Tag Archives: Tooth Infection

Uncategorized

Pressure Around Front Crown

About 4 months ago, one of my upper front teeth broke when I fell on the floor during a badminton game. Luckily, my dentist managed to perform a root canal treatment and then placed a post to strengthen the tooth. I have another crowned tooth done 20 years ago next to the broken tooth and there was a black line at the gum level due to receding gum. The two front teeth were quite protruding. My dentist suggested to re-crown the old crowned tooth together with the placement of a porcelain crown over the broken tooth and he could angle the two teeth downwards to make them not so prominent. They were done and the two teeth are not so protruding.

After nearly 4 months, I still feel pressure around the two teeth and I feel uncomfortable. My dentist kept saying that the pressure will go away but I am doubtful. I also have 4 other teeth that were crowned a few years ago and they did not give me problems immediately after being crowned. I don’t understand why the two front crowned teeth keep giving me this under pressure feeling around them. I could floss between them, although it feels tight and after flossing, the pressure will go away for a while and then come back again. Any anyone have advice on this?

Thanks, Tim

Dear Tim,

Sometimes teeth that receive a root canal have no symptoms after the treatment but there are in some cases where patients still feel some pressure and pain for several months. We recommend that you visit your dentist and have your teeth x-rayed where your root canal was performed to see if the tooth is infected. Another consideration is to have your dentist check your bite. It is a possibility that your crowns that were recently completed are hitting too hard on your bottom teeth which can cause the same type of symptoms that you are having. Make an appointment with your dentist to have him re-evaluate your teeth and if you feel your solution is still unresolved we recommend you visit an endodontist who specializes in root canal treatments for a second opinion.

Post courtesy of Dr. Malone, Lafayette Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist

Uncategorized

No dental insurance and an infected tooth

I’ve had a lot of problems with my teeth. I am missing most of the teeth in the rear of my mouth, and now I have an infection that is really painful. It looks like I have a golf ball stuck in my cheek! I am out of work right now, and don’t have any kind of insurance at all. Where can I find someone to help me with this tooth? I asked the doctor at the Free Clinic, but he was not aware of any dental clinics that offer free treatments.

Is there anything I can do to treat this myself?

Thanks for your help.

Darren in Cleveland, OH

Dear Darren,

You’ll need help to get this infection under control. Especially do NOT take oral antibiotics without first treating the source of the infection within the tooth. If you do, you’ll never address the source of the infection and will make the bacteria that remain resistant to antibiotics. You could find yourself with an infection that NO drugs will effectively deal with, and that can be a very serious situation.

A tooth infection can spread to your brain. That is a sobering statement, but we want you to take this situation seriously. Infections in your teeth can also spread to your throat and cause swelling that could interfere with your airway. You have a couple of options here to address this. You can have the tooth extracted. It sounds as if you are missing a lot of teeth, so you may want to start looking into options to regain some functionality. Dental implants are great for replacing missing teeth, but they are expensive and never covered by dental insurance. Dental bridges might work for you, depending on the position of the missing teeth.

Your community may have a clinic where you can go to get the tooth extracted. If they don’t, check at the Free Clinic to see if any of the doctors know any dentists in your area that will help.

The office of Lafayette Louisiana cosmetic dentist Dr. Malone provides this blog as a courtesy.

Uncategorized

Are infections in your teeth dangerous?

I don’t have any dental insurance, or medical insurance either. I am writing to ask about a problem I am having, so I don’t waste my very limited resources in going to see the wrong professional.

Here is what has happened: Last week I broke one of my molars. It is the very back molar on the left side, right ahead of where my wisdom tooth used to be, in my lower jaw. Ever since I did that, I have a lot of pain in my cheek and jaw. In the last couple of days, the pain seems to be in my sinuses and nose, too. Basically right now my hold head and face just hurt!

I had some antibiotics left over from a recent infection (they are not expired), so I’ve been taking those but that doesn’t seem to be helping at all. Does all of this sound like it could be caused from that broken tooth, or is this more likely to be sinus issues? I know I need to see someone, but like I said I don’t want to waste my money on a visit to someone who is just going to tell me to go see someone different.

One of my co-workers said today that infections in your teeth can get in your brain?! Is that even true? She said that it can be really dangerous and that has me kind of freaked out. Any advice you can offer would be really helpful.

Thanks,

Eleanor in Ludington, MI

Dear Eleanor,

Your friend is correct–an infection in your tooth is dangerous, and can indeed spread to your brain. You must get this taken care of right away. The infection is spreading, and this will not get better on its own.

Call your dentist and see if he or she will work out some kind of payment plan. Very few dentists will turn away a patient in an emergency situation like this. If by some chance your dentist will not help you, keep calling around until you find one that will, or contact the local dental society (look in the yellow pages for a listing) and see if they maintain a list of emergency dentists in your area that can help patients without insurance or funds. You can also go into the emergency room and they will help you.

You should also discontinue the antibiotics immediately. If you take antibiotics for a tooth infection without treating the source of the infection within the tooth (and oral antibiotics do not touch it), then you simply strengthen the bacteria that remain and make them antibiotic-resistant. Only a root canal treatment or an extraction will reach the source of the infection. If you have to have an extraction, talk to your dentist about a dental bridge to replace the tooth. The location of the infected tooth means that a dental implant would be the best choice to replace the tooth, but dental implants are quite expensive and never covered by dental insurance.

Please do not delay. Get this taken care of right away, before the infection spreads further. Wishing you the best of health.

This blog post brought to you as a courtesy by the office of Lafayette Louisiana cosmetic dentist Dr. Malone.