Infection under root canalled tooth

SparkyG

I have a furcal infection at the top of the roots of my lower 2nd molar. This is a tooth that was root filled 24 years ago, and has been no problem in that time. My dentist suspects the tooth has now cracked, but the root filling is intact and very well done, and the crown is fitting perfectly as well.

The infection isn't causing me any pain, but has formed a lump on the gum which my dentist says will not go away. He says it's up to me whether or not to have the tooth extracted, and that he can monitor the infection. My first thoughts when told the diagnosis was to leave the tooth well alone, as it isn't hurting, but I'm now beginning to think I'm not very happy about the thought of having a permanent site of infection in my body. It just does not sound very good to me, and I'm worried that it could cause other health problems. I have an autoimmune disease, ulcerative colitis, but currently dont have any symptoms related to it.

I would be grateful of any advice to help me make a decision.

Toothsmith

There are aspects of this that only you & the dentist who treats you can know the answer to - so it's really a discussion you need to have with him.

My way of putting it to the patient sometimes is to ask if that pus-weeping lump was on the outside of your face rather than inside your mouth, what would you want done then?

If the answer is different to your choice now, why is it different?

SparkyG

Thank you Toothsmith. Beautifully put!:rotfl:
Confirms what I'm thinking - the tooth needs to go sooner rather than later.

ibizafan_2

I was recently diagnosed by my dentist as having an abscess on a lower wisdom tooth which had loosened the tooth slightly (although I couldn’t feel it myself) It wasn’t really hurting, and after a course of antibiotics I thought it might be ok although my dentist told me I still had some residual infection and the only way to permanently sort it out was to have the tooth extracted. It started aching a few days ago, and conscious of the fact that I am flying to Australia shortly, I got an emergency appointment and decided to have it out. It came out easily, thank goodness, and I’m so pleased I made the decision. It was starting to worry me in case it really flared up in Australia, although my insurance covers me for treatment. I had it out 24 hours ago, and very pleased.

emily123

I had a lower molar root canalled and capped 5 years ago. The dentist gave me the option then of extracting it because it had been aching a little and there was an infection. I decided to do the cap etc instead and see how it went. Its ached a couple of times since, antibiotics and all good again, aching again now (not badly) and I'm hoping it'll just be antibiotics again.

I'm pleased with my decision to cap and persevere, I've had 5 years worth of tooth so far out of it. Aching has never been bad bad.

ibizafan_2

Because my problem was with a wisdom tooth, I don’t suppose it was worth performing a root canal. (dentists on this forum might like to comment). After all, it’s not exactly an essential tooth to retain. By the way, it’s now five days since it was extracted and I am still really relieved.

brook2jack

The root canals on wisdom teeth are hugely variable, often very complex , and unpredictable. For this reason root canal therapy is rarely carried out on a wisdom tooth.

Toothsmith

brook2jack wrote: »

The root canals on wisdom teeth are hugely variable, often very complex , and unpredictable. For this reason root canal therapy is rarely carried out on a wisdom tooth.

Plus they're so far back in the mouth, the patient really wouldn't enjoy the experience of needing their mouth so wide open for the time it takes to do the job properly!