root canal question

NeHomesteader · #1 06/15/10, 09:12 PM

I had a root canal done a little over a year ago. It was a molar and later they capped it. The tooth has never felt dead after that like they said. Friday I ststarted to get a throbbing pain in that tooth. Went to the dentist Monday and he gave me antibiotics/painkiller and took x-rays. An abcess ABOVE where I had the last one. Is this normal? Where do I go from here? I am scheduled to go next Friday to get it fixed. Is this a root canal done wrong or is this normal? Thanks,Dawn

Sawmill Jim · #2 06/15/10, 09:26 PM

Yank it

agmantoo · #3 06/15/10, 09:36 PM

dawn
Have the tooth xrayed and look for a small round cylinder shaped rod in the xray. I had a similar problem and the tooth had a drill bit broken off in it. That was the cylinder shaped rod that showed up in the xray. The dentist lied to me and told me several things that were not true. Once he told me it was my imagination. Other times he pretended to locate the problem by isolating the cause by putting ice on several teeth while asking when I felt pain.At another time he told me that what I saw by chance in the xray was a marker to let other future dentists know that a root canal had been done. The dentist keep wanting to extract the tooth and bridge another in. I decided to get a second opinion. The dentist that was going to do the second opinion asked when I last had an xray and told him recently and he asked me to return and get the xrays as there was no need to subject a persons head to more xrays than necessary. When I returned to the dentist that lied to get the xrays he then owned up to the broken drill bit being in the tooth. Your abcess is your body trying to reject the tooth in order to prevent the infection from threatening your life. If there is an opening in the tooth on the exterior of the tooth the abcesses will continue until the opening if filled. I had the gum cut and the tooth filled from the root side and the problem was eliminated. No more abcessing and not more sensitivity. I wish you good luck.

MELOC · #4 06/15/10, 09:48 PM

sometimes they just can't get the entire root due to the shape of the canal. it's hard to say if your root canal was done wrong because sometimes it does go wrong.

Helena · #5 06/15/10, 09:59 PM

You have to think of a root canal sort of like a christmas tree...they do the root canal ..take the trunk out and sometimes some of the branches..or nerves..don't come completely out. Hopefully, they will be able to get you comfortable but if it is a tooth that can not be seen..a molar...I would also get it pulled. GoodLuck !!

NeHomesteader · #6 06/15/10, 10:06 PM

I actually can make myself sick thinking about going to a dentist. I asked about conscious sedation(never did this before but it would be better than white knuckles)The nurse basically ignored that i'd told her I had feeling in this tooth and told me that the tooth was dead and I wouldn't be able to feel it anyway....RIGHT. She said something about them drilling through the cap to get through it? My 700 cap? Sure this can't be right. So i'm extremely nervous about next Friday. I hate to get it pulled because I have so much money in the tooth BUT I want it to be fixed so I dont have to go through this again. Thanks SO MUCH for all your input.

MELOC · #7 06/15/10, 10:28 PM

i think that if they can find any nerve, they may be able to "kill" it with an injection.

hippygirl · #8 06/15/10, 10:28 PM

I agree with the first reply...yank it. No more tooth, no more pain.

PNP Katahdins · #9 06/15/10, 10:35 PM

Dawn, was your root canal done by a dentist or an endodontist (specialist)? I know a specialist costs more but some times it's worth it. I would suggest getting a second opinion here, especially since the first office doesn't respect your feeling pain in the tooth.

I've had two root canals, with two different endos due to moving, not a problem with the first one. Both went well. My mom had several done by our family dentist. She said never again. Had the teeth pulled rather than redoing them.

Peg

AR Transplant · #10 06/16/10, 12:04 AM

Please don't yank it. You really do need your teeth. The first dentist best better be refunding your money plus part of that beautiful crown that you are going to have to have drilled through ( though it really isn't a big deal, I have had that done) you want some of the money refunded because it can cause weakening of the crown and they are not promised to last forever.

Go to the second dentist and get it fixed, or better yet get dentist number one to refer you to a specialist and let him foot the bill.

All dentists make mistakes, it's what they do about it after wards that makes them bad dentists. It makes me mad when they don't listen when you say that it hurts, you could do what I did once and jump up really fast and throw all their instruments on the floor. But, that probably wouldn't help you much.

Don't yank the tooth, you are going to need it , really.

Ronney · #11 06/16/10, 07:09 AM

Dawn, I've had a few root canals done and the first did abcess several years after the root canal. No pain or anything prior, it just flared up. When it did, the dentist sent me off to an orthodonist and I kept the tooth for another 20 years before it split in half and literally fell out of my head.

Because of severe dental problems when I was younger, I'm inclined to go with AR Transplant. We only get one chance at our teeth and I go all out to keep what I have left and feel I'm lucky to have had them for as long as I have. Sure, they have cost me a lot of money over the years but when I look at people with their false teeth and the problems so many have with them, it's been money well spent.

As a matter of interest, how are root canals done in the States. I recently found out that NZ seems to be a bit odd in that they are not done in one apt. All of mine have taken 3 apts and centres around making sure the cavity is completely drained and rubbish free. I'm sent home with antibiotic packing and a temporary filling and the canal isn't done until the dentist is completely satisfied that there will be no complications afterwards.

Cheers,
Ronnie

beaglebiz · #12 06/16/10, 07:28 AM

I have part of a file in my canal. it was a tiny one, and it broke when he was doing the canal. He told me about it when it happened, and the canal filler material was put in around it. never had a problem, and its at least 5 years old.

pheasantplucker · #13 06/16/10, 08:51 AM

You've got some nerve!!!

Wolf mom · #14 06/16/10, 09:07 AM

Years ago I had a root canal, then a gold cap put on the molar. Later it absessed & after antibiotics, they had to drill throught the cap to redo the root canal. Now I have a white plug in my gold crown.

Please, as was posted, don't get it pulled. Your teeth will shift, you can end up not only with gaps but your bite can end up off. If you replace it with a partial, you can end up with gum shrinkage & more problems. You do need your teeth.

Harry Chickpea · #15 06/16/10, 10:30 AM

There is a whole school of thought that keeping what are essentially dead teeth in the mouth can be a continuing source of infections. For those with a lot of money to spare, implants replace those teeth in most cases.

As for the broken drill - yeah you should have been told, but many repairs involve a "post" which is metal that remains in a tooth. In general, the body doesn't reject things, otherwise fillings would be impossible. Someone with a nickel allergy might have a problem with something made of nickel being left in the body, and so on, but those cases are rare.

If an abscess is above or below the tooth, or there are "pockets" around a tooth, the bone holding the tooth in place will become damaged over time. If there isn't a lot of bone holding the tooth, then pulling it and a bridge can be a better option than trying to save the tooth. It allows the bone to stabilize.

When I was a teen, I had orthodontic work done. When teeth are twisted in their sockets, sometimes the bone around the tooth is loose and the tooth eventually gives problems. The one the was a problem for me was a front tooth and eventually I did have to have it removed and a permanent bridge placed. My other teeth have not shifted.

A lot of dental work is highly unique to the individual and situation. The best you can do is get second opinions, do a little research on your own, and try to choose wisely within your means. A reminder now that most of the expensive dental procedures can be done MUCH cheaper in Mexico.

Best of luck.

Saffron · #16 06/16/10, 10:48 AM

Had a root canal on a molar. Dentist didn't get it all and left a small pocket at the tip of the root unfilled. Long story short - it abscessed, jaw and gum swelled up and the tooth cracked into 3 pieces. In the process of having the pieces removed, the dentist damaged the tooth beside it (didn't know it at the time) and that tooth cracked and the broke. I have no way to save it and currently have a mini fang as I save up enough money to have it removed and two implants put in.

Yes it is at the edge of my smile. visible.

Save it if at all possible.

artificer · #17 06/16/10, 11:41 AM

A properly done, successful root canal should not have an abscess after the work is done. A properly done root canal can still fail, but not often. Sucess is measured by lasting 7 years. One of the main causes of problems is that the root canal did not get fully plugged/filled when the procedure was done. As mentioned, this allows a place for bacteria to live and cause problems.

I have a great dentist, and he tells me what he is doing, how it can fail, and what the problem area's are. For root canals he has a nifty little instrument that lets him know how close to the tip of the root he is. Its supposed to be better than X-rays for accuracy. One of the things he mentioned is a problem with some of his recent middle eastern patients. Due to genetics, their teeth have cone shaped root canals. You start out with a larger/stronger drill bit, but by the time you're at the bottom, you end up with a tiny bit. The tiny bits can seperate, which means they get left in the canal. If you have narrow canals, its no fault of the dentist if he has problems.

Going through the crown isn't a problem, especially if its one of the newer white ones. The new filling material will be identical in color. Strength is also high.

The nurse ignoring you isn't good. It doesn't matter that the nerve in the tooth is dead, the nerves surrounding the tooth are still living, and can be sensitive. My dentist numbed my tooth for the final of 3 appointments for my recent root canal. There is no reason not to, other than a bit of time, and the nurse/dentist being cheap. If you like your dentist, and he tells you what going on, I would be inclined to trust him. If they don't believe you, treat you like a lump of wood to be worked on, and don't ask you questions, I would probably find a different dentist.

I agree with everyone else... keep the tooth as long as possible.

Ronney: the only way I can think of doing a one appointment root canal is with the Sargenti method. I shudder to think of anyone getting this done, since you have a high chance of getting formaldehyde reactions with nerve damage. A proper root canal (I'm not a dentist, just had several done by a GOOD dentist) is first to do the pulpectomy/getting the junk out of the canal. Treat with antibiotics to kill the infection, and clean the canal out a second time. If the cannal was dry the second visit, put in the gutaparcha(sp?) and reinforcing posts. If no problems, third visit is for permanent filling, and start of crown work. My dentist says you can get by with two visits, if everything goes right, and you need to chance it. 3 visits are better. If infection control is a problem, it can take 4 or more visits.

Michael

Nevada · #18 06/16/10, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artificer

A properly done, successful root canal should not have an abscess after the work is done. A properly done root canal can still fail, but not often. Sucess is measured by lasting 7 years. One of the main causes of problems is that the root canal did not get fully plugged/filled when the procedure was done.

It's common for an dentist to miss a canal while doing a root canal procedure. Tooth anatomy varies from person to person, and regular dentists don't have the equipment necessary to see unusual canal systems. The endonontist can see those.

A good percentage of root canals done by regular dentists are successful, so it isn't normally a mistake to let a regular dentist do one. The occasional failure requires a retreat, normally by an endodontist.

I don't agree with Sawmill Jim that you should give-up on the tooth and have it extracted. A successful root canal will last a lifetime. It's good economy too, since the retreat & crown will still be less than the bridge that will be required to fill the hole, and bridges are less than satisfactory.

agmantoo · #19 06/16/10, 12:38 PM

In my situation the broken drill bit was protruding from the tooth into the gum. An attempt was make to seal this in the normal manner but it did not work. It was the hole that was not sealed that created the problem with the infection.

Only give up a natural tooth when nothing else works. There is no substitute for a real tooth!

NickyBlade · #20 06/16/10, 01:41 PM

Failed root canals often have a poor success rate with re-treatment. I paid over a $900 copay to get a root canal and have a tooth crowned only to pay $200 more this past February to have that same tooth pulled. It was my 6th root canal and 8th crown and only one to ever fail... I just couldn't imagine paying another $900 and then still possibly losing the tooth anyway. That's a lot of money for a single tooth.