Post Root Canal Pain

[rootinky]

I just had a root canal done tuesday by a very experienced dentist.  orginally, I thougt the cavity
might eb able to be drilled out, then crowned, so we did this first.  It started throbbin 2 days later, so I
went back and had the root canal done.  Last night I woke up in TREMENDOUS pain.  I could feel
my heartbeat throbbing underneath that tooth.  I took some pain killers which kicked in shortly after.
I called the dentist this morning and got some antibiotics.  Since I am diabetic, I was told my root canal
may take longer to heal, and since I was showing symptoms prior to having it done, it would take longer
to settle.  I can't bite on my temp crown, it hurts like hell.  At this point, what should I do?  I want to
give the antibiotics 3-5 days to see if that works, if not, do I go back to this dentist, or straight to
Endo?  I had originally planned on just going straight to Endo and having the root canal done, but
since I needed to have a gingivectomoy and crown, I went to a seasoned dentist who could take care
of those as well.  the dentist I spoke with this am (the partner) explained to me it would take a few
extra days for the medicine to kill off the remianing nerve branches and what I am feeling is normal
with the symptoms I had prior to the treatment.

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

The first thing that stands out to me is that you should not be feeling the tooth when you put your teeth together in a normal way. The tooth should be totally out of occlusion.I would suggest that you have the endo done before you have any gingival surgery.The antibiotics do not kill off the nerve branches but it reduces the bacteria in the tooth if the nerve was dead to begin with.If the nerve is non vital this means that there is bacteria present in the tooth and the antibiotics will reduce the bacteria present. I also feel that your diabetes will have no effect on the root canal therapy.

[mike1105]

it is possible that the tooth needs to be opened to let gases escape..

[Lisafff]

Hello!

I'm having the same type of problem and need personal advice.  This is a long story, but I need to give you all of the details.

My #18 and #19 bottom teeth on the left side had silver fillings from 1987 that cracked this past year.  I was told that I would need to get crowns since the fillings couldn't be replaced without possibly damaging the teeth.  My dentist was out of town in Vietnam and she had a contract (temporary/fill-in) dentist filling in for her on the day of my appointment.  I was hesitant to see a temporary dentist and was told that I would be charged $25 if I cancelled my appointment.  Needless to say, I went ahead and kept the appointment on 5/15/07 to get the fillings removed and to get temporary crowns.

I have receding gums and had a gum graft done sometime back in 2000.  My gums have been fine and haven't really had any problems with sensitivity.

When the temporary dentist was trying to drill my teeth down, I kept feeling the pain shoot into my gums on my #18 tooth. and I also kept feeling the cold air on my gums from the suction device.  I had to keep stopping her from drilling at least 6 times and and by the time she was done, she had given me at least 7-9 shots just to try and numb me.  While trying to numb me, I could hear her hitting the jaw bone with the needle, and the dental assistant even asked if that was the jaw bone that she was hitting.  The dentist verified that she was hitting the jaw bone.  I was very frustrated after so many attempts of attempting to numb me and kept asking her if she was sure that a nerve wasn't exposed and if I needed a root canal.  She kept saying that if the nerve was exposed, the tooth would be bleeding and my tooth looked perfectly fine.  I asked her if I could look at my teeth in the mirror, and what I saw was my gums bleeding all around both teeth.  I was so mad!  My gums shouldn't have been bleeding that much - especially since I have receding gums and they should have been more careful!  

Finally, still being in pain, the dentist got both teeth drilled down enough to put the temporary crowns on.  When I was leaving the temporary dentist's chair, I saw my regular dentist at the front desk and asked how long she had been there.  She apparently has just flown back from Vietnam.  I mentioned to her how many times the temporary dentist had to try to numb me, and my regular dentist asked me why she didn't just do a local.  I told her that I didn't know why, but that I was very mad.

During the entire week up to Monday, 5/21/07, I was having severe throbbing pain in my gum area and it was radiating up to my left ear.  I had to take Advil every 4 hours just to stop the pain.  I figured that the pain was caused by the damage to my gums, so I gave it 6 days to try and heal.  By 5/21/07, I couldn't take the pain any longer and called my dentist.  I told them that I needed to go back in and get rechecked and get some antibiotics and pain pills.  I went back in and my dentist told me that I would need to get a root canal.  I asked her to do another x-ray to verify if the nerves were exposed.  She took more x-rays and said that she didn't see an abcess (abscess), and didn't see any exposed nerves.  She insisted that I needed a root canal anyway and gave me an RX for Amoxicillin 500mg and told me to go back in 2 days for the root canal.  

I was hoping that the pain would go away on it's own in 2 more days, but it just stayed the same.  I called my Periodontist's offce and spoke to the nurse hoping to get in for an appoitment to make sure my gums weren't damaged by the drilling.  She said that my Periodontist was on vacation, and that the problem couldn't be from the gums, but that it had to be from damaged nerves in the tooth and that I might need a root canal.

Based on what the Periodontist's nurse said, I went ahead and had the root canal scheduled for Wednesday, 5/23/07.  Once again, when the dentist was trying to drill the tooth down, I was feeling all of the pain and she wasn't able to completely numb me.  She tried at least 4 times but I never got numb.  I was so tense, out of breath, and in pain by the time she completed the root canal!  After the root canal she told me that I would still have some pain but that it wouldn't be throbbing anymore.

Well, it's Thursday, 5/31/07, another 8 days since the root canal, and I've still been having throbbing pain in my jaw going up to my ear.  When I open my mouth wide, my jaw is clicking like it got pushed out of place.  When I close my teeth, my temporary crowns seem to be taller than they should be and my teeth hit together and pain shoots down to my gums.  The right side of my teeth don't meet unless I clench tightly.  While attempting to chew, I still have pain which feels like a cold sensation going down into my gums.  It even has a cold and throbbing sensation when my mouth is closed.

I'm still having to take Advil for the pain and once again, I am ready to get this fixed!  I do not want to go back to my dentist to get the permanent crowns until I get a 2nd opinion!  I think that the temporary dentist really ruined my gums and I think my gums had more trauma from the 2nd time during the root canal.  I just finished the 10 day RX of my Amoxicillin yesterday.

Do I need to see an Endodontist for this pain, or is it more of a Maxillofacial problem?  Also, do you think that my Periodontist needs to check my gums before I go and see an Endodontist or Maxillofacial specialist?

If I discover that the temporary or regular dentist damaged my nerves or anything else, I may be filing a lawsuit.  What is your opinion on that?

Thanks so much!

[Catalin P]

I've experienced root canal pain right now.
My dentist remove metal pivot from my front tooth inserted 15 years ago.
I didn't have any problem with that tooth. It was only an estetic issue.

Unfortunately the root have same smell and the dentist told me that the root is infected.

He injected some drugs inside the root and fill it.
Today he open it and the smell was back.
He told me that future treatment is no longer necesary.
He inserted and cemented a new metalic pivot.
I feel it pain inside the root when he did that.
I steel feel pain now (after six hours)

He told me that with some luck the root will be cured despite the infection.

Is this possible?

Thanks,

Catalin

[sgwulff]

I had a root canal on Tues. May 28, 2007.  I had severe pain and swelling before going in.  Specialist said one it was done I would have no pain.  I started out on generic darvoset and clindamycin 150 mg 3 x a day before procedure.  That nite it was not bad but on Wed. the pain set in and I was taking the darovsets like candy.  I started to swell in my cheek.  Called a former client of mine who was an oral surgeon and he said to take ibuprofen 600 mg four times and day and also to take the clindamycin 300 mg. 4 x a day.  The pain is not in the tooth itself.  it is above in the gum area.  vey swollen and almost cyst like.  Dentist want to wait until Mon to see if the increased clindamycin will work.  Internist agreed and gave me 60 vicodin.  
Will this likely work without having to go back in?   It really hurts.  

  

[PHurston]

I recently had a filling done with a dentist about a month ago on a Saturday. The following Tuesday I became sick and after going to the doctor found out that I had a tonsil infected. This infection had flu like symptoms and kept me out of commission for four days. I thought it might have been the dentist so I said that I wouldn't go back. About a month later I went back to the same dentist becauseI had a tooth that was chipped on the edge. They told me that the tooth was decayed and that I needed a root canal. I that about a month three weeks ago and had infection. A week after taking antibiotics I went back for the build up filling. I have to go back to get a crown in about a week. I haven't been chewing on that side but when closing my mouth tonight my tooth felt weird. I went to look in the mirror and saw pinkness between my teeth. When I flossed blood began to come our and surround the two teeth behind and in front of this tooth. It stopped shortly thereafter and I used water and listerine to rinse my mouth out. I no longer feel the weird feeling on the tooth any longer since it bled. Is this normal for a root canal or should I find another dentist.