Root Canal Still in Pain, is this normal?

[bmathey]

A few weeks ago I went to the dentist for the first time in many years.  I was not experiencing any pain or discomfort in my teeth.  I had a filling fall out maybe a year ago.   The dentist informed me that there was significant decay and I might need a root canal.  

The dentist began drilling into the tooth and, while removing ther decay, concluded that I needed a root canal.  The dentist did part of the root canal herself (I have never had a root canal but she had out those small files and I presume that she had started the process).  

I went to a specialist (endodontist?) a few days later.  I was in significant pain by the time I made it to him.  He drilled out the temporary filling and infomred me that he had to 'significantly drain my canals'. Was this an infection?  As he performed the root canal things went smoothly.  One of the root was apparantly too narrow for him to get into so he placed some solution into the canal to widen it, placed another temporary filling on the tooth and told me to come back later.

I returned to the specialist and was pain free.  He removed the temporary filling, completed the root canal.  I went away happily medicated.

Since the medication wore off I have been in severe pain.  I canot put any pressure on the tooth.  If I chew food and a little bit slips over onto that tooth it is the worse pain I have ever felt.  The tooth feels a bit wiggly and seems to get worse over the course of the day.  The specialist told me to expect discomfort for a few days but it has been a week now.  Is this to be expected?  Thank you!

Brian

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

It is important that the tooth post endo be taken out of occlusion(so that you do not bite on it). The mobility of the tooth can be from the infection still being present and or the tooth needs to be adjusted so that you don't bite on it. You should not be in that amopunt of acute pain. Are you on an antibiotic? I think you should be seen if the pain does not lessen.

[mike1105]

it happens sometimes. the tooth may need to be adjusted so you cannot put pressure on it when you close your mouth. If you can make contact on the tooth when you close with no food, then it needs to be adjusted. when root canals are completed, sometimes they act up for a while. yes, they can get wiggly-- this is usually a sign that the bite needs to be adjusted. go back to the endodntist and let him or her adjust it.