Is a Tooth Infection Dangerous?
I had a broken molar. It was doing okay but now my mouth hurts and now my cheek has started hurting. I took some antibiotics I had left over from a throat infection, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. One of the guys at work said that leaving it is dangerous, but I don’t have dental insurance. I don’t really feel like spending a ton of money if it is not dangerous. It hurts, but I can live with it. So, is it really dangerous?
Danny
Dear Danny,
I’m afraid your friend at work is correct. Untreated tooth infections are dangerous. In fact, people die from untreated tooth infections every year. This is because antibiotics alone do not cure a tooth infection. This is why you weren’t having any luck with the antibiotics you used. Though, I’m a bit concerned about you having leftover antibiotics. I don’t know if your doctor told you this but when you are prescribed antibiotics it is important you finish the entire amount even though you will be feeling better much sooner, often within twenty-four hours.
The most antibiotics can do is temporarily hold off the spread of a tooth infection. The only way to truly treat an infected tooth is to remove the infected pulp. There are two ways to do that. The first is by having a root canal treatment done. This is normally the best course of action because it will save the natural tooth structure.
If that isn’t possible than the second way to treat the infection is by extracting the tooth. That does mean you will need to replace the tooth. Otherwise you risk the adjacent teeth shifting or tipping into the empty spot. This will lead to bite problems and possibly TMJ Disorder. While a dental implant is the best tooth replacement, I know you are on a limited budget. Your dentist is ethically responsible for sharing all the options with you.
Get to a dentist. This infection you have is spreading. It’s already up to your cheek. You don’t want it spreading further and reaching your brain.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Will She Lose This Tooth?
A few years ago, I had an accident that broke off half my tooth and led to me needing a root canal treatment and dental crown of my lateral incisor (the one next to my front tooth). It was fine until recently, where I’ve had some pain on and off. I went to see my dentist who said he didn’t see anything wrong. I insisted there was, so he sent me to an endodontist. The endodontist said the pain is probably coming from the tooth next to it, but he doesn’t see anything on the x-ray. His theory is that I’ve probably been putting pressure on it while I sleep. I feel like no one is taking me seriously and am worried I’m going to lose the tooth. If I did, would a dental implant work for someone my age? I’m 32. If I do lose it, should the dentist pay for the replacement?
Angie
Dear Angie,
I’m glad you wrote. I don’t know why your dentist and endodontist found this challenging. You had serious tooth trauma a few years ago. It is highly unlikely that the adjacent teeth were not impacted by that. If you had a root canal treatment, then the crowned tooth would not be having the pain. On a back tooth there can be tricky canals, etc., but a lateral incisor would not be complicated. Because of that, the endodontist’s idea about it being referred pain from another tooth makes sense. However, I don’t agree with the pressure thing.
It is more likely that the tooth was damaged at the time of the original accident and is just now showing the signs. This is actually quite common, so that is what puzzles me about your care givers not considering that possibility.
If they don’t see anything on the x-rays at the moment, then I don’t think this is a dental emergency and would not stress about it. Instead, just have some x-rays done every couple of appointments to keep an eye on it. The most likely scenario is that at some point this adjacent tooth will also need a root canal treatment.
Nothing you’ve described makes me think that you are in danger of losing your tooth. But, if you ever do lose a tooth, then, yes, a dental implant would be an excellent tooth replacement. In fact, it is the best tooth replacement.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
How Long Can I Put Off a Root Canal Treatment?
If I have a tooth that needs a root canal treatment, how long can I put it off before I have to get one? I’ve been swamped with work and I can’t afford to take any time off right now.
Everett
Dear Everett,
While I cannot give you definitive timelines, I can give you some general guidelines. Please bear in mind that I have not examined you or even seen any x-rays, so this is just based on general information. Everyone’s body is different. If you want definitive advice, then it is important you see a dentist and let them examine you.
If your tooth is hurting, even a little bit, then you need to have the root canal done. This mean that you have an active infection. Another red flag is if there is a pimple on your gums. This is known as an abscessed tooth.
Depending on how severe your pain is, I would not necessarily call it a dental emergency, but you do want to get this scheduled or it will turn into one. So, don’t put off having this attended to.
Believe it or not, multiple people still die from tooth infections every year. When left untreated, a tooth infection will continue to spread outside of your mouth. If it reaches your heart or brain, what could have simply dealt with becomes life threatening.
If you do not have an active infection, then you are probably safe to wait. I’ve known people who waited years to get their root canal treatment. However, they did say that when they finally got it done, they noticed that they felt much better in general than they had in years.
I want to make sure that you are aware that by waiting, you risk external resorption. This is a condition where the infection eats away at the root of your tooth. When this happens the tooth is no longer able to be saved. Then, you are stuck with an extraction and the need to replace the tooth.
If you don’t replace the tooth, then the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the empty space. This will throw off your bite and can lead to painful TMJ disorder.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
How to Get a Refund Because of a Dental Mistake
I had a crown put on one of my teeth because it was a slightly slanted tooth. A few weeks after the crown was placed, I noticed that I started having sensitivity to hot and cold. I called the dentist’s office and he said that those sensitivities are normal the first few weeks. I was a bit confused about that because it had not happened before that, but decided to trust him. A few months later, it was hurting so much that I went to the E.R. They told me I needed to see a dentist. The next morning my cheek was completely swelled. I called a dentist who could see me the very next day. This dentist told me the tooth was severely infected and I needed to have a root canal treatment done. I was shocked and asked how it got infected with a dental crown on it and she told me the margins were open and showed it to me on the x-ray. When I called the original dentist, thinking that they should pay for my root canal treatment, they blamed me for not taking care of the crown. Is there any way I can get my money back from this dentist because I’m obviously going to have to pay for this root canal treatment?
Brooke
Dear Brooke,
I am sorry that this happened to you. Your dentist violated the standard of care and that led to you having a dental emergency. Even worse, they refuse to take responsibility. A dentist is supposed to run an explorer around the margins of the dental crown to make sure it is fitted correctly. Otherwise, they risk what happened to you.
The good news is that you have another dentist telling you that your crown was done incorrectly and has x-ray proof to help with that. Unfortunately, the amount you would get generally isn’t worth the expense of a malpractice suit. That being said, there are some things you can do that will increase your chances of a dental refund.
First, I would threaten to complain to the dental board. I don’t know a dentist who would be thrilled at that prospect, especially when you have documentation. Second, threaten to call your insurance company and tell them about the shoddy work. A third option is to ask the dentist who helped you during your dental emergency to speak to your dentist. Sometimes, they are more willing to give a refund so as to not look bad in front of their peers. Finally, you could ask a lawyer to write a threatening letter on official letterhead. It will not cost you as much as a court case and can produce results because the dentist thinks you are willing to go to court.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Using Antibiotics for a Tooth Infection
Almost two weeks ago I went to the dentist for an infected tooth. It was pretty bad and even my cheek was swelling. He gave me some antibiotics, which I took in full. The swelling was almost gone. A few days later it started back up again. Do I go back to the dentist or do I just need a refill on my antibiotics?
Peter
Dear Peter,
I think there was a miscommunication with your dentist. The antibiotic should have been just to get your tooth infection under control and tide you over until the infection can be properly dealt with. It is not meant to, nor can it, heal your infected tooth. The only way to cure a tooth infection is for a dentist to physically remove the infected tooth pulp. There are two ways to properly do this. The first is by extracting the tooth completely. This should be a last resort because natural tooth structure is always best; plus tooth replacements, especially the good ones, are expensive. The second option is a root canal treatment.
Hopefully, it was just a matter of you not hearing your dentist say that you would need a follow up appointment to do the real treatment, though the front desk should have mentioned it when you were checking out. If your dentist did not plan on any follow up treatment, then you need a new dentist because this one does not understand tooth infections.
It is particularly concerning that this started to get better and has now blown up again. I would consider this a dental emergency. Call your dentist as soon as the office is open and tell them what is going on. If they don’t get you in that day, then call around to some other dentists and see who will given the situation.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Is a Cracked Crown a Dental Emergency?
I’ve had porcelain crowns for over ten years. They’ve served me well. One of them has always had a minor defect, which I am told is quite common. You could never see it with a normal glance, but there has been a change in the last couple of days. Now I can see it and feel it. There is a horizontal line on the crown. Does this mean that I am in danger of losing the crown? Would it be considered a dental emergency?
Katherine
Dear Katherine,
While I would not consider it a dental emergency, I would have it attended to soon. Your dentist was correct that crowns can have minor defects. They’re generally called craze lines. Usually, they are not an issue. Yours has obviously changed, though, if you can see and feel it. I do think it will eventually break.
You have a couple of options here. First, is to just replace the one defective crown. Your other is to replace all the crowns at the same time. Which you do will depend on the condition of the crowns and your budget. The benefit to doing them all at once is that you don’t have to replace them one at a time as they age. However, if they’re all still in good condition, you might not want to do that.
Beware of a dentist telling you that you have to change all of them at the same time in order to get them to match. That is not necessary and a dentist should be able to match a single crown. It may take a few try ins, but it can be done.
For now, just call your dentist and schedule an appointment to have the remainder of the crowns looked at. Then you can decide wether or not to replace just the one that had developed a problem or all of them at once. While I did say it is not an emergency, I wouldn’t wait too long. This one is going to fail.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Delayed Treatment for an Infected Wisdom Tooth
I had some minor pain in a back tooth and went to see my dentist. He told me a wisdom tooth is infected. He gave me some antibiotics and referred me to a specialist. The antibiotics were very helpful. When the specialist saw me, he recommended I remove all of my wisdom teeth but he cannot schedule me for about a month. Since then, the antibiotics have run out and I can feel the pain coming back. Will he be able to treat me if the infection is back?
MaryAnne
Dear MaryAnne,
While you cannot rely on antibiotics alone to solve a tooth infection, in your case, it will be okay to call the specialist and tell him you have run out and need enough to get you through until your procedure. Let him know that you can already tell the infection is returning. He should have no problem writing you a refill on your prescription.
Do not wait to get it refilled. These infections are serious. Generally, they require urgent dental care, but it is okay to keep the infection at bay in the short term with medication. As I mentioned before, it will not heal the infection. The only way to do that is to physically remove the infected pulp of the tooth. Without proper treatment, this can turn life threatening. Our jaws are quite close to our brains and throats. You don’t want the infection reaching either of those places.
To remove the infected pulp there are two treatments: a root canal treatment and a tooth exraction. Generally, a root canal treatment is preferred in order to save a tooth. It is unnecessary on a wisdom tooth, however. This is because you can remove a wisdom tooth without needing to replace it.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Misdiagnosis by an Emergency Dentist Caused a Lot of Pain
I had a tooth that was giving me pain and sensitivity to cold. I am new to the area so I do not have a regular dentist yet. I went to a dentist who advertised as a dental emergency specialist. I went in and he said my wisdom teeth are impacted. I told him that tooth 19 seemed to be the problem, but he said it is definitely the wisdom tooth and that one of them either needs to be extracted or filled. I opted for the filling. This made my pain even worse. I went back and he adjusted the tooth and wrote me a prescription pain medication. All that did was make me loopy. Once the prescription wore off I was in even worse shape. I called back and he said to have the tooth extracted. I told him the pain didn’t feel close to the wisdom tooth at all but he insisted that was the problem. I had the tooth extracted and was again prescribed painkillers along with antibiotics this time. I was okay for a bit while the medicines lasted. Once they ran out, though, I was in complete misery. I finally went to the ER and they did an x-ray and told me that I had an abscessed tooth. I got fed up with this dentist and went to see an oral surgeon out of pocket. He told me it was tooth 19 (shocker) and that it is now too late to save it, so I had that extracted too. I’m so frustrated because I had to do several unnecessary appointments, including the ER, and ended up losing two teeth. Do I have any recourse for this or do I just have to suck it up?
Trent
Dear Trent,
What a nightmare! You certainly have some recourse here. In short, what this dentist did is malpractice. First, I’m going to tell you what to require of him, then I will tell you what mistakes he made.
The first thing I would do is tell this dentist he needs to cover the expenses not only for your extra visits to the oral surgeon and ER, but also for the cost of an implant and a crown to replace your missing first molar, as well as any bone grafting that may be necessary with a dentist of your choosing. If he refuses, tell him you will contact a lawyer and add pain and suffering to the amount. I feel fairly certain his insurance company will tell him to settle quickly.
This “Emergency Dentist’s” Mistakes
Let’s start with the fact that there is no emergency dentist specialty. Any general dentist can schedule emergency appointments and treat patients. He misled you with that. Second, at your initial appointment with cold bringing pain to the tooth, he should have advised you that you would likely need a root canal treatment. I have no idea why he was bringing up your wisdom teeth with these types of symptoms. Then, with your second appointment when you are still having problems, he adjusts your bite? Really? The prescription for antibiotics tells me he either suspected an infection or was just throwing around treatment options willy-nilly. Plus, antibiotics never completely cure a tooth infection. The job of antibiotics is to hold the infection at bay while you are awaiting an appointment for your treatment. By the final appointment, there should have been no doubt. I don’t know how he passed his courses in dental school.
You may be wondering why I’m having you include the tooth replacement in there with what your dentist should cover. It is because if he would have treated this in a timely manner, there is a good possibility you could have saved the tooth. Now that it is out, it must be replaced. Otherwise, the remaining teeth will drift or tip into the space. This will throw off your bite and can lead to painful TMJ Disorder. A dental implant is the best replacement available.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.