"dead" jawbone

[3badcats]

If one has been diagnosed with having  necrosis and/or dead jawbone, what happens with the bone? Does the "deadness" keep spreading? Also if the bone is dead, why does it hurt so much to apply pressure to the "dead" area? What happens if you do not get a bone graft to replace the area of loss, will that be enough to simply scrape the rest of the dead bone out? I am hoping to eventually have a full upper denture, but I know I will not be able to wear one until the painful areas are gone. | am trying to make my case for my insurance company - Medicaid and Medicare -  to pay for an oral surgeon, so it would be good if i knew what i was talking about.
Thanks a bunch - your help is greatly appreciated!

[3badcats]

yes, an oral surgeon is the person who detected it.it was a fill color scan of some sort.
i am faurly certain that i have  osteomyelitis, amd i am going in to speak with a trusted doctor today.
my dentist tried to suggest herpes, but i have no history or any symptoms of herpes- i am guessing that since i had both live and dead bone exposed and also a dry socket about a month ago, that i have some sort of infection.

[scottma]

I do'nt know what device you mentioned. However, if the device can detect vascularity or blood supply of tissue, or cellular activity, it may provide information regarding the status of viability. Seeing an oral surgeon  for second opinion is advised.

[3badcats]

Dead bone does not show up on a simple x-ray.
it is a different kind of x-ray- not a black and white, but a colored x-ray. There is a very definite indentation at the site.
|it is not common- most endodontist have a bit more common sense than to use a sonic tool to the point that it destroys the gum tissue and surrounding bone, but it does happen. what i am asking is will more bone die as a result of not getting the area scraped, and what kinds of infection am i looking at? Is there a dentist or oral surgeon in the house?
thank you

[3badcats]

i have a 1/4 inch indentation that was a result of extensive drilling by sonic instrument- by an endodontist. |I had exposed jawbone for over a month- both living and dead, and I was told by the periodontist that i would need the scraping as well as a bone graft.
And it was not an x-ray- it was a full color type of device that can read and show the living and dead tissues as well as bone. i cannot remember the name of it, unfortunately. why would a periodontist say it was dead, and why were dead and live bone exposed?
Are you a dentist?
thank you.

[scottma]

Image studies, for example, x-rays, revealing  sequestrum ( necrotic bone) surrounded by radiolucency strongly suggest necrotic bone. The cause is generally associated with iatrogenic trauma. Infection, cyst , or benign tumors rarely cause sequestrum, However, malignancy may cause sequestrum. Definite diagnosis is established by histopathologic exam. Necrotic bone is rarely encountered in clinical practice. I personally feel your x-ray may be misinterpreted.

[3badcats]

|How do you find out the cause, please?
thanks!

[scottma]

depending on the cause of  necrosis.

[3badcats]

|Will the bone continue to die - will the necrosis spread?
thank you!

[scottma]

If necrotic bone is present within the jaw bone, either upper or lower jaw, surgical debridement of necrotic bone is indiacted . Bone graft to fill the defect may be beneficial. However, the defect may heal up without bone graft.