Expert: Mark Bornfeld DDS - 11/26/2007

Question
I have already answered this question for you once before.

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Your Question was:

I had a root canal done on the 4th tooth in on the top right...sorry I don't know the exact # of tooth.  I went into the dentist on Friday morning because I had been dealing with terrible pressure in my cheekbone for a week.  When she tood the digital x-ray she said that I needed  root canal and that is why I was having pain.  She started the root canal and then put a temp filling in and said to come back next Friday to take impressions for the crown as to let everything calm down.  She also prescribed Amoxicillin 500mg 1 tablet 4 times day and Vicodin 5/500 every 4 hours as needed.   I hate taking the vicodin because it makes me feel horrible.  Though I have been in so much pain and my cheek is swollen so I have been taking it. I still have a horrible pressure in my right cheek tht feels like a terrilbe ache and throbbing pain.  I have been putting ice packs on my face just to numb my face to ease the pain. I feel so horrible I can't do anything else but lay down. My tooth is
extreemly sensitive as well. I am living on jello and mashed potatoes.  Is this all normal and how long is this going to last.  I have had root canals before an never ever had this type of pain afterwards.  Does this mean it was just really infected before the root canal and will take a while to clear up or did the infection spread?  Any advice would be extremely apprieciated.

Dawn
Long Island, NY

Expert: Mark Bornfeld DDS


Answer
Dear Dawn,

Although not all root canals manifest with postoperative pain and swelling, it happens frequently enough that it could not be considered "abnormal". I suspect that once that amoxicillin kicks in within a day or two at most, you'll be feeling much better. As for the Vicodin-- that's a judgment call; you'll have to decide whether the side effects are worse than the pain, and act accordingly.

If you don't see significant relief within another day, I recommend that you contact your dentist for additional help. If need be, she may need to take additional measures, such as opening the canal to relieve pressure or reducing the chewing surface of the tooth to minimize contact with the opposing tooth.

I would caution against proceeding with the crown unless you've seen significant resolution of the symptoms. If need be, you should consider requesting a referral to an endodontist (root canal specialist) if your dentist cannot adequately resolve the pain from the root canal.

Hope this helps...

Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY