So I went to the dentist today in severe pain. He took x rays and said that it looks like I have a bubble in my tooth that I had a root canal done on several years ago. So he prescribed me an antibiotic to clear up the infection. He told me that if it don't clear up he was gonna refer me to an oral surgeon who would then have to cut my gums open and clear the infection out. I am not sure what this means. Has anyone ever had this done and if u did does it hurt really bad? I'm scared and want to know what I have to look forward to if this don't work.
2007-02-09 06:25:54 · 4 answers · asked by Kimberly V 1 in Health ➔ Dental
From what you've described, he is referring to having an apicoectomy done. This is usually done when a root canal fails or the apex (end of root) isn't sealed well and an abscess occurs with the prognosis of "re-treatment" with a normal root canal therapy being poor. Meaning that to remove the gutta percha and refile the tooth would probably be uneventful in trying to reach the end of the root. That is where the problem is at. So another option to save the tooth is an apicoectomy or "back filling" the root canaled tooth. The gum at the root of the tooth area is opened, or a flap is cut allowing access to the root tip. Then the end of the root tip (where the infection is) is removed and a filling is placed in the canal (going in the opposite direction) to seal the end of the root. This closes the canal and prevents further infections from developing there. It's a simple procedure that an Oral Surgeon preforms, it takes a few days to heal, has some slight soreness or tightness with the prognosis of the tooth being excellent. I would highly recommend it in order to save a vital tooth. Hope I've given you enough information to help you to understand what the dentist meant. Good luck, you'll do fine and have very little discomfort at all.
Thanks La La, and I would like to know who the gave me the two thumbs down when I know from experience over many years of working in dentistry, that this information is accurate and correct for the procedure he's describing. An apico and retro fill go hand in hand for a suscessful procedure, but most people don't know what your talking about when you put it to them that way.
2007-02-09 07:07:48 · answer #1 · answered by HeatherS 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It's okay, HeatherS, I believe in you and gave you a "thumbs up". It may not be what you want to hear... or uh... read, but it sounds as though they didn't get right to the tip of the root when you got your original root canal done. That's why the infection came back. To try to redo the root canal would very likely be unsuccessful, as well as take away more tooth structure. An apicoectomy and retrograde filling would be a simple procedure for you and mouth tissue heals rather quickly. They just make a small flap so that they can take off the infected area of the root, seal it up and put in a couple of stitches. They COULD just be talking about apical curretage, where they scrape out the dead and infected tissue - but that won't solve your problem. You need to have the SOURCE of the infection taken away, not just the result of it.
2007-02-09 18:27:53 · answer #2 · answered by LaLa 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't stress out. He gave you antibiotics to clear it up. Be regiment in taking the antibiotics. He was just telling you what would happen IF the antibiotics didn't clear it up. I had a root canal and the infection abcessed on my jaw bone. 2 weeks of antibiotics did it. If not, then the oral surgeon will make sure you're as comfy as possible.
2007-02-09 14:35:01 · answer #3 · answered by Mickey 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He's going to drain the infection around the tooth that has lodged in the gum tissue... You won't feel it and it'll be sore for a day or 2...
2007-02-09 14:30:51 · answer #4 · answered by double_klicks 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋