Expert: Gary Backlund, DMD, MSD - 2/23/2009

Question
I made the mistake of letting a cavity go without going to the dentist. I let it sit for over a year until it hurt, so i gave in. The dentist I went to filled the cavity.(#31) I got TMJ from the procedure, diagnosed from my primary care doctor. About a month later I was eating chicken breast (no bone) and the tooth broke down to the root. The next morning I went to another dentist who said I had a pretty bad infection in the jaw and said I would need a root canal. I was put on antibiotics and pain killers. He cleaned it out, A temporary filling was put on and I was scheduled for a root canal. I was on a weeks of the antibiotics and went for my root canal. This specialist showed me on Xrays the infection and the whole procedure of the root canal. I was given another script of antibiotics and the pain meds. I went back to the dentist I went to after the tooth split, and the infection was still there and I had another round of antibiotics and pain meds. This is three weeks out of a month that I've been on antibiotics. At this visit he informed me I would have to have my gums lengthened to accommodate a crown because my tooth split at the gum line. I was off of the third round of anti's for about a week at the time of the gum lengthening. The next morning I woke up and my cheek was swollen and in severe pain. A double dose of the medication would barely ebb the pain. I went back in and was told (surprise) that it was infected. My cheek was swollen out about an inch for a couple of days, but now it is 4 days out and the swelling is down, but I have a knot on my jaw line that is extremely tender and my jaw feels numb, but hurts. I don't have another appointment for over a week, but I don't feel like it's ok. I feel like something is wrong. Any Adicve?

Answer
Hi Nichole,

I'm sorry all this is going on. When a tooth has bad decay and is broken, it can be difficult to seal the tooth so it doesn't get continually re-infected by saliva contamination. This sounds like what has gone on with your tooth. As miserable as you have been, it seems that things have been done correctly so far...it's just been a rough ride.

My only advice would be to keep your dentists informed as to what you are feeling and how your swelling is doing. Don't feel like you are bothering them...that's their job! Only by knowing what is going on can they respond to get you better. As frustrating as this all is, I think you are getting good treatment from what you have told me and the end result should be worth all this.

Hope this helps...keep the faith!

Gary Backlund DMD, MSD