Pain After Root Canal (2 Months Later)

I had pain on and off in one of my root canals for several years. My dentist adjusted my bite and it remained and he couldn't figure out what it might be, so I went to a specialist and had it removed (50% of all root canals fail and they can be a source of focal infections). When I had the tooth removed (and a bridge put in), the root canal tooth had cracked and the stuff (gutta percha (sp?)) had leaked through. There was a tiny strand that was causing all that pain. As another poster mentioned, don't go to a regular dentist, see a specialist. And, personally, I would find another dentist, particularly given that they've not taken your concern very seriously. I had another root canal done and there is no pain from that tooth at all - that's the way it's supposed to be after the initial weeks of recovery. It is possible that your bite is off and that can cause significant pain (I had that problem with the bridge I had put in), but that's not a guessing game - they should be able to figure that out (I have TMJ and my bite needs to be carefully monitored and my dentist does that regularly). If the pain has gotten worse since they put on the permanent crown, it could be that it's not fitted properly and needs adjustment. Also, the best thing for tooth pain that I have found is the kid's liquid motrin. It goes right to the area where it's needed right away.

Hi K.,

I have had the same thing happen. I would highly suggest you seek out a specialist to see if any of the roots were missed. My first root canal was done by a general dentist, the second was done by a specialist.., which I probably should have done the first time, because at some point my tooth cracked...which is undetectible by an x-ray, so I am now sporting my implant which is not cheap by any means, however it feels just like my old tooth, except it doesn't hurt anymore finally! BTW, if you need a specialist I highly recommend Karla Ham Bishop at The Endo Group in Frisco ###-###-####. She really goes above and beyond to try to help you!

Best of Luck in getting it resolved ...I know this pain all too well!

K.

K.....I work for a Dentist and I just wanted to let you know that sometimes Root Canal Treatment requires a second treatment. Sometimes the root may be alot longer than the dentist could get to to totally complete the canal treatment. Please ask you dentist if this tooth may need retreatment.....He should agree to do the retreatment or if not send you to an Endodontist so that the problem can be corrected. They will drill a small hole in your crown to gain access to the root again. If the dentist has adjusted your bite several times, then he should address the pain your still having. I hope it all works out. You are smart by going to another dentist for a second opinion. I hope you have some answers soon. Merry Christmas

K.

This wouldn't be 6 Day Dental, would it? If so contact me. Suffice it to say that I had the same experience and after a year of it had to have the root canal redone. It can take a long time for your mouth to recover from the root canal, or so I'm told, but sometimes the initial work wasn't completely successful.

I work for an endodontist which is a root canal specialist. It sounds like you may need to come visit us. While most general dentists mean well, they are simply not trained to handle the harder cases. If you need to call and get an oppinion contact our office at ###-###-####. I look forward to helping you if necessary.

L.