Pain in root canal / crowned tooth

[Louie1]

I had a crown fitted a year ago on to a front root canalled tooth and it was fine but the last couple of weeks I’ve been getting pain in the tooth which it has gradually been getting worse , I’ve seen my dentist and he took a X-ray and he said theres nothing showing up on the X-ray it looks the same as it did before he crowned it , I don’t understand it as he says the tooth is dead and I shouldn’t feel pain but it’s been absolutely killing me , I’m at my wits end here as I had a back molar extracted this week and I’ve got a dry socket so I’ve been in real pain with that and im now on antibiotics as there is a infection in the socket , so has you can imagine I’m feeling really low. I’m not sure if or how a root canal can be redone or if I will have to have it extracted and with it being a front tooth I will have to have a false tooth , anybody have any experience of this or any advise will be greatly appreciated

 

[Enarete]

Hi Louie1,

sounds like you have had enough distress with that extracted tooth already, I see how this pain in the front tooth is the last thing you need right now. Before jumping into conclusions and fantasies about the root canal having to be redone and you losing a front tooth and replacing it, I was wondering what course of action did your dentist suggest?

All the best wishes

 

[Louie1]

Hi Louie1,

sounds like you have had enough distress with that extracted tooth already, I see how this pain in the front tooth is the last thing you need right now. Before jumping into conclusions and fantasies about the root canal having to be redone and you losing a front tooth and replacing it, I was wondering what course of action did your dentist suggest?

All the best wishes

He just said to leave it as nothing was showing up on the X-ray and see what happens , but the pain is intensified and tooth feels worse daily now , I rest somewhere that infection doesn’t always show up on a X-ray

 

[Enarete]

I don‘t know about whether infection shows or not, but wish you wouldn‘t have to deal with this alone, it‘s a dentist who should offer you options. Have you considered to go back or to get a second opinion?

 

[Louie1]

I don‘t know about whether infection shows or not, but wish you wouldn‘t have to deal with this alone, it‘s a dentist who should offer you options. Have you considered to go back or to get a second opinion?

I rang today and left a message saying I want to be seen again as I can’t be left like this it’s not right

 

[Gordon]

Just to jump in. Root canals can almost always be redone, failing that then there's a surgical option called apicectomy. It doesn't mean that your tooth has to be extracted.

 

[Louie1]

Just to jump in. Root canals can almost always be redone, failing that then there's a surgical option called apicectomy. It doesn't mean that your tooth has to be extracted.

What is a apicectomy ? I’ve never heard of that

 

[Gordon]

Basically the dentist lifts a flap of gum to expose the top of the root of the tooth, then clears out the infection from the top down. Usually the top 2-3mm of root is removed and a filling put in to seal the tooth up.

It's not nearly as bad for the patient as it sounds!

 

[M0rningview]

So my front right tooth has been hurting for about two weeks now- it has also been root canaled (almost twenty years ago now) but I just got it crowned a year ago and it has been perfect until now. I had a filling down back in august that never was ground down properly so my bite was messed up for weeks even though I went back twice to have her fix it. Well two weeks ago I went in again with the pain in my front tooth and my xray was fine too. No infection and nothing wrong with my root canal/ crown. She couldn't find anything wrong. I looked into it myself and have settled on it being a sprained tooth... Could take weeks to heal but the last week it actually has gradually gotten a tiny bit better. I have only been eating soft foods or tiny bites and also switched to using sensodyne for toothpaste. Thought my story sounded a bit like yours so your not alone. Only thing is yours sounds like it is getting worse so are you aggravating it in any way? Still biting with it and putting stress on it?

 

[Acheygirl]

I have to second what M0rningview said about the sprained tooth. I had a root canal done and the tooth was in horrible pain, he retreated it. It still hurt. I went to an oral surgeon thinking of pulling it and he found the occlusion(bite) was off and filed down the crown. It helped but the tooth needed ajusted many times. Eventually that tooth settled.

I am dealing now with another painful root canal tooth and seeing the endo next week to see if it needs redone. Your ligament can get inflamed and give you that sprained tooth syndrome. It can become inflamed for many reasons from infection to a bad bite or grinding your teeth.

 

[Acheygirl]

I wanted to also add (and not sure if this is 100% accurate) but my close friend saw a highly regarded Dentist in Jersey who told her that an infection usually has to invade 30% of the bone before it becomes apparent on a standard dental x-ray. A CBCT scan will most likely show more.

 

[M0rningview]

Do you think it goes away? Mine is still occasionally aching throughout the day but I am still holding onto hope and dreading going back to the dentist.

 

[Acheygirl]

I feel for you. I went through dozens of x-rays, visits to oral surgeons and implant specialists. It took a year to calm. Not perfect but much better. Nothing showed on scans either.

 

[lizjackchris]

Do you think it goes away? Mine is still occasionally aching throughout the day but I am still holding onto hope and dreading going back to the dentist.

Just wondered if you had an update on your tooth. Hope it’s better