You gotta watch out for those root canals

[Midrsv]

I haven't been on the forum for a few days and I'm not super active but I'll let you know why. Tuesday before last I went in for a simple root canal. The tool was a bit sensitive but not hurting. My wife assured me that root canals were a not big deal. So OK, I like our dentist and he's gentle. So I go in and after 5 injections he couldn't get me numb. That wasn't much fun. So I left and returned on Thursday to try again with no problems. My jaw was sore the next day which should have been normal from having the procedure done. Then on Saturday morning I was riding out to our small Central KY M&E and I was a bit concerned with how I would be able to eat since I could barely open my mouth to insert food. After an abbrevieated ride I wasn't feeling too well and headed for home.

 

As Saturday wore on I was in much more pain from my jaw and that side of my face and could only part my teeth about 1/4 inch. My dentist was calling me for updates and he offered suggestions of pain meds and muscle relaxers. Nothing worked. Sunday it was more of the same. While he kept wanting me to meet him at the office so he could have a look, I had found some pain meds that seemed to make things bearable and I still thought it was just trauma that had to wear off from the all of the injections. Sunday afternoon I felt well enough to attend my Aunt's funeral. As they day wore on it got so I could not eat at all and the pain was out of control again. No sleep or food all night.

 

Monday morning I was back into the dental office at 7:00 where the dentist opened the temp filling to make sure there was no infection within the tooth. There wasn't. So the dentist immediately refferred us to an oral surgeon that got us in immediately. He knows my wife from here previous career in dentistry. Once there he is sure there is an infection somewhere and gives me IV antibiotics immediately. I leave there for some blood work that confirms my white count is elevated. He wants to see me the next day and another IV treatment. The pain continued and now I hadn't eaten since Saturday and drank very little because I was now having trouble swallowing. The next day at the oral surgeons we discussed options and I know little about dentistry so I relied on my wifes advice and he thought the correct thing to do woud be to remove troubled tooth. I didn't care much for that idea but I didn't have a better plan and I sure didn't feel like working one up. The remove the tooth and found no infection sent me home and I stayed in pain another day and night without nutrition and little water.

 

Wed morning my wife and I are back in the car in panic mode now calling all the drs we know. Hell, I was ready to call her OB/GYN at this point. We stopped by the oral surgeon for him to check me again. In that visit he mentioned that he was beginning to think my problem was an infection in the jaw muscles and nerve tract caused by repeated injections into the site with bacteria picked up inside my mouth tracking into a subsequent injection. I left his office and went to an infectious desiese doc for for control of the infection. She gave me IV antibiotics then and I was to come back in on the next day for a pick-line placement and continued daily treatemest for a week or so. When I went back in on Thursday I was in less pain but I still can't drink. So the docs get together with my primary care physician who didn't want to take this on when we initially called him because I was under another drs care. Anyway, the conscenus was made that I should be hospitalized for 24/7 IV fluids, antibitotics and pain management. So I checked into the hosptial Thurday. Friday I felt much better but still cant swallow water with it asprirating to my lungs. So to recap, It's a little after midnight Saturday mornign and has been going on for nearly 11 days days, I've note eaten in 7 days, I've lost a tooth that probably was ok, I'm now facing a dental implant to replace the tooth, I'm down about 15 lbs (not a bad thing), and who knows how much expense not covered by insurance and I haven't worked all week. My wife's words, "root canal, no big deal" keep ringing in my ears.

 

Sorry to make this so long but it's not like I've got much to do here. I'm just thankful that hospitals now have wireless access so I still have my lifeline to the world. This my first overnight hospital stay since I was 6 years old and I am a lousy patient.

 

Floss daily!

 

Dennis

Edited August 16, 2008 by Midrsv

[mini-muffin]

A few years ago I was suppose to get a root canal. The dentist said I had to go to an endontist (which I'd never heard of). This guy didn't take insurance and I didn't have the over 850 he wanted. So I had it pulled. After reading your story I'm glad I got it pulled. I've seen a few folks who end up having more trouble after a root canal then if they just pulled the tooth. Sorry you're going through this and hope it gets better soon.

 

Margaret

[Princess M]

Dennis- Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Did you find out if the injections were the cause? Too bad you lost a tooth. I've been a dental assistant for 25 years and never heard of that happening before. Get well soon.

 

Margaret- I'm also sorry you had to loose a tooth also. In the long run loosing a tooth is more expensive than having the root canal done.

[mtman]

Dennis..

Don't know why you picked this particular time in your life to tell this horrible story but you could have waited another week I have to go in Monday(8/18) to get a molar pulled. It's not salvagable and I expected to go in and have a quick extraction and be on my way.... until I read your experience with your dentist, et al. Trying to think of a really good excuse not to go now:whistling: Hope yer feelin' better soon.

[Midrsv]

Dennis..

Don't know why you picked this particular time in your life to tell this horrible story but you could have waited another week I have to go in Monday(8/18) to get a molar pulled. It's not salvagable and I expected to go in and have a quick extraction and be on my way.... until I read your experience with your dentist, et al. Trying to think of a really good excuse not to go now:whistling: Hope yer feelin' better soon.

 

Sorry Wayne, I do think my case is probably that 1 in a million chance of something like this happening and unfortunately it wasn't hitting a lottery number. The dentist, my ENT and Oral Surgeon all agree that it was probably caused by one of the multiple injection sticks and none can recall seeing a previous case in their respective practice. In the future I will taking a preemptive round of antibiotics a few days prior to any future dental work.

 

These hosptial beds suck! Why am I still awake?

 

Dennis

[Marcarl]

Ah yes, and Metzler doesn't have any problem tires. Too many root canals going bad for me to even consider that route. When one of my teeth need that, I tick the dentist off and tell him to pull it out, now he can't make any more money it.

Missing a tooth is only an issue for a few days, mostly until it quites hurting,,,,, until you start missing more than half, then for the price of 2 root canals you put in upper and lower partials,,,,,no more dentist income on those anyways.

[Pilot]

I'm not going to make this a long story, but I had a root pulling job once. It was supposed to set me back $1300 with the cap. It ended up costing me the original $1300 plus an additional $175.00 to have the tooth pulled because it cracked and fell apart about a month later. I think Dentist cost way too much and they don't even guarantee their work. Every time I go to a Dentist they want me to spend thousands of $$$, I say BULL Sh*%, if you can't fill it take it out, when I can't eat anymore I will get false teeth, which by the way only cost about $2300 TOTAL the last time I asked.

[Moped]

I too had a root canal and cap on molar about 4 years ago. ($1100) Had to have it pulled a month ago as it was giving me some pain. Oral Surgeon pulled it and I told him there is $1100 down the drain. He told me that 2/3's of his business is from extracting previous root canals. Any major teeth problems in the future will probably be pulled.

[Princess M]

I'm sorry to hear some of you had some bad experiences and have a low opinion of dentistry. This is one subject I could get on my soapbox a really get mad. I would have a response for most negative responses that are based on my 25 yrs of experience and not your layman irrational thoughts. So I'm just going to leave this subject alone.

 

One thing to think about- If you have your teeth extracted and have them replaced with dentures instead of trying to save them, are you having faith that a dentist can make you teeth better than the ones your "maker", God or whoever you believe in, made you?

[Midrsv]

I would have a response for most negative responses that are based on my 25 yrs of experience and not your layman irrational thoughts.

 

Princess, I hope I don't fall into that category. Since I don't want a permanent missing tooth I am comparing the options of a bridge or implant. Based on your experiences do you have an opinion on either one? I am tending to lean toward an implant because I don't like the idea of messing with healthy teeth on either side to create the bridge which would give me 2 more potential problems. I'm told that implants are almost as good as the originals and take about as long to complete the process.

 

Thanks,

Dennis

[Princess M]

No Dennis, it's not directed at you. I understand that you attempted to save your tooth. To me that is a good thing. Implants are very successful and yes you do not have to "drill" on other teeth to replace it like you do for a fixed bridge. They are a little more expensive and take more healing time, therefore it takes longer to get the finished product. I personally would get an implant if I lost a tooth. The reason for that is because I've never had a cavity. And I don't want "virgin" teeth cut for the bridge. Now if the two teeth that were going to hold the bridge already had crowns or very large fillings I would have a harder time deciding. Cost would most likely be the deciding factor then.

 

Good luck with your future dental visits.

[Ozark]

Never did like lumping everyone associated with something into one great big category. Whether dentist or bikers, we're all different. I've had several root canals and have only had to have one removed, somthing like 11 years later. My dentist is a great guy who trys for zero pain. Don't get me wrong, I have had a couple of whacks who called themselves dentist work on me, but never again.