Toothache / Gum Infection -- I'd like to get an opinion?!


Question: Toothache / Gum Infection -- I'd like to get an opinion!?
Let me preface this by saying that I will be seeing my dentist on Tuesday!.

I'll try to make a long story short !.!.!.
I was anemic for a while several years ago!. As a result, I chewed ice all day, every day (which I understand is called a pica)!. Subsequently, I have ruined three teeth !.!.!. all molars !.!.!. two on the top, which broke, and one on the bottom, which had been capped!.

My 'regular' dentist recently retired, so I had an initial 'meet-n-greet' appt!. last month with a new dentist!. She examined my teeth and told me I needed two extractions (both of the upper broken molars) and a root canal on the previously capped tooth!. (The cap came off some months ago, got lost, and then I neglected to follow-up on it due to lapse in dental insurance)!. She suggested having the extractions done first and the root canal at a later appointment!. At the time of the exam with her, I wasn't in any pain!.

At this point, I have a great deal of pain in and around the de-capped-root-canal-needing tooth!. The pain I'm experiencing is mainly in the gum and cheek area under the tooth!. It's been off and on over the last couple of days, but today it's really starting to become uncomfortable and distracting!. It's constant and somewhat throbbing in nature!. I'm sure it's an infection of some type!.

I guess my main question is: should I expect to have the root canal if this IS an infection!? Shouldn't the infection be treated and cleared first!? (That's what I'm thinking)!. And if so, should I still have the two extractions done first !.!.!. or prioritize the root canal due to the recent pain/infection I'm experiencing!? (I still have no dental insurance, so I need to plan accordingly)!.

My additional question is: what can I do for the pain until Tuesday when I get back to the dentist's!? Shall I contact my primary physician for some antibiotics anyway!?!?

Thanks for your time and expertise - I appreciate your replies!. Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
Nice!. Sorry about your pain but I do enjoy a detailed question!.

The root canal will probably be prioritized!. Obviously something needs done here and the pain will never fully go away till it is!. Often when a root canal blows up like that, at your next appointment the dentist may do one of a few things
- Send you home with antibiotics and have you come back in a few days when the infection dies down a bit
- Start with a pulpotomy which takes the top of the root area out and again send you home for a while till the infection dies down and get you back in later for the rest of the root canal
- Or just do the full root canal!.
I wouldn't contact your primary physician since it is the dentists decision whether this warrants antibiotics or not!. I would personally call the dental office Monday morning though and explain the tooth pain and ask if he wants you on antibiotics before your appointment!. This can help her plan time accordingly for the root canal instead of the extractions!.

As far as tooth pain, Ibuprofen such as Advil or Motrin typically work the best since they dull pain and are good at lowering inflammation!. 600mg is max dose to relieve these two symptoms!. You can take this up to 5 times a day or so!. I'd take this but go off it a few hours before your appointment so the dentist can do proper testing if she needs to!. Tylenol works well too but avoid aspirin since it increases bleeding more than the other two meds!.

The other two extractions can wait!. If they are not bothering you now, they are not doing too much to cause problems!. You do want them out as soon as you can but not a huge deal at this point!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





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