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Neverending issue after failed root canal & now extraction - please help

I

indiansummer

Junior member
Joined
Jun 20, 2015
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3
I think I posted this in the wrong place earlier as I am new here. I hope it's ok to paste it here as similar topics are being discussed :)
Hello, I wonder if you could help me. Any input would be much appreciated!​
A couple of years ago I had a root canal done (bottom right tooth). About two weeks ago it started throbbing (only slightly) so I visited my dentist. Xray was done and revealed infection, the dentist removed the cracked filling (I suspect this is how baceria got in causing infection)and spent about one minute cleaning the canal, then put another filling in and told me it would settle eventually.​
The next day the pain kicked in and I was in agony! Throbbing with so much force, my cheek and gums started swelling. I went back and was given 15 pills of 250mg of amoxicilin. The first days were very traumatic, I was in a lot of pain, I went back in and the dentist cleaned the canalagain (really quickly) and told me to to continue taking antibiotics (by that time I only had 3 pills left). The pain eventually did go away​
almost completely, but when the swelling reduced it revealed a hard lump in my gum/jaw underneath that affected tooth, like a marble. I visited the dentist again and asked for the tooth to be pulled out.​
That was on Tuesday at 3pm and it's now Sat 8pm so just over 4 days after the extraction. The first day I thought I'd go insane I was inthat much pain, it felt very raw and throbbed continuously. Then it​
started to calm down, I still had to take painkillers (ibuprofen and​
cocodamol) regularly but I was able to function. It didn't bleed a lot, it just felt sore and swollen. It is still swollen, the hard lump that was there before the extraction is still there, bigger then before. This morning noticed a white plug on top of the extraction site, but it disappeared later (I try not to eat​
on this side, but I rinse with salty water gently a couple of times a day so I suspect it got dislodged). During this time my front tooth (top right) started hurting badly too, as if the nerve got exposed, really sensitive when tapped, raw and sharp. I just wonder what is going on? 4 days after the extraction, shouldn't​
the swelling be going down now? Is this lump underneath suggesting infection/cyst? Do I need to go back or does it need time to heal (I was told the root was long so perhaps this is why it's more tender than​
straightforward case) without any further intervention? Please help!​
Thank you, Monika​
 
Re: Neverending issue after failed root canal & now extraction - please help

I'm really sorry I can't be of much help, Monika! I think I would call the dentist, explain to the receptionist what was going on, and see if you could be fit in for a quick checkup. It's quite possibly normal but it would give you peace of mind to have a professional standpoint. Hope you start feeling better :)
 
Re: Neverending issue after failed root canal & now extraction - please help

Seems like you might have reinfection of the healing site. Usually for dentls infection the common dose of antibiotics should be 500mg amoxicillin 21 tab tid (three times a day) for adults. Have the dentist retake an X-ray to check extraction site to make sure no root breakage. He might re-clean the site, irrigate with either saline or another antibacterial.rinse. request for sutures if able.
 
Re: Neverending issue after failed root canal & now extraction - please help

Oh gosh, I've experienced what you are. The pain is horrific!! I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it's quite common for bacteria to be in the root tip when the root canal was performed and that the bacteria remained there. They sit and fester in the root tip and in your jaw bone and can cause all sorts of problems including the pain you are experiencing. Believe it or not, not a single dentist addressed my infection until 30 years later when I finally got what is called an apicoectomy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apicoectomy I also had a little bump on my gum right at the location of the root tip that would sometimes swell feel sore whenever my root tip would flare up.

An apico is not all that horrible or frightening. Really.

Unfortunately, my apico failed because the infection had been there for so long. Due to finances, I had the tooth extracted and now have a cantilever bridge which I hate.
 
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