Abscess healed? Can I live with the pimple?

[Dental209]

Man, I really hope you guys still use this forum. Been using it for years but never posted.

I had tooth infection symptoms a couple month ago, prescribed antibiotics and it worked a treat. Since then just a slight feeling of pressure.

Today I noticed I have a pimple but no other pain or anything. Can I just get it drained? Is it just the remaining pus needing out?


To make things so bad, it is my wisdom tooth which initially had the pain and possible abscess.....I can't have it removed. I paid for a 3d scan last year and it is too close to the nerve and the surgeon said it was very high risk. Worst he'd seen!

I know a wisdom can't have root canal, so I'm really screwed if the abscess isn't cured! What can I do??

I pray the pimple (which has no pain or any other symptoms) can just be drained....or can I just leave it as it is?


The dentists I have seen say "just get the wisdom tooth out" but I've told them what the surgeon said, about the nerve and it bei g very high risk, they then just sort of shrug and move onto the next patient.


Please, guys any help at all would be a life saver

 

[MumOfBoys1985]

I'm not a dentist so someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I'm sure the only cure for an abscess is extraction or root canal. That doesn't mean it's urgent, it may not flare up and give pain for months or much longer.

 

[Dental209]

Thank you for replying. I've read this on some other posts too....but with wisdom tooth, they can't be root canal treated, and it sounds like my wisdom tooth is too close to the nerve to be extracted safely.... I wonder what options I have?

I'm just glad the abscess seems to be asymptomatic at the moment, I guess the pimple is what is helping with that?

 

[MumOfBoys1985]

That's where the infection drains from I think.


Not sure about root canal in a wisdom tooth though sorry

 

[Dental209]

I was expecting a funny taste or smell if it was draining? It's just a pea sized bump, sometimes smaller. I guess it must be draining slowly, or I may be lucky in that the pus doesn't taste or smell?

Thank you for replying. I've absolutely no idea where to go from here with these circumstances.

 

[Gordon]

The treatment here would be to do a coronectomy of the wisdom tooth, basically remove the top half of it and as much of the root as could be safely removed without going near the nerve.

Go back and see a surgeon again...

 

[Dental209]

@Gordon thank you for replying. It really helps my confidence. My actual wisdom tooth is fine, feels fine, no pain when tapping, no heat sensitive, or anything really. I've been assuming the infection or abscess is sort of below or beside the tooth - if this is the case, would a coronectomy still potentially help?

I will be visiting my surgeon as soon as I can get an appointment and will mention coronectomy if you think that would still be helpful.

The Internet also told me that the reason my pain has gone away and I'm asymptomatic is that the infection has killed all the nerve in my tooth! I can still feel the tooth though and it is functioning fine. So not sure it is definitely dead?


I'm sure the surgeon told me last time that the guidance for surgeons was 2or3 infections that needed antibiotics to treat it meant go for extraction....I guess this applies even if it is a very difficult to extract tooth.


Thank you again for all your help. You guys are amazing anyway, as dentists, but then to come on here and help people is just outstanding, so thank you.

 

[Kml1998]

@Dental209 please don't listen to Google, they'll get you thinking it's the worst of the worst

 

[Gordon]

I've been assuming the infection or abscess is sort of below or beside the tooth - if this is the case, would a coronectomy still potentially help?

Quite often what happens is that there is a small flap of gum over the tooth where it hasn't fully erupted. Then some food can get packed under the flap which sets off an infection. By removing the crown part of the tooth you can stitch the gum up and stop any more food getting in, if that makes sense?

 

[Dental209]

Quite often what happens is that there is a small flap of gum over the tooth where it hasn't fully erupted. Then some food can get packed under the flap which sets off an infection. By removing the crown part of the tooth you can stitch the gum up and stop any more food getting in, if that makes sense?

Perfect. Thank you mate, really appreciate it.