Tooth still sore even after root canal treatment

Yay! I chewed on my new temp crown today with no pain. And it didn't hurt when I tapped on it

I am trying not to get too excited but it seems that the permanent filling and the temp crown are giving my tooth more support and it may actually be okay.

It is still sore though and doesn't quite feel right. I plan on giving it the full month before deciding what to do.

I hope everything goes as well for you on your journey, jerseygirl2018. Please keep us all updated on your progress too

I think that this thread may help someone one day and I think that's great! Enjoy your weekend everyone

Ughh... tooth is still sore, but barely. I can't help but shake this feeling that the root is cracked. Although, I do tend to always play out the worst-case-scenario in my head, all the time. I feel like one month post-root canal my tooth should be pain free. I have now had the new temporary crown on for 1 full week. It is trending towards better but I just don't know Should I give it more time or contact my endodontist for another evaluation at this point? I am so scared my only other option is going to be an extraction. I am even more scared that if I wait too long it may affect my ability to get a future implant (ie. bone loss due to low grade infection)? Any opinions?

Made a follow up appointment with my endodontist on Tuesday (Mar 20th). Wish me luck! I'll update after the appointment

Best of luck for Tuesday !

I suspect that at this early stage, waiting for it to settle down may be recommended - especially seeing how it's trending towards the positive . Hopefully your endodontist will be able to answer your questions re. whether there are still any signs of infection. All the best and let us know how you get on!

I'm sorry your new temp hasn't settled. Mine hasn't either. My dentist said bear with it - that I have had so much treatment that I need to give the whole area a chance to settle. But I feel deep down the same as you - that I have an undetected fracture and will need an extraction. Have you had or been offered a CBCT scan? Both my dentist and the second endodontist I saw said that is the only way to get a proper diagnosis when nothing on the normal x-rays look wrong. I was going to have the scan in the next few days but unfortunately I have been struck down with full blown flu and can't even leave the house. Flu and toothache really is the limit!!

I am going to speak to my dentist again next week when I am (hopefully) better and check that they really think that is the best course of action as I think all the scan can show is if there are pockets of infection or fractures, both of which will result in extraction. I can't see how the scan can show anything that can be remedied? I know there are endless stories of positive extractions and it may well be a relief after all the pain but (even if it sounds silly) I feel like losing a tooth is losing a part me and a real failure on my part, despite having really looked after my teeth and my diet. I know there are a million things worse to have than a bad tooth but when it is happening to you, it is with you every second, every day and it takes over.

Sorry - I mean to be more positive! I think it you can bear with it, maybe you should give it a little more time. I am coming to the end of my limit but have had this situation longer than you, and we are all different and each case is unique. Good luck and please keep posting!

Hi... I had a similar situation. Three years ago I went to my dentist with a tooth in horrid pain. I wanted it pulled, but he talked me into a root canal. Worst mistake ever. I wish I could go back and have had him just pull it! After the root canal was done, everything seemed ok for awhile, as I assumed the soreness would wear off. But after 2 months I called the dentist telling him that the tooth was still sore when I bit down. He told me it was just slow to heal, quite normal, etc. This went on for months. After almost a year, I developed a little white pimple on my gum right behind this tooth (last molar on bottom left). The dentist claimed he had no idea what it was. I researched on my own and found out it was a fistula. The dentist tried adjusting my bite on the root canal, cleaning the fistula out, hitting it with a laser treatment, 2 courses of antibiotics, and still it would not go away and stay away. The soreness on my root canal tooth became so bad I could barely eat. I lost 17lbs. It was getting to the point where I was in that office once a week asking him to please find out what is wrong! Finally he looks in my mouth and says "Oh! The tooth has a fracture in it!" So he pulls the fractured piece off and rebuilds the tooth. Everything seemed ok for a few months. Then the slight soreness when I ate something hard or crunchy on that tooth. Not all the time, but here and there. I figured it was just something I would have to live with. Then a few months ago, the white pimple returned. I knew this was not a good sign. I had moved out of state so I couldn't go back to the original dentist. I made an appt. with this new dentist who took an xray and seemed genuinely surprised. He said my root was fractured, and most likely it happened during the root canal procedure!!! I had had enough of this tooth and was not going through any more root canals so we decided to pull it. I just thought I would share this story with you because I have since learned that root fractures are common in root canals, so this could be why your tooth is still hurting, especially when pressure is applied. That is how mine was... was OK until I bit down on something. Hope this helps! Good luck to you

Hi everyone. Just wanted to post a quick update before my endo appointment tomorrow. My tooth has been aching off and on the last few days and also having bouts of short stinging-like pain. It's so strange because it hurts less to bite than before. Tender but not enough to make me jump. Now the actual toothache remains but about 25% of what it was prior to the root canal and after the crown prep. I am not sure whether the endo will recommend a retreat or an extraction. I am so torn. I keep thinking it's getting better and then it acts up again. I really think there is a deep fracture or a root fracture. I am not sure if you can have both? I know for sure that I have a visible fracture at the surface. Also, it is weird that the CT scan after the root canal didn't detect any problems. Anyhow, I will post tomorrow as soon as the jury comes in with its verdict I am taking you all on this journey with me. Please keep posting your own updates and stories. Hopefully, we can build a wealth of info for someone else and ourselves

Okay so just walked in the door from my endo appointment. It is not what I expected. He figures there are probably some side-branching canals that could have been missed. He gave me a one week course of antibiotics to see if it makes a difference. Irregardless, though, he wants to do a re-treatment on the tooth and then stuff it with medicine and let it sit for a few months. If this doesn't work it means extraction. I have to admit, I really like this guy's approach. I feel like he truly cares about me and my situatiion and is doing everything possible to save my tooth. He is doing all of this free of charge as well I am very glad that I listened to my gut in the beginning to get a second opinion. Otherwise, I would have a permanent crown on a very sick tooth. Lesson here, you really need to trust your dentist. If you don't---RUN, very fast! Keep you all posted

So quick update...the slight throbbing/aching has definitely stopped. However, it is still tender to bite on. But the antibiotics have definitely improved things. I am not sure what this means but I’m thinking either there are some accessory canals that were left or the fracture is worse than they think and the tooth is doomed. I’m going in for the re-treatment in early April so I’m hoping it works ?. Anyone else have any updates?

Last day of my antibiotics. I have to say they have most definitely made a difference. I am really hoping that the cause of my pain is just that there are some left over accessory canals that need to be treated. It seems like it may be the case; otherwise, why would the antibiotics make a difference right? I don't know. Here's to hoping I am really nervous to go off them though because I still have a week left until my re-treatment. I really want to enjoy the Easter long weekend. Hope you all are doing well. Will update again soon

So quick update...when I flossed last night (just finished antibiotics) I noticed a really gross smell. I don’t know where it came from all of a sudden but I think it means there’s something sinister going on still. I actually had one super awesome pain free day (the last day of antibiotics) and now the pain is slowly returning ? I have convinced myself it’s one of two things: there is a missed canal (although he said he treated all 4) or there is a fracture. Either one would cause the reoccurring infection. My gut is telling me the tooth is cracked beyond repair. If it ends up getting pulled I will ask them to keep that expensive little tooth lol. I’ll keep you all posted after my re-treatment on Tuesday ?

Thanks for the update, laceygirl78. Sending some good vibes for Tuesday. Hope the pain is at a manageable level and you can enjoy the Easter weekend. All the best wishes

Thanks for all the updates - I really feel for you as we are at such similar stages, althoughI have already had one re-treatment which has not worked. I was given super-strong antibiotics for a bad throat infection which I got along with awful flu. The thought of having to deal with illness as well as the toothache got me really down but, surprise! - these antibiotics took the pain away. I had had 2 lots of antibiotics before Christmas and neither had worked but these were more powerful and took the pain away completely. So now pretty sure that mine is being caused by infection - and the location of that hasn't been caught by the re-treatment.

Now the advice is to wait and see if the pain returns. Not being pessimistic, but I feel that it is returning already - no pain yet, but definitely "aware" of the something under the temp crown. Then next step is to have CBCT scan to try and find location of infection. However, I think this is just delaying the inevitable extraction of the tooth as I do not want to undergo an apicoectomy and, if re-treatment hasn't cleared it, there is no other option. Feeling a little helpless and frustrated as I cannot do anything myself to solve this, but am glad I have a caring dentist who keeps checking on me and my wellbeing (unlike the original endodontist who just sent me on my way after masses of procedures and spending thousands...).

I really hope your re-treatment works and they find the source of infection. You're not alone so please stay strong!

How did it go laceygirl?

Hey everyone. Sorry it took me a while to update. Anyhow, I went and had my re treatment yesterday and it seemed to go okay. I only needed two needles this time to get me numb and I didn't feel a thing! The second time around was definitely easier. He poked around in my tooth a whole bunch and did some very aggressive filing with motorized instruments this time instead of the hand files he used last time. He did warn me he would need to be more aggressive with the tooth this time, but I did not feel any of it. I did notice that when he was poking around in there all of a sudden I felt a "pop" sensation. He said to his assistant: "oh, the MB1 and MB2 canals join together." I think he may have found an area that was not treated fully. Anyhow, he looked closer at the remaining crack (on the tooth floor) and said it did not look that bad to him, but it is impossible to tell for sure as it is a "fresh" crack. This angers me because I know that crack was not there before this whole dilemma started. If you all recall, this all started when my original (now fired) dentist did the crown prep on this tooth. I am pretty sure (ok, pretty much positive) that he cracked that part of my tooth whilst aggressively removing my huge silver amalgam filling. Ugghh... Anyhow, sorry for the side track! Back to my endo appointment, he filled the tooth with medicine and wants to wait a month to reassess. At that point, if there is no improvement the only option will be extraction. My tooth actually feels okay. But the pain is still there, just less so. However, I am not holding my breath. The tissues surrounding my tooth feel sore and it still hurts to tap on it Also, my tooth is black around the gum area! Good thing it is in the back or I would be freaking out a lot more! I went to my general dentist today and she said it is just my tooth's way of healing but nothing to worry about. It literally turned this color in a matter of weeks. Anyhow, also my temporary crown broke while the Endo was removing it, so once again I am without a crown for a month. Everyone seems to think it will be fine though. Back to my "90-year old lady" diet for the next month lol. I also have a horrible taste in my mouth that is making me sick to my stomach. It is probably the from the medicine. I have another appointment in early May to reassess and finish the root canal if all goes well. I promise to keep you all posted on my lovely journey. Thanks for reading this

Thanks for the update. Still keeping my fingers crossed. With so much energy, dedication and so many dentists invested it must work!
All the best wishes, may the taste vanish soon and may the tooth get settled finally.

There can't be many teeth in this world that have had so much attention lavished on them. It really deserves a Hollywood ending ! Thanks for the update. Best of luck and keep us posted

Okay, getting really depressed here.... Last night my tooth started hurting again. It is worse than before! I think that it is coming from around the tooth as it hurts ALOT to touch it, never mind pressing on it It seems like it is infected again. I am slowly losing hope here... I'll keep you all posted.

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed , are you taking any painkillers at the moment?

letsconnect said:

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed , are you taking any painkillers at the moment?

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Yes, T3's don't touch the pain. I can't even floss around it. The gum area is extremely sensitive (off the charts!) and it is way worse than the last time. I can't put any pressure on it, let alone chew. I am so bummed. Called the Endo's office and left a message. Probably won't hear anything until Monday. I am on antibiotics for an unrelated problem so I am hoping they help in the meantime. I am honestly starting to think I just want it out though