Infection leads to maxillary sinusitis

[Sabio]

I posted this question in the ENT forum but so far no response.  Since it is also related to this forum I am posting here as well.   Any info would be appreciated.  

In June of this year I had a root canal done on an upper rear tooth.   The tooth started hurting around midnight and by morning when I could find a dentist the pain was almost unbearable.   The pain was relieved after the root canal however a few days later I started experiencing pressure in the maxillary sinus cavity directly above the said tooth.  I went to an EarNoseThroat doctor who took an X-ray which confirmed mucous in the maxillary sinus.  He prescribed FACTIVE gemifloxacin-mesylate 320mg tablets which I took one per day for 5 days.   I didn´t notice any impovement.  

I suspected the tooth with the root canal was still the cause of the problem because it also fractured vertically into the gum.   Finally I had this tooth extracted hoping it would solve the sinus problem.   Unfortunately the sinus infection continued after the extraction and to make matters worse the tooth next to the extracted tooth is now giving me pain.   X-rays of this tooth (last tooth before the wisdom) now show possible degradation in one of its roots.  

My questions are:  
Should I try another antibiotic to battle the sinusitis (eg Amoxycillin/Clavulanate 875/125mg) ?  
Could the sinus infection be causing a problem in the root of a perfectly good tooth?  
Will a CT scan help?  
Any other info you can suggest would be appreciated.  

PS.. I am in Brazil and having some trouble trusting the medical system here.  

[bigkev414]

I always do both nostrils (you can spell better than I can I see) because I have problems on both sides of my face. Regarding the antibiotics I can't agree with the extended antibiotic treatment for 'chrinic' sinusitis, firstly because I have been through all of this for many years and have taken courses of antibiotics in the past for up to 3 months without success, and secondly you sound like you have a sinus infection which is different to sinusitis which is inflammation of the lining of the sinus cavities, and is not treated by antibiotics at all.
If you have sinusitis and you don't keep the canals clear mucus builds up and goes bad and creates an infection which antibiotics should kill in one 5 day treatment as you said you have done .. you could try another 5 day course but not more because you can create other problems because the antibiotics also kill healthy bacteria. (I'm sure you know this but let me ramble a bit - I'm getting old)
Rather than more antibiotics buy some drops containing eucalyptus, camphor etc which you drop (about 6)  in boiling water and inhale the steaming vapour. I got them from a pharmacy but 'health food stores' also sell that kind of thing. At the same time I also bought a plastic inhaler pot with a kind of funnel on the top which is made for this.It actually came with a bottle of drops. Only cost a few dollars, and boy, if you want to clear your sinuses that will do it!.I should have suggested it yesterday but didn't think of it.
regards,Kev

[Sabio]

Thanks for the input.   In fact the extraction was difficult and the dentist needed to separate the roots in order to pull the bad tooth.  

As far as antibiotics goes the first prescription was only for 5 days and from reading online, chronic sinusitis requires longer treatment with antibiotics (one month or more).  This is why I have asked this question.

I am currently using a home prepared saline solution to inhale in the nostril of the affected sinus.   Do you need to inhale in both nostrils even if you are suffering on only one side of your face?   I have had the sinusitis for the last 5 months but only on the right side maxillary sinus.

Thanks for the feedback.

[bigkev414]

I can comment on your problem because I have suffered these things for more than 15 years.
Yes; the tooth next to the extraction can be affected by your sinus infection (that's whatyou have), and the extraction being difficult can upset your sinus (I have one now from a butchered extraction about 6 weeks ago and had to get the adjacent tooth extracted a week ago also)
If antibiotics don't work the first time do not take more - they will only upset your stomach and they have never helped my chronic inflammatory sinus disease and infections. My experience is that the mucus blocks the sinus and creates a dam so the sinus cavity is blocked and pressure builds. Then the mucus which is trapped goes bad and becomes infected and you get the pain.
Please try this for 3 or 4 days and see if the next tooth settles down and the pressure is relieved -- mix salt in warm water so it tasts like seawater and put it in something under you nose and sniff it up one nostral at a time for a couple of minuteswith your head back. It might hurt a bit for a minute when it goes up into yoursinus but that's good because it means it's reaching the blockage. It costs nothing and believe me, it really works better than drugs.Do this three or four times a day. You can buy stuff in a bottle from pharmacies called FESS which isa saline solution with a spray nozzle specifically for this instead of the salt water (that's in Australia, maybe it's there too)
anyway, try it and please dropmea note how youget on. I'm very interested.
best wishes