can you have a painless abscess?

I have a tiny white pimple next to an upper back tooth, it is in the space where a tooth was taken out about 18 months ago. It has been sore but now settled and now have no pain at all but the pimple is still there.

What could it be and is it right that my dentist ignored it when I pointed it out to him at my last check up 2 months ago. could it be a little abscess?

Hi De8934, I just registered specifically to answer your question. Yes, you can have an abscessed tooth with no pain. The fistula (the pimple near your tooth) is what's relieving the pressure and pain from the tooth and allowing it to drain out. Without this fistula, you would be through the roof in agonizing pain due to unreleased pressure. Around March 2014 I had a fistula pop up on a tooth that received a root canal seven years prior. I let it go for six months before seeking a dentists' opinion and even then, no pain. X-rays were taken and I had a pretty large abscess in #3, around the roots of the tooth. The fistula buys you time to gather funds or sign up for dental insurance if you don't carry any, but you should have it taken care of sooner rather than later.

Thank you for replying. are you a dentist?

This tooth was root filled in 2005. I have recently been getting the feeling of pressure in my cheek above this tooth but I don't understand why my dentist has not told me it needs to be treated or taken an xray. I do get nervous about invasive dental treatment and I think my dentist is avoiding having to deal with this problem. I'm in the UK. NHS dentistry is generally not good and I am thinking about going private to get an honest opinion about this pimple and the discomfort in my cheek, although what would happen if I just left the little abscess?

Thank you

Hi if you leave it things will only get worse and eventually cause you a lot of pain. The tooth can be re-treated and the root canal redone. They will clean the tooth and the roots then get rid of the infection. When they are sure it is clear they will do a filling and possible crown. I had this procedure and it is a bit more involved than a rct done for the first time but it is worth it. No pain or anything. A specialist will be able to tell if it is worth doing a re-treatment. I am also nhs and your dentist can refer you to a dental hospital if you cannot afford to go private as it is rather costly.

Good luck to you, please don't leave it

Hi D8934,

Sorry to hear you have to deal with this abscess but glad you are not in agony at the moment. Hopefully you can avoid reaching that point. I'm sorry your dentist dismissed you and ignored your question about it. How frustrating!! I also had a "mystery spot"... a sore bump with little white dot that I thought was a canker sore appearing off and on prior to my root canal and learned the hard way it was not. I have had constant discomfort after my root canal and now have a lump under the tooth where the RCT was done and I fear another abscess is brewing.

I have a question for CAROLE who mentioned having her root canal redone...I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing: 1. how long ago that was 2. how much time between the first root canal on that tooth and the retreatment 3.how long it took for your tooth to feel better 4. how long you have been pain free since your retreatment 5. do you have other root canalled teeth and if so how are they feeling? Sorry...I'm full of questions and fear. Thanks for your help and thanks for sharing your thread, D8!

I wonder how many people with root canals have had to have them redone and if so how many do-overs were successful (and TOTALLY pain free) after retreatment?

Hi

The dental hospital rarely do re-treatments only special cases get the treatment if they are lucky so ive been told.

Thats why I ask about leaving it as its painless. I think its been this way for ages.

thank you

I have come back on here to answer mugz questions

1 - I had the re-treatment in 2013

2 - I had the rct done in March 2012, straight away as it thawed out I was in agony. A return visit to the dentist the next day revealed it had an infection under it. I was given antibiotics, it appeared to clear up but in May it flared up and my dentist had left and been replaced by a new dentist that said my only option was removal as it had been troublesome. I arranged the extraction date after having more antibiotics but when I went back I questioned if it needed removing or could anything else be done. I was told it had to be removed or I could just leave it and see if it would settle. There is a whole long story to this but I decided to find another dentist and get a second opinion. I saw the the new dentist in July 2012 and she referred me to a dental hospital to see if it could be saved. I had to wait until November for an appointment but when I saw them said that they would re-treat the tooth and that it stood a good chance.

I went in January of 2013 to see the dentist at the hospital and he started the treatment. The treatment was done over 5 appointments and my last one was in June or July I think in 2013. I saw my own dentist in January of this year and in Feb this year I had a crown put on the tooth. It has been fine ever since.

3 - My tooth felt better almost straight away as it wasn't really painful inbetween seeing my dentist and the hospital. It was just every now and again it would throb and give me some pain.

4 - I have been painfree almost from the start of the re-treatment.

5 - I had another tooth rct'd in the December 2011 just before the one that had the re-treatment and from the first appointment on that tooth it has been perfect and I have a bridge to cover that tooth and a gap I had from having a tooth removed. No problems at any time with this tooth.

I have a rct'd tooth on a bottom front tooth that has been done for about 15 to 20 years no problems although sometimes it can feel sore if I have been grinding my teeth and caught it. I also have a rct'd tooth at my right bottom tooth, the first big tooth, it has been done for 30 odd years. No problems, it has had a replacement crown on it about 15 years ago.

I hope this answers your questions to your satisfaction, if not just let me know I am happy to answer any question you have.

De8934 I had my re-treatment at the dental hospital, if they think it can be saved then they will do it. They need people like us to get experience themselves. The person I saw was lovely and he was really patient I was a total shaking nervous nearly crying wreck. I shook badly for the first two appointments and gradually I got used to him and I felt really comfortable and confident with him. He asked me all the time if I was okay and made sure that I felt no pain or discomfort. I was sad when my treatment was over as he was really lovely and so considerate and gentle.

You could leave it until it flares up and causes you problems. It may even settle I was told some settle for months, some settle for years if you are really worried about the treatment then leave it for now but remember you may have about a six month wait once you are referred so if you end up in pain could you stand it. I have had very good treatment on the nhs, I have also had some very shabby treatment too but we don't have to put up with bad treatment at all. I was very anxious and I didn't know how I was going to be able to face the treatment I needed but I found some very good patient and lovely dentists and now a lot of my fear has gone and I no longer stress before appointments. I am 56 and getting dental treatment has been a life long fear, so it just goes to show it is never too late to get comfortable with going.

I wish you all the best with whatever you decide to do. It is your decision and whatever you do decide is the correct choice for you.

Good luck

Hi Carole, I am glad you got the treatment at the dental hospital and was treated with care and consideration. I can honestly say that my experience at my dental hospital was completely the opposite and has left me with little trust in the service provided at all. my impression was that they didn't want to help. If this is how I am treated at a place they teach dentists what chance is there that I will get the care I need with kindness any where else.

I'm happy for you but I have no trust of confidence in the profession. Thank god this abscess is painless

What a shame the hospital you went to were nasty with you. I went to Leeds dental hospital and they are wonderful there. I do consider myself very lucky to have been treated by such a lovely person when I went and my own dentist is also very good.

I have also been on the receiving end of very bad treatment in the past so I do understand how you feel and the fear a dental appointment can cause. I hope you manage to find a good and caring dentist that will be able to treat your tooth when it is needed.

What is your dentist like that you see usually ?

OK thanks

Wow Carole, THANK YOU!!!! I may actually sleep tonight and not be churning with hopelessness. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and will definitely check out your other thread.

After spending some time on this site it occurred to me to send a photo of my bump to my dentist via email thereby avoiding appointment. DUH. Seems so obvious I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I guess pushing 45 I don't think of technology first. However, after sending the photo he said it is totally infected abscess, called in some antibiotics and pain meds to get me through the weekend and they made an appointment first thing Monday with my endodontist. He is closed tomorrow or they would have gotten me in then....I opted not to see someone I don't know on call for him. My dentist called him for me because I couldn't do it. Prior to reading your reply I was fearing extraction was my only option as I had yet to read any successful root canal stories much less retreatments. I cannot tell you how you have eased my mind. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my fiercely phobic abscessed soul.

Mugz said:

Wow Carole, THANK YOU!!!! I may actually sleep tonight and not be churning with hopelessness. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and will definitely check out your other thread.

After spending some time on this site it occurred to me to send a photo of my bump to my dentist via email thereby avoiding appointment. DUH. Seems so obvious I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I guess pushing 45 I don't think of technology first. However, after sending the photo he said it is totally infected abscess, called in some antibiotics and pain meds to get me through the weekend and they made an appointment first thing Monday with my endodontist. He is closed tomorrow or they would have gotten me in then....I opted not to see someone I don't know on call for him. My dentist called him for me because I couldn't do it. Prior to reading your reply I was fearing extraction was my only option as I had yet to read any successful root canal stories much less retreatments. I cannot tell you how you have eased my mind. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my fiercely phobic abscessed soul.

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I have lump near a tooth top back widom tooth, I keep getting achne and spots, bright red on my nose then cheeks near eye underneath. I also have a ucler thats white in the middle. When one spot goes away another pops up. I seen the dentist about it but she ignored what I said. Also two teeth parallel upper near wisdom teeth are going in a pointy shape due to a partial denture I wear.

I had a root canal front top tooth get infected and had it out, now I have lumps appearing in my mouth.
The hospital that took out a root, did not do a x-ray to check if there werer problems.

I want this sorted out but these dentists are being difficult.
help!!