gum abscess / root canal question

[ElizK]

A couple of weeks ago I had a gum abscess. Never had any tooth pain. Did a week of antibiotics. I looked at it this morning, and it has pus again. I called the dentist, and they told me I would need a root canal. Does this sound right to you? Should I get a second opinion? I've not had any tooth pain... The xrays they've done all looked fine. How do they know they're root canaling the right tooth?

Thanks.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

A couple of weeks ago I had a gum abscess. Never had any tooth pain. Did a week of antibiotics. I looked at it this morning, and it has pus again. I called the dentist, and they told me I would need a root canal. Does this sound right to you? Should I get a second opinion? I've not had any tooth pain... The xrays they've done all looked fine. How do they know they're root canaling the right tooth?

Thanks.

I had the same thing about 3 years ago. My face was so swelled up, and the infection hardly responded to the antibiotics. I ended up with a root canal, and everything has been fine ever since. With mine the pus had filled an area directly next to one of the roots. It hardly showed on the X-Ray, but they figured it out.

 

[ElizK]

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll suck it up and get it done. I do like this dentist well enough, and trust him not to cheat me. I just haven't had any other symptoms than the oozing.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

See an oral surgeon and get a second opinion. Now you probably need the root canal, I just would not have a dentist do it. I went to an endodontist.

Be thankful you have no pain. When I had my infection I was out of my mind for 1 week with hell pain.

 

[Bilberry]

Don't have good advice to add, but thought to mention, I put off having work done on a troubled tooth become of being busy at work. What happened though is the tooth became so bad that basically pain killers didn't work. I felt every bit of that root canal. Awful experience to say the least. I doubt in todays world that would happen. I guess if there was any funny part of the whole affair, there was a mixup with patients.

I was waiting in the lounge, in pain, when my name was called. To my surprises the guy next to me jumped up went to the back with the nurse. Figured he just had the same name. About 10 minutes later a very nervous looking guy came bursting back into the lounge, telling his loved one that they were prepping him for a root canal! He was just there to have his teeth cleaned.

I used to have bad teeth and gums. Now I get raves about the healthy teeth I have. What I did that caused the change in dental health was pretty similar to what is mentioned in this recent article I read:

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/12/dr-mellanbys-tooth-decay-reversal-diet.html

Good luck!

 

[kirbsam]

See an oral surgeon and get a second opinion. Now you probably need the root canal, I just would not have a dentist do it. I went to an endodontist.

Be thankful you have no pain. When I had my infection I was out of my mind for 1 week with hell pain.

this is not good advice.

 

[pennymom]

See an oral surgeon and get a second opinion. Now you probably need the root canal, I just would not have a dentist do it. I went to an endodontist.

I have had multiple root canals, most done by my dentist. When he is not comfortable doing it because there are complications, etc., he sends me to an endo. I guess it depends on your dentist's skills and comfort with doing a root canal, and your trust in his/her abilities.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Same exact thing happened to DH in the last month. He took the antibiotics which did clear the abscess up, but he went through with the root canal to stop further problems. Now DH's tooth was mostly dead and he didn't even need a tylenol at all throughout the process.

And contrary to what I believed, it wasn't even very expensive. Good luck, hope you feel better soon.

 

[Golf4food]

this is not good advice.

And this is not a very helpful response.


The one time I had an abcess I had a root canal done.

The last root canal I had done by my then dentist, who screwed up, caused a ton of pain, a hospital visit, a trip to an oral surgeon, more pain, etc. Next root canal will be done by an oral surgeon no matter how much I like or trust my dentist or how much extra it costs. I've had zero issues with the oral surgeon we use (he also did our wisdom teeth extractions). I'd rather go with the person I trust when it comes to something as potentially painful as major tooth work.

 

[Pigeon]

I've had root canals by dentists and by endodontists. The endodontists win, hands down. I would never let a general dentist do another root canal.

 

[tvguy]

I have had multiple root canals, most done by my dentist. When he is not comfortable doing it because there are complications, etc., he sends me to an endo. I guess it depends on your dentist's skills and comfort with doing a root canal, and your trust in his/her abilities.

I've never had a dentist who would do a root canal. They always refer to an endo. I asked my current dentist about it. He says he can't justify buying the equipment and paying the extra insurance necessary to do root canals. He has about 4 patients a month who need a root canal. He is one of 40 dentists who send patients to the same endo, they all refer about 4 paitents a month, which is enough to keep the endo working full time.
And after the root canal, if a filling needs to be done, or a crown resealed, the endo sends you back to the dentist because the endo doesn't have the equipment to do fillings or resealing.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have had multiple root canals, most done by my dentist. When he is not comfortable doing it because there are complications, etc., he sends me to an endo. I guess it depends on your dentist's skills and comfort with doing a root canal, and your trust in his/her abilities.

Yes, this is true. It was my molar and it was horribly infected. Plus it had 5 canals.

It took 2 visits to get that tooth done. Yuck.

 

[MM27]

About 10 years ago, I was on vacation in Las Vegas. I started having really bad swelling in my face, but no tooth pain at all. Then my gums around the tooth started swelling. I probably should have seen a dentist there to at least get antibiotics or something to reduce the swelling, but I waited until I flew back to NJ.

My dentist took me right away, took one look at it and had them call the Endodontist. He told the receptionist to tell the Endodontist that he needed to rush me in and asked for that favor. They took me right away and they had to cut my gum and then packed it with gauze. The doctor said he had never seen one that bad and he was shocked that I never felt any pain.

 

[ElizK]

Ya'll are kind of scaring me. I have actually had a root canal before, but that dentist referred me to a endodontist. I'm just worried that since there is no tooth pain involved, and both xrays that have been done looked fine (he said), what if he treats the wrong tooth? I have terrible TMJ, and the last crown I had done took about 6 weeks for my jaw to recover. I've spent more time in a dentist chair in my life than most two or three people put together. I really am quite dreading this.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Ya'll are kind of scaring me. I have actually had a root canal before, but that dentist referred me to a endodontist. I'm just worried that since there is no tooth pain involved, and both xrays that have been done looked fine (he said), what if he treats the wrong tooth? I have terrible TMJ, and the last crown I had done took about 6 weeks for my jaw to recover. I've spent more time in a dentist chair in my life than most two or three people put together. I really am quite dreading this.

Then go see an oral surgeon. I would, esp. with what your dentist is saying.

Frankly I am surprised that he did not send you there in the first place.

 

[Ning Ning]

A couple of weeks ago I had a gum abscess. Never had any tooth pain. Did a week of antibiotics. I looked at it this morning, and it has pus again. I called the dentist, and they told me I would need a root canal. Does this sound right to you? Should I get a second opinion? I've not had any tooth pain... The xrays they've done all looked fine. How do they know they're root canaling the right tooth?

Thanks.

To make a long story short, back in December 2005, I spent three nights (including New Year's Eve) in the hospital for treatment of Ludwig's Angina. That's a condition where my the left side of my face and neck was so swollen that if I hadn't sought treatment in the ER when I did, I would have been in danger of my airway closing. It was caused by an abcess under a crowned tooth that had had a root canal done. I was on IV antibiotics alternated with penicillin every other hour for the entire time. On January 4, an oral surgeon pulled what was left of my tooth.

The moral of this story: Do not play with an abcess! It could cost you your life. The doctor told my sister who was with me that I was lucky I went in when I did and had an excellent ER doctor who called him. Oh, and a family friend died a couple of months ago as a result of ignoring an abcessed tooth. I know this is scary, but it is serious. Take care of yourself.