Experiences w/ a Root Canal Go Wrong? Worried about my DD15...

[Wendy31]

I don't have a lot of dental experience at all. Additionally, when I've tried to google more information, I'm not finding much; however, I may not be using the right search terms.

Short Story - Our 15 year old DD had a root canal done last Wednesday. After the root canal, she appears to be in actually more pain than before the root canal, & she has a noticeable hard knot & swelling under her jaw that is red on the outside of her skin & is warm to the touch.

Longer Story (And I know this is long, & I apologize, but I tried to give all the details...) -

We returned home late last Saturday night (June 20th) from our vacation. We'd spent a week in St. Augustine on the beach. I know that information isn't really needed, but there's a part of me that's worried DD might have picked up some kind of bacteria from the ocean. (DH doesn't think so.)

On Sunday morning (June 21st), she woke up in tears & told me her tooth was hurting. She said it had actually started hurting on our way home, but she hadn't said anything. We gave her some Advil & Tylenol throughout the day, & she gargled periodically w/ saltwater.

2 years ago, she'd had the same tooth filled due to a cavity. It's her very back tooth on her lower right jaw.

On Monday (June 22nd), I called & got her a dental appointment for the next day.

She is on a swim team & had a swim meet that night (Monday), so we pretty much alternated Advil & Tylenol all day since she was determined to swim in the meet.

On Tuesday (June 23rd), the dentist said she needed a root canal, & we scheduled it for the next day. She also had a swim meet on Thursday, so she wanted to get it done & be well & pain-free in time for Thursday's meet. The dentist x-rayed her mouth & compared it to the last x-ray. All her other teeth look good.

He said that the cavity that was filled two years ago (her only cavity ever) was really deep & "pulpy" & that the filling just didn't "take." I wasn't w/ her during that appointment, but DH was, & he said he remembers the dentist at the time saying, "This is a really deep hole, and, hopefully, this will work. However, it may cause her problems down the road." Well, it has.

The root canal was done on Wednesday (June 24th). I stayed w/ her until she was asleep/out of it & then went to the waiting room. I went back to the room when the dentist was almost done, & he said everything went well. He did another x-ray, & then we went home. She slept for the rest of the afternoon & early evening.

On Thursday (June 25th), she was still in pain, & now her face was swollen & misshapen. She said it hurt to swallow. And there was a noticeable lump under her jaw. She missed swim practice that morning, but was determined to swim in that night's meet. I called the dentist, & the hygienist said that if there wasn't improvement by Friday morning to come back & let the dentist take a look.

DH took her back to the dentist on Friday (June 26th). He did another x-ray, & nothing "new" showed up. According to him, sometimes when you have a root canal when infection is present, after you cap the tooth, the infection doesn't have anywhere to go, so it goes down into the jaw - which is what was happening. Some people handle the infection better than others, & in some people the infection goes away on its own. He said, for that reason, he didn't like to prescribe antibiotics until they were needed. So he prescribed a very strong antibiotic & said she should notice a difference by Saturday.

She started taking the antibiotics on Friday afternoon. Friday & Saturday were awful w/ no visible improvement, & she was still in lots of pain. On Saturday, she acted very depressed, &, when she spoke, there were tears in her voice. She couldn't really eat - she said even soft foods hurt. She's lost weight, & she really didn't have a lot of extra weight to lose.

On Sunday, we finally started seeing a little improvement... but just a little.

Today is a little better as well. But there is still almost an egg-size noticeable lump under her jaw. It's red & warm to the touch. She's still taking pain meds but not as often. Her face still looks misshapen... one side of her lips look sunken in to me... especially when she smiles. She's a thin girl, & she looks like she has a double chin.

The dentist office called me today to check on her, & I explained what was going on. The dentist has now prescribed a second antibiotic as a "supplement" & said she should continue taking the first one as well. The 2nd antibiotic is Flagyl. The first one starts w/ a C. He said it sometimes takes up to a week & that he'll call us at the end of the week to check on her again.

I'm calling her pediatrician tomorrow to see what his opinion is & to also ask about the 2 antibiotics together. I tried calling today, but they were already gone for the day.

So my questions... Again, I have very limited dental experience - I can't stand going to the dentist & avoid them at all costs. When I had a root canal a couple of years ago (w/ this same dentist), this wasn't my experience at all. Once I had the root canal, I had almost immediate relief.

Is what is happening to DD normal? Is the dentist telling us the truth?

I appreciate everyone who reads this LONG post, & I also appreciate any advice! Thank you!!

 

[minnie mum]

Your daughter has an infection. That much is obvious. The dentist ordered an antibiotic, which is the usual treatment. Infections can take a while to clear, and it sounds like hers had progressed for quite a while before the antibiotics were even started. Flagyl is commonly prescribed as an antifungal, but is also prescribed to treat anaerobic bacteria. It is sometimes used in combination with an antibiotic which acts on aerobic bacteria ( the first antibiotic she was given.

Seems to me that the dentist is doing what he can for her, and has been conscientious about calling to see how she is progressing.

 

[littlejimmy]

who did the root canal? your general dentist or an endodontist? if it was you general dentist, a referral to the oral surgeon might be in order to drain the abscess. you need to call the dentist, your daughter should not be miserable. the dentist isnt lying to you, but he needs to treat this more aggressively.

 

[Wendy31]

Thank you for the reply! That's the kind of information I'm looking for.

Is this kind of thing normal? It's the hard lump under her jaw that worries me most. That & the swelling was not present until after the root canal.

Nobody I've talked to has ever had this happen w/ a root canal. Most were surprised that she wasn't put on an antibiotic at the time of the root canal. The tooth ache started on Saturday/Sunday. The root canal was on Wednesday. She started antibiotics on Friday. And his reasoning for not putting her on the antibiotic at the same of the procedure makes sense to me, but, still, everyone I talk to (like my mother...) is telling me differently, & some are even advising that I take her to a 2nd dentist.

And, again, I don't know what to think.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

My oldest son had a very bad infection that required a 5 day stay in the hospital and IV antibiotics. This was after an extraction on a tooth with an abscess on his upper right side of his mouth. I think he was around 5/6 at the time. The infection had spread into his sinus cavity and they were worried about it traveling further. He had to have a cat scan several times when we were there so we could check on the status of the infection. The swelling was so bad he ended up with a black eye.

If you're that worried then I'd suggest a trip to the ER. If it's being handled well they'll send you on their way. If they think it's a problem and think they can do more then they'll admit her. Can't hurt either way and it will give you peace of mind.

 

[Wendy31]

who did the root canal? your general dentist or an endodontist? if it was you general dentist, a referral to the oral surgeon might be in order to drain the abscess. you need to call the dentist, your daughter should not be miserable. the dentist isnt lying to you, but he needs to treat this more aggressively.

It was our general dentist. I'm not sure exactly how advanced his scope of practice is, but I do know he's more than just a dentist & does more in his office than the typical "easy" dental procedures.

To be fair, he (or his hygienist) is calling to check on her. And, today, he prescribed the 2nd antibiotic. If this is normal & we just need to wait it out a couple of more days (which is what he told me today), then I'm fine. But if that isn't accurate, then I feel like we need to be exploring other solutions.

She's not getting any worse, but, to me, it seems to be taking a while to see even a little improvement.

She doesn't take antibiotics frequently at all. (I think the last time, IIRC, was in 2009.) So, in my mind, she should be responding much more quickly to the antibiotic.

Again, I have no experience w/ this. My one root canal went much differently.

 

[mnrose]

Was the root canal done by your "family" dentist or an endodondist? If the former, I'd probably be looking for a second opinion (unless she improves dramatically by morning).

I've had a bunch of root canals, and don't remember taking antibiotics, although it is certainly possible that I've forgotten. I don't remember being in pain either past the 24-48 hour mark post the procedure. I actually rank root canals as one of the least painful dental procedures (although they are annoyingly long appointments, and it's hard to hold my jaw open that long).

 

[TwoCortWort]

I don't have a lot of dental experience at all. Additionally, when I've tried to google more information, I'm not finding much; however, I may not be using the right search terms.

Short Story - Our 15 year old DD had a root canal done last Wednesday. After the root canal, she appears to be in actually more pain than before the root canal, & she has a noticeable hard knot & swelling under her jaw that is red on the outside of her skin & is warm to the touch.

Longer Story (And I know this is long, & I apologize, but I tried to give all the details...) -

We returned home late last Saturday night (June 20th) from our vacation. We'd spent a week in St. Augustine on the beach. I know that information isn't really needed, but there's a part of me that's worried DD might have picked up some kind of bacteria from the ocean. (DH doesn't think so.)

On Sunday morning (June 21st), she woke up in tears & told me her tooth was hurting. She said it had actually started hurting on our way home, but she hadn't said anything. We gave her some Advil & Tylenol throughout the day, & she gargled periodically w/ saltwater.

2 years ago, she'd had the same tooth filled due to a cavity. It's her very back tooth on her lower right jaw.

On Monday (June 22nd), I called & got her a dental appointment for the next day.

She is on a swim team & had a swim meet that night (Monday), so we pretty much alternated Advil & Tylenol all day since she was determined to swim in the meet.

On Tuesday (June 23rd), the dentist said she needed a root canal, & we scheduled it for the next day. She also had a swim meet on Thursday, so she wanted to get it done & be well & pain-free in time for Thursday's meet. The dentist x-rayed her mouth & compared it to the last x-ray. All her other teeth look good.

He said that the cavity that was filled two years ago (her only cavity ever) was really deep & "pulpy" & that the filling just didn't "take." I wasn't w/ her during that appointment, but DH was, & he said he remembers the dentist at the time saying, "This is a really deep hole, and, hopefully, this will work. However, it may cause her problems down the road." Well, it has.

The root canal was done on Wednesday (June 24th). I stayed w/ her until she was asleep/out of it & then went to the waiting room. I went back to the room when the dentist was almost done, & he said everything went well. He did another x-ray, & then we went home. She slept for the rest of the afternoon & early evening.

On Thursday (June 25th), she was still in pain, & now her face was swollen & misshapen. She said it hurt to swallow. And there was a noticeable lump under her jaw. She missed swim practice that morning, but was determined to swim in that night's meet. I called the dentist, & the hygienist said that if there wasn't improvement by Friday morning to come back & let the dentist take a look.

DH took her back to the dentist on Friday (June 26th). He did another x-ray, & nothing "new" showed up. According to him, sometimes when you have a root canal when infection is present, after you cap the tooth, the infection doesn't have anywhere to go, so it goes down into the jaw - which is what was happening. Some people handle the infection better than others, & in some people the infection goes away on its own. He said, for that reason, he didn't like to prescribe antibiotics until they were needed. So he prescribed a very strong antibiotic & said she should notice a difference by Saturday.

She started taking the antibiotics on Friday afternoon. Friday & Saturday were awful w/ no visible improvement, & she was still in lots of pain. On Saturday, she acted very depressed, &, when she spoke, there were tears in her voice. She couldn't really eat - she said even soft foods hurt. She's lost weight, & she really didn't have a lot of extra weight to lose.

On Sunday, we finally started seeing a little improvement... but just a little.

Today is a little better as well. But there is still almost an egg-size noticeable lump under her jaw. It's red & warm to the touch. She's still taking pain meds but not as often. Her face still looks misshapen... one side of her lips look sunken in to me... especially when she smiles. She's a thin girl, & she looks like she has a double chin.

The dentist office called me today to check on her, & I explained what was going on. The dentist has now prescribed a second antibiotic as a "supplement" & said she should continue taking the first one as well. The 2nd antibiotic is Flagyl. The first one starts w/ a C. He said it sometimes takes up to a week & that he'll call us at the end of the week to check on her again.

I'm calling her pediatrician tomorrow to see what his opinion is & to also ask about the 2 antibiotics together. I tried calling today, but they were already gone for the day.

So my questions... Again, I have very limited dental experience - I can't stand going to the dentist & avoid them at all costs. When I had a root canal a couple of years ago (w/ this same dentist), this wasn't my experience at all. Once I had the root canal, I had almost immediate relief.

Is what is happening to DD normal? Is the dentist telling us the truth?

I appreciate everyone who reads this LONG post, & I also appreciate any advice! Thank you!!

I had something similar happen after a root canal on my 6 year molar on the bottom. I was in unbearable pain the night of the procedure and woke up about 11:00 and my whole inside of my mouth was swollen around the tooth and my jaw was visibly swollen too. Went to the ER because nothing was touching it and they gave me a shot of morphine and it didn't even touch it and I eventually passed out. Over the next few days the swelling went down and the pain was better the next day. I had an infection and was on antibiotics, but they said in the ER I had an allergic reaction to novacaine and that I need to be careful when having local anastetic of any kind. I haven't had any issues since this with that stuff, but reading this made me think back to that. It could be she has a deep infection. But it reminded me of what I had a few years ago. Hope she gets to feeling better and you get answers

 

[Wendy31]

My oldest son had a very bad infection that required a 5 day stay in the hospital and IV antibiotics. This was after an extraction on a tooth with an abscess on his upper right side of his mouth. I think he was around 5/6 at the time. The infection had spread into his sinus cavity and they were worried about it traveling further. He had to have a cat scan several times when we were there so we could check on the status of the infection. The swelling was so bad he ended up with a black eye.

If you're that worried then I'd suggest a trip to the ER. If it's being handled well they'll send you on their way. If they think it's a problem and think they can do more then they'll admit her. Can't hurt either way and it will give you peace of mind.

That's the kind of thing I'm worried about.

She hasn't run a fever though.

I would have called her pediatrician earlier, but I thought, since she started the antibiotic on Friday that she would start getting better. The root canal was on Wednesday. Thursday I assumed would be a typical recover day. On Friday, she went back to the dentist. On Saturday, I did think about taking her to the ER, but, by Saturday night, she was showing *some* improvement - it wasn't getting worse.

I tried calling our pediatrician today after I talked to the dentist, but they were already gone for the day. But I plan to call them tomorrow.

 

[Wendy31]

Was the root canal done by your "family" dentist or an endodondist? If the former, I'd probably be looking for a second opinion (unless she improves dramatically by morning).

I've had a bunch of root canals, and don't remember taking antibiotics, although it is certainly possible that I've forgotten. I don't remember being in pain either past the 24-48 hour mark post the procedure. I actually rank root canals as one of the least painful dental procedures (although they are annoyingly long appointments, and it's hard to hold my jaw open that long).

It was our family dentist.

I have a major dentist (& doctor) phobia. And 2 years ago, when I needed a root canal, DH did some research & found this particular dentist. He's a sedation dentist & has a scope of practice beyond the typical dentist, I believe.

When I had my root canal, my jaw & mouth were sore after the procedure, but that was it. I was back to "normal" the next day. And everyone else I talk to has similar experiences to me.

I had something similar happen after a root canal on my 6 year molar on the bottom. I was in unbearable pain the night of the procedure and woke up about 11:00 and my whole inside of my mouth was swollen around the tooth and my jaw was visibly swollen too. Went to the ER because nothing was touching it and they gave me a shot of morphine and it didn't even touch it and I eventually passed out. Over the next few days the swelling went down and the pain was better the next day. I had an infection and was on antibiotics, but they said in the ER I had an allergic reaction to novacaine and that I need to be careful when having local anastetic of any kind. I haven't had any issues since this with that stuff, but reading this made me think back to that. It could be she has a deep infection. But it reminded me of what I had a few years ago. Hope she gets to feeling better and you get answers

The dentist did say she had a deep infection, &, when he put the crown on the tooth, the infection had no where to go but down into her jaw.

Thank you!!

 

[mom2grace]

I'm a nurse and I would take her to the er tonight. Just to err on the side of caution. You never know and you don't want to mess with infection so close to her brain, eyes, etc.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I've had many root canals done. Some of them were after fillings/crowns had been placed, with the same disclaimer "It's really deep, and there may be problems later". Those that had really bad infections before the root canal was done, once the nerve cavity was exposed and cleaned out, my endodontist (yes, not a regular dentist) put some cotton with a porous filling material, so the gasses produced by the infection and antibiotic medication placed in the cavity could escape. Usually it was at least 2 weeks before the tooth would be permantely filled and sealed, otherwise, as your dentist said, the gasses don't have anywhere to go.

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

I don't have a lot of dental experience at all. Additionally, when I've tried to google more information, I'm not finding much; however, I may not be using the right search terms.

Short Story - Our 15 year old DD had a root canal done last Wednesday. After the root canal, she appears to be in actually more pain than before the root canal, & she has a noticeable hard knot & swelling under her jaw that is red on the outside of her skin & is warm to the touch.

Longer Story (And I know this is long, & I apologize, but I tried to give all the details...) -

We returned home late last Saturday night (June 20th) from our vacation. We'd spent a week in St. Augustine on the beach. I know that information isn't really needed, but there's a part of me that's worried DD might have picked up some kind of bacteria from the ocean. (DH doesn't think so.)

On Sunday morning (June 21st), she woke up in tears & told me her tooth was hurting. She said it had actually started hurting on our way home, but she hadn't said anything. We gave her some Advil & Tylenol throughout the day, & she gargled periodically w/ saltwater.

2 years ago, she'd had the same tooth filled due to a cavity. It's her very back tooth on her lower right jaw.

On Monday (June 22nd), I called & got her a dental appointment for the next day.

She is on a swim team & had a swim meet that night (Monday), so we pretty much alternated Advil & Tylenol all day since she was determined to swim in the meet.

On Tuesday (June 23rd), the dentist said she needed a root canal, & we scheduled it for the next day. She also had a swim meet on Thursday, so she wanted to get it done & be well & pain-free in time for Thursday's meet. The dentist x-rayed her mouth & compared it to the last x-ray. All her other teeth look good.

He said that the cavity that was filled two years ago (her only cavity ever) was really deep & "pulpy" & that the filling just didn't "take." I wasn't w/ her during that appointment, but DH was, & he said he remembers the dentist at the time saying, "This is a really deep hole, and, hopefully, this will work. However, it may cause her problems down the road." Well, it has.

The root canal was done on Wednesday (June 24th). I stayed w/ her until she was asleep/out of it & then went to the waiting room. I went back to the room when the dentist was almost done, & he said everything went well. He did another x-ray, & then we went home. She slept for the rest of the afternoon & early evening.

On Thursday (June 25th), she was still in pain, & now her face was swollen & misshapen. She said it hurt to swallow. And there was a noticeable lump under her jaw. She missed swim practice that morning, but was determined to swim in that night's meet. I called the dentist, & the hygienist said that if there wasn't improvement by Friday morning to come back & let the dentist take a look.

DH took her back to the dentist on Friday (June 26th). He did another x-ray, & nothing "new" showed up. According to him, sometimes when you have a root canal when infection is present, after you cap the tooth, the infection doesn't have anywhere to go, so it goes down into the jaw - which is what was happening. Some people handle the infection better than others, & in some people the infection goes away on its own. He said, for that reason, he didn't like to prescribe antibiotics until they were needed. So he prescribed a very strong antibiotic & said she should notice a difference by Saturday.

She started taking the antibiotics on Friday afternoon. Friday & Saturday were awful w/ no visible improvement, & she was still in lots of pain. On Saturday, she acted very depressed, &, when she spoke, there were tears in her voice. She couldn't really eat - she said even soft foods hurt. She's lost weight, & she really didn't have a lot of extra weight to lose.

On Sunday, we finally started seeing a little improvement... but just a little.

Today is a little better as well. But there is still almost an egg-size noticeable lump under her jaw. It's red & warm to the touch. She's still taking pain meds but not as often. Her face still looks misshapen... one side of her lips look sunken in to me... especially when she smiles. She's a thin girl, & she looks like she has a double chin.

The dentist office called me today to check on her, & I explained what was going on. The dentist has now prescribed a second antibiotic as a "supplement" & said she should continue taking the first one as well. The 2nd antibiotic is Flagyl. The first one starts w/ a C. He said it sometimes takes up to a week & that he'll call us at the end of the week to check on her again.

I'm calling her pediatrician tomorrow to see what his opinion is & to also ask about the 2 antibiotics together. I tried calling today, but they were already gone for the day.

So my questions... Again, I have very limited dental experience - I can't stand going to the dentist & avoid them at all costs. When I had a root canal a couple of years ago (w/ this same dentist), this wasn't my experience at all. Once I had the root canal, I had almost immediate relief.

Is what is happening to DD normal? Is the dentist telling us the truth?

I appreciate everyone who reads this LONG post, & I also appreciate any advice! Thank you!!

I did a quick google search and the following sounds a lot like your dd's situation http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?s=cb8b6a963f4460623cf70f05f54d7d98&t=171360&page=2
It looks like the affected tooth would need to be extracted to get rid of the infection and the cyst. Good luck to your dd!

 

[okeydokey]

I'm a nurse and I would take her to the er tonight. Just to err on the side of caution. You never know and you don't want to mess with infection so close to her brain, eyes, etc.

I think is wise advise.

 

[mnrose]

Does your pediatrician offer an after hours "urgent" care option? Both my last two pedis had this option, and they were open till at least 8. If you have the option, I might do that.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I would also take her to a pediatric ER. Her behavior is concerning.

 

[Wendy31]

I'm a nurse and I would take her to the er tonight. Just to err on the side of caution. You never know and you don't want to mess with infection so close to her brain, eyes, etc.

Even if she doesn't have a fever & there is some (slight) improvement from yesterday?

I've had many root canals done. Some of them were after fillings/crowns had been placed, with the same disclaimer "It's really deep, and there may be problems later". Those that had really bad infections before the root canal was done, once the nerve cavity was exposed and cleaned out, my endodontist (yes, not a regular dentist) put some cotton with a porous filling material, so the gasses produced by the infection and antibiotic medication placed in the cavity could escape. Usually it was at least 2 weeks before the tooth would be permantely filled and sealed, otherwise, as your dentist said, the gasses don't have anywhere to go.

Hmm... that makes me wonder.

She actually only has a temporary crown right now, & we have/had an appointment for this Wednesday to get the permanent crown. When I talked to the hygienist today, she seemed to think we should still come in on Wednesday to get the permanent crown. DH is saying, however, that we'll wait until the infection is cleared up before we proceed.

I did a quick google search and the following sounds a lot like your dd's situation http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?s=cb8b6a963f4460623cf70f05f54d7d98&t=171360&page=2
It looks like the affected tooth would need to be extracted to get rid of the infection and the cyst. Good luck to your dd!

That's funny! When I did my internet search, the above is the only thing I found. At this point the root canal is done, but maybe the tooth should be pulled anyway.

Does your pediatrician offer an after hours "urgent" care option? Both my last two pedis had this option, and they were open till at least 8. If you have the option, I might do that.

No, I called our pediatrician as soon as I got off the phone w/ the dentist, but they were already gone for the day. It was just an answering service.

I plan to call them tomorrow morning.

 

[littlejimmy]

Even if she doesn't have a fever & there is some (slight) improvement from yesterday?



Hmm... that makes me wonder.

She actually only has a temporary crown right now, & we have/had an appointment for this Wednesday to get the permanent crown. When I talked to the hygienist today, she seemed to think we should still come in on Wednesday to get the permanent crown. DH is saying, however, that we'll wait until the infection is cleared up before we proceed.



That's funny! When I did my internet search, the above is the only thing I found. At this point the root canal is done, but maybe the tooth should be pulled anyway.



No, I called our pediatrician as soon as I got off the phone w/ the dentist, but they were already gone for the day. It was just an answering service.

I plan to call them tomorrow morning.

check your inbox.

 

[Wendy31]

I would also take her to a pediatric ER. Her behavior is concerning.

I know you're a nurse. What do you mean when you say her behavior is concerning?

Friday evening/Saturday, she was acting not like herself AT ALL - on Saturday, I would have labeled her behavior as almost despondent. After she went to bed on Friday, I was crying because I was so worried about her.

But she has perked up yesterday (Sunday) & today. She's still not herself, but I do see improvement.

I'm a worrier - especially when it comes to my kids. And DH is always telling me to not to worry. This whole past week, he's been telling me to give the antibiotic a chance to work. But, today, after the dentist phoned in another prescription, he's worried too.

 

[lsyorke]

No this is not normal by any stretch. A lump at the jawline isn't normal and is a sign of an abscess or fluid collection. I would be heading to the ER if it was my kid....and I'm a nurse. If this dentist has prescribed flagyl and a second antibiotic(clindamycin maybe?) then that's enough for me to want an infectious disease doctor on the case.