Expert: Mark Bornfeld DDS - 10/28/2007

Question
I am a seasoned dental patient having poor genetics and many problems.  I am no newbie to endodontic treatment.  Yesterday, 10/27, I had an apical root canal on tooth #27.  I have been on clindamycin since 10/24 for an absess on #27 and #20.  I am experiencing the worst pain I have ever known post-root canal.  It had me up.  Ibuprofen doesn't touch it.  I had some left over tylenol with codeine which is only good for about 2.5 hours.  I also had a jaw block administered due to TMJ in the right jaw.  Since that shot, my tongue feels "odd" in the same place I felt electricity shoot as she administered the novacaine.  I don't want to bother my dentist on a Sunday for nothing, however I am exhausted and aching.  My jaw is screaming since the anesthetic wore off and this tooth is hyper sensitive and throbbing.

Help!  At what point do I ask for some kind of help.  Is this a bad sign or normal?

Answer
Dear Melissa,

For your post root canal pain, I recommend that you contact your dentist for assistance with pain management. Assuming that your antibiotics kick in within a day or so (a reasonable assumption), you will probably be able to control the pain until then with stronger oral analgesics prescribed by your dentist.

In the unlikely event that your pain does not respond to your antibiotics, I recommend that you consult with an endodontist (root canal specialist) if a general dentist performed your root canal.

The tongue symptoms are related to the injection rather than the root canal pain, and are almost certainly due to injury to the lingual nerve from the anesthetic needle. Most of these cases resolve on their own as the nerve heals, although this can be a glacially slow process, which may take weeks or even months.

Hope this helps...

Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY