Expert: Mark Bornfeld DDS - 10/30/2007

Question
I had an emergency root canal about 4 weeks ago and after the root canal I started having pain in my upper jaw (the same area as the root canal).  This pain is not local in the one tooth, but over the entire upper side.  I have been back into the dentist that did the root canal and he prescribed me antibiotics for a sinus infection and I have completed a full ten day course of those and it is still hurting me.  The dentist did take x-rays of the root canal and says it all looks good.  The pain is a dull throbbing pain that is easily controlled by ibuprofen and is not intense enough to keep me up at night, but it is definitely uncomfortable.  What else could be causing this pain and how can I get rid of it?

Answer
Dear Chris,

First, let me state that although it is quite possible for a sinus infection to present with symptoms similar to a toothache, it is a non-dental problem, and your dentist is not qualified to either diagnose or treat sinusitis. As such, the treatment he rendered may well be inappropriate to the situation. If there is a question of whether you have a sinus infection, a medical doctor-- preferably an ear nose and throat specialist-- is the more appropriate professional with whom to consult.

As for the persistent pain following the root canal treatment-- this is not necessarily a sign that the treatment has failed, although you should have seen some improving trend in the severity of the symptoms in the course of those four weeks. If there has been no improvement during that time, you should consult with an endodontist (root canal specialist) to more critically assess the quality of your result. In fact, x-rays are not always all that enlightening when evaluating the outcome of a root canal treatment, and a specialist may be able to evaluate your treatment more skillfully, without the burden of personal involvement to bias his opinion.

Hope this helps...

Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY