Swelling on Jaw/Gum
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi, I had a root cancel done on my molar upper right due to a large cavity picked up by an x-ray. This was done months ago no problems. I had a few problems a couple of weeks back with pain in that area and wasn't able to put my teeth together. Given antibiotics and now not in pain and can put my teeth together however I have a swelling just under my cheek bone on the gum. When I press it it feels like it's pushing the molar. It feels like the molar throbs and is sensitive. My dentist thinks the sensitivity must be from another tooth and this one had a root canal. My dentist wants to crown it asap regardless of this swelling. I have not had another X-ray as he took one a couple of weeks ago but that was before the lump arrived. My dentist has said if it's an abscess then the only option would be to have a specialist do the root canal around £700 or extraction but either way he wants to do the crowning now even with the swelling. Is that normal? I sometimes get this sharp stab when I chew on it but my dentist said that should go after I have had the crown.
0 likes, 9 replies
lily65668 kym1989
Posted
Hi kym, I'm not quite sure if I'm following. Are you saying that the dentist wants to put a crown on the tooth where the gum swelling is? And am I right in thinking this is the tooth on which the root canal was done?
Reason for asking is that it's usual to place a crown as an integral part of the root-canal procedure, since this leaves the vulnerable part of the tooth exposed. I don't quite understand why the question of the crown is coming up now. Is the dentist suggesting repeating the root canal on this tooth? That would make more sense to me.
Either way, something has to be done about it in the near future. Antibiotics will temporarily damp down the pain of an abscess but they won't cure it, and it will eventually get into the bone if untreated. The infected material has to be drained, either by extraction of the tooth or by passing through the root canal. Alternatively, this may even be done by entering the abscess directly through the gum but this is less common.
As already stated, I'm a little confused by your account, but I have to say the whole thing sounds a bit suspicious to me.
kym1989 lily65668
Posted
Hi, thanks for your reply. apologies its a bit all over the place. So basically i had a root cancal on my upper Molar after discovering a large cavity. That was done a while ago now and im now having it crowned. I asked for it to be crowned months ago but was told i had to wait until all had settled, about a week ago i became in pain and couldnt put my teeth together. I went to an emergency dentist who gave me antibiotics. I have now gone back to my dentist as i have a swelling in the upper gum area. When i press this swelling it feels as though its pushing my Molar out. My dentist has felt this swelling but still wants to go ahead with the crown. He did say however that if the swelling persisted after the crown then i would need to go to a specialist which would cost in the region of £700-£800 to have it root canalled again. Either that or i would need to have an extraction. My dentist wont do another x-ray as he did one the other week (this was before the swelling appeared) Im just worried that hes going to crown it whilst swelling is going on up in the gum region. Im not in any pain anymore just the tender lump when i press it. I need them crowned anyway but just concerned about leaving this swelling but my dentist still wants to go ahead even after feeling the swelling. is this ok?
lily65668 kym1989
Posted
Well I'd say no it's definitely not OK. You absolutely have to have something done about the abscess. As already stated, antibiotics are only a stopgap measure. I'm a former nurse but no expert on dentistry. However, there's no way I'd let the dentist crown my tooth in these circumstances, given that they're either going to have to open the root canal up again or extract the tooth in the very near future. Why would they do that? (Except maybe to make more money out of you.) The abscess will come back again sooner or later - probably sooner - if it's not drained one way or another.
Can you get a second opinion? A specialist dental hospital or the dental department of your nearest major hospital would be the best bet, but I don't know if you can self-refer in the UK. I worked in the NHS for 10 years but that was way back, and I haven't lived in the UK for more than 40 years. If you can't self-refer, you'd need to pressure the dentist into referring you.
Don't let this continue without someone addressing what is clearly an abscess. Your description of not being able to put your teeth together when it was painful, together with the lump on your gum, suggests a classic case of dental abscess.
I have to say I'm absolutely horrified that they're going to charge you £700 for a root canal, but I guess that's just how dental charges go these days in the UK. Last time I had one, here in Belgium, it only cost me around £60 (including porcelain crown) over and above the State health service reimbursement.
Please get a second opinion before you let anyone do anything else. If necessary, go to A&E (but only in a major university hospital and only during office hours) and tell them you've had antibiotics for an abscess and now you're in pain again - even if you're not. I realise you'll have a long wait, but they should take it seriously. But it has to be a major hospital, not a community walk-in centre, where they'll probably just tell you to go back to your dentist.
kym1989 lily65668
Posted
Thanks for your reply. The only options i have are to have it crowned with the swelling there, pay out £700 for the root canal to be done again with a specialist or an extraction. I dont have the £700 for the re-root canal. Petrified of an extraction. However it just doesnt feel right to have my Molar crowned when that pressure is there. I also feel it throbbing at times, not pain but pulsating (if im exercising or stressed). He wont confirm if it is an absess because he will not do another x-ray but is admament on crowning them right now even after feeling the lump. I am not in pain anymore and finished my antibiotics. i can chew on it but only for about 30 chews before it begins to hurt. My dentist said this would stop once the crown is on. I was getting this 30 chew limit before the lump even arrived. I have had to pay out £300 for the crowns already. The tender lump/swelling is no bigger than what it was. I guess its hard to make a desicion as im trying to put my trust into my dentist as i would assume he knows best. I guess perhaps crowning it gives me more time without going down the extraction route if it does need extraction. I might try and see another emergency dentist and see what they say. Thanks for your help.
susan556 kym1989
Posted
No way would i let the dentist put a crown on a swelling or where theres still throbbing and pain, maybe im reading this wrong but im thinking like if you go ahead and have this crown done and then the swelling goes down will the crown still be a good tight fit? The price to me doesn't sound right either, i have to have a crown replaced where my last one has cracked and was only quote £150, im in the UK too. meanwhile go on google and look up using oil of origano to treat teeth decay.and toothache. Every so often i get swelling and soreness on the gum where i had a root canal many years ago. I mix a couple of drops of oil of origano with some olive oil, about a teaspoon full, apply with a cotton bud or a small ball of cotton wool, it always gets rid. My husband got rid of an absess using this method and applying a green tea bag on the gum. the poison got drawn out and bacteria killed. When he went to the dentist exrays showed he did have an abcess but mostly gone away! Only way i thought a dentist could say for sure if its an abccess or not was to take another exray. Why wont your dentist do this? Dont have an extraction just yet. My son has been using this method on and off for years and still has the 4 teeth the dentist said he needed out like 6 years ago!
Sue
kitty13236 kym1989
Posted
Hi Kym
I've had 2 root canals in the last couple of years, with different dentists, one an endodontic specialist. Both waited 6 months before crowning and made sure there was no pain, infection etc before fitting the crowns. To me it doesn't make sense to put a crown on an infected tooth, whether it's dead or not
kym1989 susan556
Posted
Thanks for your reply. The swelling itself is just below the cheek bone but high up in the gum so if the crown were to be fitted the swelling is no where near the actual gum line so guessing it would still fit ok. the pain occurs when i chew 30 times on the tooth itself and its tender when i press the swelling. I had to pay £56.30 for my root canal as this is NHS band 2 (this was done months ago) I have now had to pay NHS band 3 for crown at a price of £244.30. My dentist doesnt want to do another x-ray as he said " i only did one two weeks ago, nothing would have changed in that time" but the tender swelling has appeared after the x-ray so surely thats a change that would required another x-ray? My dentist wont do another root canal on it (if it an absess) as he said i would need to see a specialist to use microscopes which would costs £700-£800. Thanks for the advice, i will give anything a go to avoid extraction.
lily65668 kym1989
Posted
Kym, the swelling is almost certainly associated with a problem in the root of the affected tooth, however high above the gumline it is. Don't you know how long the roots of molars can be? It could just be coincidence I suppose, but it doesn't sound like it to me. If I were in your place I certainly wouldn't shell out for a crown on the tooth just for the moment.
kym1989 kitty13236
Posted
Thanks for your reply. It doesnt make sense to me to crown an infection, if it is an infection as he wont do another x-ray to make sure. Im thinking perhaps he wants to crown it to give me more time before having to make the decision of having an extraction as i cant afford the £700 re root canal with a specialist so extraction would be the only option. If i do have it crowned im not sure its safe to leave a festering infection up there but at the same time im petrified on an extraction so perhaps i should just crown it to give me more time, i dont really know anymore.