they mean..LOL
Tomorrow I go for the initial appointment with the endo, they will most likely look at the tooth and take x-rays and stuff, they will NOT be able to do anything because they told me they weren't so I am NOT pre-medicating myself tomorrow..so, they will NOT do anything.
I have made another appointment a while back for them to "fix" it on July 2nd, I figure why wait for THIS appointment and then have to wait for another month or more to get ANOTHER appt. to fix it..if all I need is a re-treat, then thats great, but if it has to be extracted, I'm surely NOT getting a bridge nor an implant, it is far back enough where I can do without, you can't even SLIGHTLY see it when I smile big.. it's WAAY back there..what's one less tooth... as long as I have one of my own teeth left when I die..LOL

Hope your tooth heals quickly! Lemme know what happens next!

[luvtoshop1987]

I had a root canal done 4 days ago, and the tooth is still killing me, i'm in pain. I'm taking alota antibotics still , every 6 hrs , and Motrin or Tylenol about every 6 hrs. And my ear is also killing me from the tooth . What do you suggest i do ? Should I have just had the tooth pulled ? Next time i will !

[luvtoshop1987]

Under neath most of my crowns - I'm getting alota decay. these crowns have been on my teeth 20-25 yrs. I am getting worried about my teeth - getting abessed. All my back/ and upper Molars are all Crowned. I hate having a bad toothache. My ear even hurts ! How long does it take for a tooth that got a root canal - to settle back down and stop hurting???

[tams_k]

After my root canal, I had virtually no pain whatsoever..BUT...
I have decided to go ahead and just pull my tooth that had cracked. Heres my reasoning:
I had the root canal done on it..keep in mind..its a 90% success rate... Although I had no pain in it afterwards..within the next few weeks I started getting these strange "phantom pains" at least thats what I tried calling it and remember saying a MILLION times ..HOW can I be having pain when there is supposed to be NO nerve in there!

Well, years later after living with it and my tooth cracking, I went to a specialist that showed me the X-Ray of the tooth and how there is a infection at the base of the root.. he says that the root canal failed and needs to have a re-treat. HE ASSUMES that the "reason" why it failed was because I didnt get a crown right away.
Keep in mind..the Re-treat is an 80% success rate..

Heres MY take on it (I'm a med student so I count myself as being at least somewhat intelligent)
1. I had the root canal done to try to save a tooth that had infection at the very top of the tooth.
2. I started having weird pains within 2 weeks of the root canal procedure, indicating to ME that most likely it had failed THEN.
3. If the 1st root canal procedure is supposed to be a 90% success rate and THAT failed..how could that doctor POSSIBLY have faith that an 80% or below rate would actually be successful?!
4. This one has the infection at the BASE of the root as opposed to the very top of the tooth as in the 1st time around, coupled with the fact that the root canal itself will not be the same shape due to time, settling and the crap they put in there after the 1st root canal..so frankly.. the cards are stacked against me.
5. Due to my sensitivity and the fact that my nerves arent "wired" like 99% of the population, I would AGAIN have to be put under for this..last time it cost 600. this time (years later) it will cost 900.00 in which the insurance pays for NONE ..PLUS I will have to pay at LEAST 20% for the procedure..I believe its more because they are NOT in my network and I ..if need to have it done..refuse to go anywhere else because they did the 1st one...
so, it WILL cost a buttload of money...

BUT... If it ends up failing, like I know it will... that means I would have just paid for (out of pocket)
*2* failed root canals and ultimately a extraction.

So... I've decided... just pull the damned thing. Its the molar, second to the last in the very back, lower left..and I've been assured the area that its located will NOT cause shifting of teeth AND I have teeth on either side.
So, MY advice...if you've been having problems after problems..(You dont even want to hear how my mother in law went through mult. surgeries to try to save the same exact tooth, ONLY to have had it extracted at the end!)
If its back enough, you cant see it when you smile and you have your other teeth... its NOT worth it emotionally OR financially to try to save it because if it fails the 1st time...more than likely it will fail again, especially if it failed within the 1st few weeks after the 1st root canal.
Thats just my advice..I just dont want anyone else to go through the crap I have been..now I will also have to be on antibiotics for months because of my MVP and this darned infection.
good luck and I hope everyone keeps updating their progress!
tammy

[dull*women*have*immaculate*homes]

I don't even understand this. I had a root canal done by a specialist (my dentist said he never messed with these-he sends his patients out to have it done by someone who does these exclusively). The doctor who did mine had a miniature camera mounted on fiber (like fiberoptics I guess). After he was done cleaning out the roots with little bristled brushes (because if any decaying pulp is left in the canal it is not done correctly) he would insert that monofilament and look on a TV screen to ensure that all the decay was gone. Did yours do this? IMHO, if the doctor didn't do it right, then they had no business doing it at all. At the very least he should do the proceedure again. Maybe your tooth was not a candidate for this procedure, but he opted to do it anyway? For the amount of one, I'd have hoped he'd have shared the success rate with you.

According to my specialist, there are some roots that are not candidates for this proceedure-if they are twisted for example, he won't be able to get the brushes all the way to the pulp at the very ends of the tooth.

I am sorry you are in pain. I had zero pain with mine.

Also, for the poster with the decay underneath the crowns, how successful are you with flossing? Have you tried the wider ribbon floss? And do you use a water pic? I use mine religiously with almost 100% strength listerine. You know you are getting old when you purchase antiseptic mouthwash by the gallon:)

[tams_k]

I went to a specialist of course (endodontist) and they did it the way they are supposed to (during the procedure, they are SUPPOSED to Xray it to make sure they have gone to the end but not to the jawline/bone, so they take multiple xrays showing where the instruments are)
I saw each of these xrays, I saw my before and after xrays, I'm guessing mine just failed and I was the 10% that it happens to, which is NOT surprising to me..I wish I were exaggerating when I say..*I* am that .00001% of the population that the stuff that NEVER happens to people..happens to. I even commented BEFORE the root canal that I understand in rare cases that people have MORE nerves than normal and that I would probably be THAT person OR with my luck..the tool would break and I would be THAT person where I have to walk around with a 1/2 of a blade in my gums.. But I was expecting SOMETHING, because..its ME! LOL
I guess it could be worse..

[cold_play_fan_numberone]

Its the molar, second to the last in the very back, lower left..and I've been assured the area that its located will NOT cause shifting of teeth

this is not true--the tooth you are talking about is #19 and it is a "foundation tooth" it holds your lower arch together........
you will definetely get shifting esp. from the tooth right above it (#14) that little thing will just drift down looking for its opposing mate. trust me on this.

consider an implant.

[newenglandnew]

OP here and still suffering. Tams, it sounds like you have made your decision, and so have I. I went to another dentist who took xrays and said it was probably a failed root canal, to wait ONE week and if it was not better to go have it extracted.

I have an appoointment Friday at Tufts and will see about letting them take it out since the other dentist doesn't have time. I will NEVER go to a dental school for anything again because I think they just find things wrong so that they can practice on you. I don't think I needed this root canal at all. Meanwhile, the crown that I DID need has been neglected and I'm worried about that now too.

They kept asking me if I wanted bone transplants. DUH, do they really think I can afford THAT? I went there to SAVE money.

Got to get listing more on ebay to save up for the implant, they are unbelievably expensive.

[tams_k]

OMG! Thats horrible! Its not fair that we need to go through all this! Yes, I surely made my decision. I was told that this tooth was #18 2nd Molar. They've done numerous studies where they actually found that there has not been any change ("following extraction all clinical parameters seem to be unchanged") Like I said, I'm NOT a dentist, but I am a medical student in the process of getting my MD/PHD and I don't ever make any type of medical decisions lightly. I do have multiple family members who have had to have the exact same tooth pulled (lucky for them, they went straight to the extraction and didn't even bother spending a small fortune on "trying to save the tooth" as every single dental professional out there would advise..regardless of the situation..afterall..(as I'm SURE my fellow sufferers will agree they have probably heard THIS statement uttered by more than one dentist while trying to decide on a plan of treatment) "Don't you want to try to KEEP ALL YOUR TEETH!") and years later, they still have NO problem with the jaw, the teeth or anything else. There is only my mother in law that actually DID try to save the tooth and went through MAJOR steps to do so, even to the point they operated through the gumline. Yet, in the end... she had it extracted. I was there when the specialist TRIED to say they couldn't see a problem, yet all she had to do was lightly press on a specific area of the gum of the tooth and green pus literally sprayed out...its amazing what they will say when they just don't know how to fix the problem..all of a sudden, the problem either does NOT exist OR it's a different problem which needs a DIFFERENT type of specialist (see "the handoff" LOL)
So, yes, I don't think I have any reservations about pulling this darned tooth. I don't think I'd consider drilling into my jaw bone for an implant either, it's just not natural and I can bet you all anything, if there are problems that might result from THAT, I'd surely get them, and from THAT type of thing, you cant recover..bone does NOT grow back.

Well, you know what peoples court always says... "The Cheap comes out expensive" LOL
Although I'm surprised, my mother in law SWEARS by the dental school teaching hospital she goes to and says she wouldnt go anywhere else. That is over in Kansas. I do know that certain areas, there isn't enough money in the world for you to let me let anyone even so much as practice giving me an IV.

I'd probably try to get in somewhere else, get a few XRays to see if they can see any type of decay/bacteria around the crown of the other root canal, in alot of the cases, the crown wasn't done correctly in which it lets in the bacteria and builds up. Make sure you SEE the xrays, these things are not easily missed, it will look like a dark blob or ball, look for it just under the white top of the crown on the xray and look for it at the very tip of the root. whats your next step?