dental problems post root canal, biting pain over 1 year,etc

[nomorenicknames]

Had a crown put on a broken tooth. After that I had biting pain in one area. Tried new crown etc. Finally had root canal, last january, after root canal had biting pain on all areas of tooth and can even feel something when touching sides and top of tooth. Last molar in back on bottom. I do have tmj, I can feel a high point in that area when I have my mouth closed. Dentist, endo and oral surgeon say they see no high spots, so I guess I must be crazy, it's only my mouth! Best of all, I saw the endo again and he basically told me it's all in my head, the xrays are beautiful, to go ahead and eat on that side (SURE!!) and get the permanent filling put in by my regular dentist. I believe he needs to go in there and check it or I need to see a tmj or some kind of specialist ( I did  see a tmj/oral surgeon here, but he said to see the endo, to either redo the root canal or have it pulled, didn't even do a tmj workup on me)> Now, why are these drs. just passing me by and I have been in discomfort for 1 1/2 years. I don't know what to do. I have spent thousands already and if I get a second opinion from another endo what will that cost? Can anyone help me with getting my original endodontist to open up this tooth and use the magnifier to check for cracks or is there another specialist I should see. I am going crazy here! I can't belive all the trouble I am having trying to figure this out on my own and I can't believe my endos advice. He came highly qualififed and the root canal was fast easy painless with great xrays but I can not eat on that tooth! Help me please. M

[suzieq058]

Found this rather outdated discussion.  But wanted to comment because, I can truly feel your pain and frustration.   I am going through a very similar situation.  Second molar fractured at the gum line in July, 2014.  Had root canal, crown lengthening, and now have a second temporary.  Here it is November,  the dentist is ready to do final restoration.  I am SO close to having the tooth pulled because of percussion tenderness, bite sensitivity, inflamed gums and some jaw swelling.  What is it with these dental specialists giving the brush off?  Yesterday, I finally went to my PCP for an objective opinion.  He is going to consult with an oral surgeon with whom he trusts.  If you still monitor this, I would like to know how you made out.

[LJJ57]

Did you ever find anything out?  I had a root canal almost two years ago after having a lot of discomfort for a few years in that tooth. My regular dentist put a crown on it.  For the past two years this tooth has bothered me and I went to see the dentist who did the root canal four times.  It changed my bite, so I have discomfort from that, as well as it beginning to affect my other teeth.  The dentist kept saying that it looked fine and I should give it some time.  I have a new general dentist who thought that it may have a crack in it even though he couldn't find one on the 3D x-ray.  He said that some cracks if in a certain position won't show up on x-rays.  When he pushed on the tooth it was painful and he encouraged me to have it extracted, which I did 10 days ago only to find out that there was NO crack.  Instead I had a failed root canal with infection in one of the roots.  There were other procedures I could have done to possibly save this tooth, but now it is too late.  Reading up on it online it said the the infection can spread to other surrounding teeth and even up into the jaw and other parts of the body.  I think this is what you may have.  I believe that the infection has spread to the tooth in front of the extracted one.  This tooth also has a crown and root canal  which was just done in the past six months, and had begun to feel sensitive the last few months.  Now this tooth is really hurting!  I am so scared that I may have to have another tooth pulled.  Then I won't be able to have a bridge, but will have to have two implants side by side.  This has been a complete nightmare which has changed my life.  The pain is one thing, but then there is the financial aspect which is incredible.  No one understands what this is like unless they have gone through it.    

[elaine6s]

Wow! Do i ever feel your pain! I am so glad that i found this site because i thought I was losing my mind. 1 1/2 years ago I had pain in two back teeth that already had crowns in them. My dentist sent me to an Endontist and i had root canals done on them. Since then I have had pain in both of those teeth every single day. I went back to the endontist and she looked at both of them with a microscope and said everything looked fine but i should have my dentist re-do my crowns. My dentist said the crowns were fin they just needed new filling to fix the hole where the root canal was done. No one wants to hear about my pain. Since January of this year  I had developed extreme pain in my ear on that side of my face and into what i thought were my sinus's. I had a thorough exam by an ENT (who also checked for TMJ) had an MRI and cat scan and fourn no sinus problem or ear problem. He said it has something to do with the nerves in my teeth (probably where i got the root canals). So now I am about to make a new apppointment with a dentist who comes highly recommended and 'hope' that he can help.None of us should be paying this much money to be in pain for all this time. It is such a travesty the way these people pass the buck! good luck to everyone!

[Mrtoothache]

I've been having similar problems. I would feel pressure and pain from time to time on the tooth that has the root canal. Sometimes it felt like the tooth was too high but an X-ray showed (and barely noticeable) a small small piece of the nerve left over. The result of that was some infection in the gums that was not visible to eye but only to the X-ray. They told me I have to redo it but that I have to go to a specialist because of the crown over it.

[meggster22]

hey im a dental assistant and i gotta say it is ridiculous how  many problems you are having with your drs. if you feel like they are refusing you service and you are still paying for the visit write down the name of the dr the office he or she works at and if you can get it their license number and report them to the ADA (American dental association) you can find the number online and as long as you have that information you can file a formal complaint and possibly not even have to pay the bill. I didnt read all of the post sorry but from what i read it sounds like an abscess which you dr should have looked for before any procedure. when you were numbed up did you stay numb for a long time (an hour or more) or was it quick and the numbness went away within 20 mins or so?

[Pennycandy4]

Last year  I had a couple root canals and experienced some tooth sensitivity afterwards. I started using sensodine tooth paste and it seemed to take care of the problem. 6 months ago I went to the dentist for a check up and had a filling. The dentist had to give me three 3 shots of novacane and still it only partly numbed my jaw. I almost cried it was so painful. Just a month ago went back for a couple more fillings. The dentist started working befor the novacane began to have it;s effect. Dang painful.Ever since that check up I've had pain throughout most of the day and night hot and cold sensitivities on most teeth. I started reading about this pain situation and found this blog and the other info below. Read it carefully before you get any teeth pulled and before any root canal work  to make sure it is't this condition.  Does anyone have any recommendations for a natural pain remedy  for Neuroplasticity and sensitization? OK any pain remedy?
http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/full/140/6/676
http://www.jada-plus.com/cgi/content/full/140/9/1122

[Simplysolutions]

Hi nomorenickname!
I hope you are still reading this thread! Have you ever gotten acupuncture done? We have invisible energy lines that blanket and connect our entire body. After reading Mark Breiner D.D.S. 's book Whole Body Dentistry I finally understood why my Mom said to never get a root canal and that after she had a large dental issue her breast cancer started to grow rapidly over night. She died at age 52yrs of cancer. Now this is drastic but when the situation hits so close to home I can not ignore the wisdom that she shared with me. So when I was told I needed a rootcanal I became very aware that I needed to do my research! Whole Body Dentistry will explain why root canals are bad! Oh I have to go sorry! I am late for an appt! I'LL WRITE MORE LATER!

[car96]

Was reading about your long ordeal.  Long story short- I have had TMJ on right side and pain in right upper teeth for a few years.  After asking dentist for the last 3 years of checkups to check why I might be having pain, he said I needed a root canal and sent me to an Endo.  I thought finally some relief.  But soon after I had it done I had the feeling that he just did it because he didn't have an answer for my pain.  And now I have way more pain but I know it's a little soon so we'll see.  I just can't help but think that the pain in the right jaw and pain in the upper right teeth are related. My MD wants me to see an oral surgeon.
Anyway, I wanted to tell you about an interesting website I found-  www.icnr.com   It's by a Dr. Gerald Smith in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.  There's some interesting stuff about 'occlusion' and 'craniodontics'.  Some of the info on the site may seem a little 'out there' but the Case Studies are very interesting. (I relate with the strained look on the face of the young lady in Case #19)
Dr. Smith is 'a recognized international authority and pioneer in craniomandibular somatic disorders with a focus on resolving chronic pain'.  Supposedly he can help relieve it by means of the Occlusal Cranial Balancing Technique which removes tension patterns within the human skull.  It also talks about an ALF appliance which helps with these tension patterns.
Don't know if any of it is legit.  Am hoping someone on here might know.  I'm not real close but if this dental work doesn't help my pain- my husband said we'll just take a vacation to eastern Pa.  It has been awful living with pain.
Anyone know about this dentist or familiar with craniodontics or occlusal balancing?

[Erinlove]

Hi. I am currently obsessed with my teeth too. I get it. And when I told the dentist it is getting to me emotionally he ignored it like that  meant nothing. I know he is not a nut doctor, but come on! Be human first dudes! Even an "I understand" would have been nice.

They all seem in a hurry to get you out, they all get personally insulted if you have a problem after or during their work, they all block out your concerns and none of them admit they made a mistake. Yeah this is all doctors usually lol
But dentists are terrible for it. Be careful of unneeded dental work!! Think about it, if I sold pink shorts, I would sell the idea to you. I might even say pink shorts are necessary. The OP got a doctor to pull a tooth with no visible problems. He needs a punch in the face!

My ordeal: I thought a strawberry seed ripped out a filling. When  I got food in it, OMG! Yikes that's pain. But brushing made it feel better. Until that stopped working. I was told it was a deep cavity with an infected nerve (top third molar, the one near the front that almost looks ok when removed.. and almost like a hillbillies smile. You know the tooth lol.)
I needed a root canal. He sent me to get my wisdom teeth out in between the first step and permanent filling. Then during healing of a DRY SOCKET he broke the tooth he did a root canal on trying to do something to it, I don't even know, it looks stubbier but is not preped for a crown and still has a high spot that clanks on my bottom tooth lmao.. What else can I do but laugh!!?! It's so silly.
Yep it is broken in half and he used filling to form a tooth and didn't prepare me for a crown. I doubt I even have a post where can he even put it now?

Then he gave me a check up. I have like 10 cavities and a broken root canal with permanent filling. A dry socket that hurts all day. And a different tooth he "fixed" but feels the exact same (the cavity broke off and left an irritated chipped molar).

I got an appointment in 2 weeks, for what? Who the heck knows.. not even them. They are so disorganized and make constant mistakes like a blooper show. They are clowns. But I am afraid to change doctors because what if they next people are brutal AND clowns?
As long as it doesn't get much worse, I will stick with the circus.

P.s. I know this is "old" but Google sends me to this site a lot and I read FULL threads, no matter how old. They comfort me.

[Angel6809]

They should be able to see on an x-ray if the root canal needs to be redone.  I had a root canal done on a bottom back molar 10 years ago and the tooth never gave me a moment's problem after that.  I went for a regular check-up at my dentist and he showed me very clearly on the x-ray that there was infection forming because of a shadow that had appeared underneath one of the roots.  I was in no pain whatsoever but he advised me to have it redone by an endodontist before it got to the stage of becoming painful.  I saw the endodontist and his x-ray equipment was far more high tech and he was able to show me where one of the canals had not been filled right to the very tip all those years ago, which can then start infection later on.  I asked him why I was feeling absolutely no pain at all and he assured me that eventually I would if I refused to get it seen to.  I went down the safe path and got it done before things went haywire.  I'm not saying this is the problem with your tooth......you may have a completely different issue but if a canal is not filled properly right to the very tip, it can sometimes become an issue.  An endodontist is skilled in fixing this.

[ear3667]

my tooth started hurting  today. more than a decade after the root canal. And it started after visiting a dentist and letting him open it to bleach it. Your story has me scared

[brjsmith34]

Ive been looking up information on this exact issue all night.  I had a hole in one of my molars 3 years ago that caused pain in my tooth all the way down my neck and into my shoulders and chest.  I had a root canal done and the pain went away.  Then a few months later it came back for a while.  It went away again but has come back and has been hurting me for the past few days.  I am worried about what could be causing the pain.  I really don't want to have another root canal if it's not needed and I'm afraid that it wouldnt even help.  How do they not pull the root out all the way...Isn't that there job...And if they dont do it right then why don't they fix what THEY messed up for FREE!  Im not sure who I should call first...Should I go back to my dentist and have them look it over or should I call someone else?  Im so frustrated with dental work...I HATE having it done!!!  Can your nerve get infected if they mess up a root canal?  And if so how is it fixed?  Could it be something more serious?  Someone pls help me!!!!

[Gellia]

I had this problem a few years ago with a root canaled tooth.  Second molar left side bottom.  After a year of horrible pain and many xrays my dentist finally told me it was a "failed root canal" and I had to have the tooth pulled.  One of the tooth roots made a complete right angle and he could not get the nerve out of it.  That was why I continued to have such pain.  So basically, I had RCT that couldn't get all the nerve out.  Pulling the tooth was the only way I could get rid of the pain.  
I hope all on this thread can find some relief from their dental pain.
Gellia

[Terri136]

Hi there!  I just per-chanced on this website because I have a surgical procedure that has to be done on my tongue.  I started reading this thread and I was shocked at how similar a problem we both have.  I had a root canal done over 20 years ago.  I actually have several root canals.  However, this particular one was fine for several years and then suddenly I started to have pain in the tooth whenever I put pressure on the tooth.  It is on the left side of the lower jaw and it is the second to the last molar.  This problem would come and go for several years.  Then about a year ago, the problem started again and it is still a problem.  I had the tooth checked and I'm told it is a "perfect" root canal.  Quite frankly, I thought the crown was causing the problem, so I had a new crown put on my tooth.  Still I have the problem of pressure.  The tooth is totally fine and pain free, however, I cannot bite on it.  What a waste.  I was considering extracting the tooth, but after reading your posts, I'm not sure.  Maybe that will cause other problems.  NOW, just to boot, I had a root canal done on the other side of my lower jaw, second tooth from the end.  It was done 2 years ago and was fine up until now.  I have the same problem with that too!  Well, needless to say, this is really a pain in the butt.  I try not to stress over it and I keep telling myself that neither tooth will bother me tomorrow.  Oh well!  One thing for sure is that I'm glad that this is real and I'm not the only one with this problem.

[nomorenicknames]

Hi, I can't wear the bite guard , it is too loose. I feel something is wrong but I don't know what. I feel like when I floss the floss goes way deeper into those teeth on that side t han anywhere else although I had it measured a while ago and the pockets were ok, I'll have to bring this up to the dentist. I am just totally depressed over this and don't know what to do next. I'm afraid there is a abcess forming or I have something that can't be seen on xrays. I feel something along the gumline at times. Every sx is come and go except the biting issue and extreme cold senstivity. I also feel that the hole where the tooth was pulled may be sensitve to hot and cold. n

[bwgw]

HI ! dont know if you are still on this!!!! JUst thought I would let you know that, y.day(still in lots of pain!!!!) I went to dental hospital , I usually go there for something else( braces not root cannal!) though I asked him to have a look on my root cannal as they have bigger xray photos there! he said that e,thing looks fine , although a tiny bit of filling material had slipped in the gap where they took out the root, he said that this is very hard to spot on normal xrays!! and this problem causes a lot of pain, especially when you bite or touch it!!!  HOw r u anyway?

[bwgw]

hi, i havent been om computer for a while, just a quick note to say thanks for the advice and luck before, and hope that e,thing is still going fine for you ,bwgw

[bwgw]

hi, I have just had another ffilling put on my root canal tooth! the dentist  says that im uniqe and thats why im having so much problems (typical!) and I will have to wait a few months to see if it settles, im willing to do this although its hard,im taking arnica (ive heard it helps!) and my dentist hs given me another night mouthguard,I really hope this works as its cost me loads of money, if not Im will take the tooth out, for its all im thinking about at the moment, and want to end this nightmare!! I really feel for you also and wish you  a lot of luck  and hope you r problems will end to , bwgw

[nomorenicknames]

Hi Angel16809, Good luck to you.....I saw the prosthodontist. He thinks this could be a clenching/bruxism problem but who knows I may need a root canal down the line and that one could fail also and wind up pulling it out. I knew all this and it doesn't make me happy. I just want it all to get better. So, now I have to get my night guard (which I hate, I couldn't wear it , it's uncomfortable and makes you drool) adjusted and my tooth adjusted. Give it some time and see if it help. My mind knows that the medical profession is a LOT of guessing but I am getting tired of it, you know.......N

[Angel6809]

Hiya nomorenicknames......just wanted to let you know I had the final treatment by my specialist on this big old molar of mine yesterday.   So far so good.......haven't had to take any painkillers at all yet......no aching or anything!   Still, early days yet, I'll probably be too frightened to even touch it for the next few weeks after all the drama I've had with it.   Keep me posted on your progress.

[nomorenicknames]

Hi Bwgw, So sorry you are going thru this also. I am literally sick over this. I am seeing a prosthodontist for an evalution soon. I had the xray done by my dentist and he sees no problem with the tooth. Could be bite, trauma (of which I don't recall ever having any jaw trauma). SO, I am going to try yet another doctor. Please wish me all good things on this as I do for all of you. This is crazy and I can not take much  more of this.  As for your post root canal pain, give it more time and then get some more opinions,  a GOOD oral surgeon, prothodontist and endo, hopefully you will have better luck than I did...........N

[Angel6809]

Yeah I think it's one of the hardest things to have to keep getting some professionals to understand that just because something looks ok to them on an x-ray, they look at you as if you're being paranoid or crazy about still being in pain, just because they can't see a logical reason for the pain.   I understand they can't wave a magic wand and make the pain go away but so many seem to belittle the pain that people are still in, even after root canals are done that, to them, look to be "perfect".   Ten weeks is quite a long time to be in such agony with a tooth after a root canal.  If it was only 10 days then I'd say try and hang on a bit longer.   I'm in the process of having a root canal done by an endodontist on a bottom molar and after the first stage of treatment, the tooth was aching constantly for around 18 days but then subsided.   So wow I really feel for you :-(

I guess in the end you have to weigh up if it's destroying your quality of life and doesn't seem to be improving at all even after 10 weeks, maybe it's time to have it taken out.   Good luck with it all.

[bwgw]

O my god, just been reading your bad dental history! I have been going through the same **** time as you! for 3years I have been fixing dental problems (tmj/braces/gum grafts) and keep needing to do one thing because of the side sffect of  other treatment( needed gum graft because the braces caused it!) so now after 3 years of hell ,ive  had a root canal on back tooth, my tooth hurts like hell(after having it done 10weeks ago),I cant touch it  or bite on that side, i get worse pain that I have ever had in my life, and  my dentist says i cant see a problem, the treatment looks great(with an anoying smile on his face), I go back nearly every 2 a week,he acts  like im a pain not in pain (even the receptionist are treating me like a time waister! I dont know what to do anymore I have spent so much on my teeth,all my friends and family think I have become obbsessed , I cant help it,Im so angry and have no money left and stilll in bad pain ! this problem with the root canal has made my tmj worse,and now  i cant wear my retainer (so my teeth will move back to bad position) I cant belive a root canal tratment is causing so much probs with EVERYTHING. shal I  just take the tooth out, do you think? (mine is in same position as yours so I cant have bridge either!!!

[nomorenicknames]

HI, After I chipped that now extracted molar, I had a crown put on. After that it hurt to chew esp. in one spot on the molar. The dentist tried re doing the crown, filing it down etc. It also was sensitive all around the gum area when I touched it. But the consensus was from 3 or 4 different dentists that it must be cracked.   Just a note. Now I  am having  pre root canal symtoms, biting pain and veeeerrry slight "ache" in the molar next to the extracted one. I am seriously angry, annoyed and down about this. Also, I got the impresssion I was supposed to have an xray on this tooth to see if it was showing any pre root canal problems. Now the dentist tells me the xray won't show anything. So, this is all just a terrible guessing game??? I am so sick over this. N