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Localised pain in gum above RC

L

Ladychase77

Junior member
Joined
Aug 24, 2021
Messages
3
Location
Isle of Wight
Hello.

I am new here and I am desperate for advice because I have spent the last two weeks googling possible causes for my problem and just scared myself even more.

I had a RC done in my top front right tooth (5th on my right) in 2019. It has no teeth either side of it and it has a crown. I had some sensitivity issues for about a year mainly when having hot drinks but that has subsided now. For the last few weeks I have a painful spot high above the tooth in my gum that I first noticed when washing my face. It is so sore when you press on my cheek like a bruise and feels like an electric type feeling that shoots down into my tooth when I wiggle my finger over the gum.

I visited my dentist two weeks ago after picking up the courage to make an appointment and told him my problem. He said that he could tell by looking at it that there was nothing wrong with it. He tapped it (which didn’t hurt) and said that I was worried about nothing. That I might of bitten on something hard and that might of bruised the gum. He said this would be easy to do as the tooth has no support either side of it. He gave me antibiotics ‘just in case’ and I finished the course with no difference.

he said that if I have any more trouble with this tooth I will have to have it extracted and the thought of going back to see him is terrifying me because I always feel everythingwhen it’s just a filling or RC so I can’t imagine how sore extraction will be.

Is it normal that he didn’t even X-ray it? I have read so many things about infections spreading and tumours and cysts that now I’m just crying all the time because I’m so worried.

If it was a bruise wouldn’t it have got better by now? It even hurts to hug my children on that cheek but my face isn’t swollen and my tooth isn’t sore but I assume that’s because it’s been root filled.

Ijust don’t know what to do. If I should go back and see him (I feel like he is angry whenever I go there because I have so many problems with my teeth) or could I go to the doctors and ask them to X-ray it. I am an NHS patient so I have no other options to go to a different dentist either.

thank you for your time
 
That sounds like a very upsetting situation. I can see where you would be disappointed in your dentist. I know that dentists rely a lot on visual signs of infection. I can tell you that if it is infection you most likely don’t have to worry about it spreading. I was one of those people who had an abscess that was undetected for two or more years. I had a front tooth that got knocked as a child and chipped. Dentist put a filling on the chipped part and it didn’t bother me anymore. 30 years later it started hurting after some other dental work (root canal on different tooth) and it was discovered to have a large abscess. The endodontist said it had to have been growing for at least two years, if not more. It never spread to any other teeth or to my sinuses or blood. I never had swelling or redness. Your immune system usually keeps it in check and it shows up when you have something else going on (like a cold or another infection) and your immune system has to work overtime. Mine was fixed and is all good now.

I would probably insist on an x-ray if I were you, just for peace of mind. When I had an infection, it was painful to press against the gums or around my nose, where the tip of the root was. However, I also have atypical facial pain, and get pain in teeth and gums when there is nothing wrong. I have had x-rays done just for my peace of mind when the dentist can see nothing visually wrong.
 
Thank you for replying. It has made me feel
That sounds like a very upsetting situation. I can see where you would be disappointed in your dentist. I know that dentists rely a lot on visual signs of infection. I can tell you that if it is infection you most likely don’t have to worry about it spreading. I was one of those people who had an abscess that was undetected for two or more years. I had a front tooth that got knocked as a child and chipped. Dentist put a filling on the chipped part and it didn’t bother me anymore. 30 years later it started hurting after some other dental work (root canal on different tooth) and it was discovered to have a large abscess. The endodontist said it had to have been growing for at least two years, if not more. It never spread to any other teeth or to my sinuses or blood. I never had swelling or redness. Your immune system usually keeps it in check and it shows up when you have something else going on (like a cold or another infection) and your immune system has to work overtime. Mine was fixed and is all good now.

I would probably insist on an x-ray if I were you, just for peace of mind. When I had an infection, it was painful to press against the gums or around my nose, where the tip of the root was. However, I also have atypical facial pain, and get pain in teeth and gums when there is nothing wrong. I have had x-rays done just for my peace of mind when the dentist can see nothing visually wrong.
Thank you for replying to this for me. Your reply has made me feel better. I think I need to just pluck up the courage to go back and see him again and say can I have an X-ray because the problem doesn’t seem to be any better. It is around my nose also that I can feel it and high up in the gum where the tip of the root must be ☹️
 
No, not really. Could you travel further afield to see an NHS dentist in another town? (I take it private is not an option due to finances?)

Or ask your GP for a referral to the Community Dental Services: Isle of Wight - Local Offer
I can’t afford to go private, unfortunately. Thank you for that link. I will have a look at it now.
 
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