Expert: Jeff Dalin DDS - 5/31/2006

Question
Psychologically I am at the end of my nerves with a tooth problem. I have been prodded touched, probed &tortured in the same area for nearly 3 years &cant bear anyone near it again. I think I will go mad.

It stared with a terrible sinus infection &tooth pain &it was never clear if they were related or not, but even now when my tooth flares up again I get a stuffy nose.
I should mention that I am living in Austria, so half of my problem lays with translation problems. I am desperate.

I have perhaps had 6 root canal surgeries. every time I am at least 3 days in terrible burning pain so much so that 3 times I have had to go to a&e.I have had the tooth permanently filled only to have it all pulled out later due to re-infection
Due to pregnancy I had to have the nerves cleaned twice without anesthetic when it has flared up again. I have never experienced any thing so painful in my life. Not even the childbirth.

After the birth I had a cut made in the gum and a medication put in in preparation for a planned apicectomy 3 months later. Then I was told by the same hospital a week later that I should try one last root canal at my dentist before they do this So I went had another root canal but 3 days later I had the most excruciating pain &back in A&E where they were incredulous that I had had a root canal and a filling on top of a very bad infection. So open it was again for a month then finally some kind of medication was put inside &sealed &since then I have only had a dull ache rather than the endless agony.
Next week is the apicectomy and I am in such trauma about it, especially since it s not guaranteed to work and I might have to have it done again eventually.
I want the tooth taken out but noone agrees with me. I have had problems with this tooth on and off for years . Also myfront tooth sticks out because this side is cramped& is sure it would move back if this tooth was out and I had more room. I cannot take any more and want it over.
I am still breastfeeding.


Answer
Chloe
None of this makes sense to me. You do not do a root canal every time it flares up. If it is done properly, it is completed and you forget about the tooth. Something is going on here that i do not understand. Plus the apicoectomy issue: you open up the area and do the apicoectomy. You do not put something in for preparation for an apico 3 months ahead of time. This is normally a one time procedure. Now...here is the problem...you are in Austria. I am not sure where to tell you to go for a second opinion. Ideally I would tell you to find an american trained endodontist (root canal specialist). I am just not sure if you can do this over there. But if this is possible, try to find one.

Now for your extraction question. Taking out a back tooth does not mean your front teeth will straighten out on its own. You will need to have some sort of orthodontics to accomplish this. So do not make the quick decision to take out the tooth thinking that it will correct your crowding.

I hope all of this information helps. Although I was not able to totally explain what they have done to you. I hope that I have given you the idea to get another opinion from a different kind of dentist. I really have no explanation for everything they have done. It is not done like that here in the States.

Good luck

Jeff Dalin, DDS