Abscess Tooth

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Edited Date/Time 5/23/2012 6:19am
I started having pretty bad jaw pain about a week ago. I went to ENT and she said TMJ which I've had for a long time and knew that wasn't it. May still be but it's a different pain.

Went to dentist yesterday and he said the X-ray was suspicious and that it may be causing the jaw pain but he's leaning toward TMJ also but not real sure.

I am pretty sure there is an infection in my tooth causing the jaw pain and I am just going to go with my gut and get the root canal. He is fine doing it of course and thinks that could be the cause. He's just not real sure and wanted me to wait but it's not getting better and I'm just so tired and weak all the time and the pain in the jaw is not getting any better.

Funny thing is my tooth doesn't really hurt but I heard that can happen. It was very sensitive when he put ice on it though and he made a note about 6 months ago in my chart that it could eventually need a root canal.

I guess the best thing I can do is just get the root canal and see if it makes it better.I know an infection can drain your energy but I have been having energy problems for a long long time now-probably 6 months or more. However, the jaw pain just started out of nowhere and hasn't subsided and I really don't think it's a TMJ flare up because it's just a different pain.

You guys ever have an abscessed tooth that referred to the jaw like that? You ever just feel completely run down because of it or just pain?
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Mr. G
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Mr. G 5/18/2012 6:36pm
5/18/2012 6:36pm
I for one have had a few root canals and of course the root canal is used to fix an "exposed" nerve. It is when a cavity goes far enough for the nerve to be exposed. Put an ice cube on it and see if you have a wild personality shift. Should hurt like a mother. Never had an abscess though. Maybe someone with more data or experience can chime in.
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yzthumpa 5/19/2012 7:57pm
5/19/2012 7:57pm Edited Date/Time 5/19/2012 8:00pm
Hey, retired dentist here. The key to the "cold test" is generally the duration. It's typical to get a brief zing when cold hits a tooth, and if there are a variety of minor issues that cold sensitivity can be more pronounced. But it the cold hits it and the sensitivity persists for like a minute or more, as opposed to 5-10 seconds, that's a common sign that the nerve is fucked. And it is very typical for a lower back tooth to cause pain that radiates throughout the entire jaw. If it is TMJ, one of more common symptoms is that it mimics an earache, as well as causing the jaw pain. Also, in most (but not all) cases, a tooth that is getting infected will be sensitive to tapon or put pressure on. If the tooth was suspicious to the dentist around 6 months ago, and within that time frame the condition has progressed, usually after that amount of time passses there will be visible signs on the radiograph that would indicateapical pathology. In simple terms, there will be a darkened spot visible at the tip of the root when you look at the x-ray. Two bits of advice, speaking in general terms and not throwing other dentists under the bus...First, there are a lot of dentists out there who do shitty root canals, particularly on back teeth which have more roots and thus more canals to clean and seal. You can't go wrong having the root canal done by an endodontist, which is a root canal specialist. He will do a thorough evaluation to better determine if a root canal is in fact necessary, and he will do a MUCH better job than the majority of general dentists out there (for all I know your dentist may be the best root canal guy on the planet, but I'm just speaking in generalizatiions based on 19 years of experience in dentistry). You will pay maybe10-20% more for the root canal, but it will be worth every penny. I practiced with a partner who was the best dentist I know - and he was my dentist and I was his - and we both went to an endodontist when we personally needed a molar root canal and neither of us offended the other by doing so. Secondly, don't bother doing the root canal if you aren't going to follow up with a crown on the tooth. The tooth will be "dead" and thus get brittle after the root canal, and it will eventually break and you'll lose it after wasting money on the root canal if you don't cover it with a crown. A root canal by the endodontist and a crown by your dentist will be costly, but it is still cheaper in the long run than pulling the tooth and replacing it later on with a bridge or implant, so keeping it is a much wiser decision.
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captmoto 5/20/2012 9:56am
5/20/2012 9:56am
Level, how old are you? When was the last time you saw an MD? The fatigue shouldn't be connected to a bad tooth. I've seen and heard of people not feeling well or fatigue and mystery pain and ended up being cardiac related if you are over say, 40. (fireman/paramedic 30 years)
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BUTCH 5/20/2012 12:37pm
5/20/2012 12:37pm
Good call capt!

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MX45 5/21/2012 2:14am
5/21/2012 2:14am
I had an abscess under a wisdom tooth that needed pulled anyway. My entire side of my face and head felt like it was in a 10-ton vice the days leading up to going to the dentist (I put off the visit until I couldnt take it - that was dumb to suffer for so long!). I was sent home with antibiotics and scheduled the extraction for first thing monday. The antibiotics kicked in immediately and took the pain down to "normal".
Just my own experience here, but pulling teeth is indeed NOT like pulling teeth. It ended up being easy and painless (but really weird feeling your tooth pulled out of your jaw bone). I have a good dentist though.
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level 5/21/2012 11:24am
5/21/2012 11:24am
I thought about the fatigue being cardiac related so I need to get that checked.

The weird thing is that I have been sick about every 25-30 days since November. It is mostly low grade fevers, sinus related, bad headaches, ear fullness, etc.

I have seen multiple doctors and nobody knows what is going on. The dentist I saw said there was a dark spot on the xray-I saw it but it wasn't blazingly obvious. I really don't have much tooth pain either.

My jaw has just been hurting so bad and then my throat started hurting yesterday. I went to urgent care today and they said I have tons of yellow stuff in my throat and as soon as the doctor saw it he said I had strep throat.

I'm like what the fuck is going on with me? I just can't seem to get better.

I'm getting the root canal done tomorrow. I am just going to spend the money to do it. I am just willing to try anything at this point. Maybe there is an infection there that just keeps resurfacing.

I am to the point where I mentally can't take it anymore. It's mentally and physically exhausting being sick like this so much and nobody can tell me why.

I keep a medical record of every time I get sick or go to the doctor and it has been about every 25-30 days since November. I have taken so much time off work since then mostly from the fatigue.

I just don't know what to do anymore. Sinus X-rays and cat scans come back completely normal. Once when I was sick about 3 months ago I had a cat scan done on my sinuses and it was clear and 2 weeks later I got really sick and my sinus culture tested positive for bacterial infection. Antibiotics cleared it right up and 3 weeks after that I got sick again with a viral infection. Now it's 3-4 weeks again and I have jaw pain and strep throat.

I just don't know what to do. Doctors are of little help unless it's just staring them right in the face. Most my issues seem to be sinus related though and I know when your body is constantly fighting an infection it can make you feel weak and tired.
Motocross83 5/21/2012 12:44pm
5/21/2012 12:44pm
I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that, it sounds horrible.

I had a root canal done last year. Originally I had put it off and put it off for a good 6 or 7 months (I'm scared of dentists), just eating on the good side, taking pain killers etc. Well, as you can imagine when the pain finally came... To this day I have never felt anything quite like it, not even braking a bone felt as bad. I'm a full grown man and yet I was close to tears, that's how painful it was. To make matters worse it was one of the big molars at the back. I even tried removing it myself with a pair of pliers such was the desperation. I just wanted the thing out of my head as fast as humanly possible. Thankfully they were able to safe it. But yeah, they can cause you unbelievable pain if left unattended. Sounds to me like your jaw is getting reinfected.

On another note my brother-in-laws brother had a very bad spell a few years ago. Terrible jaw pain, head aches, he even had loss of feeling, basically loads of weird symptoms. Didn't know what the hell it was, where it had come etc. You can imagine the stress. Anyway in the end it turned out that he had been grinding his teeth during his sleep! That's all it was. I think they gave him something to wear in the end. Obviously I'm not a doctor or dentist, and I'm not saying it is that (alone it doesn't explain the infection). However it might be worth raising if the problem persists and you hit a dead wall with any other solution.
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yzthumpa 5/21/2012 2:40pm
5/21/2012 2:40pm
Motocross83 wrote:
I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that, it sounds horrible. I had a root canal done last year. Originally I had put it off...
I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that, it sounds horrible.

I had a root canal done last year. Originally I had put it off and put it off for a good 6 or 7 months (I'm scared of dentists), just eating on the good side, taking pain killers etc. Well, as you can imagine when the pain finally came... To this day I have never felt anything quite like it, not even braking a bone felt as bad. I'm a full grown man and yet I was close to tears, that's how painful it was. To make matters worse it was one of the big molars at the back. I even tried removing it myself with a pair of pliers such was the desperation. I just wanted the thing out of my head as fast as humanly possible. Thankfully they were able to safe it. But yeah, they can cause you unbelievable pain if left unattended. Sounds to me like your jaw is getting reinfected.

On another note my brother-in-laws brother had a very bad spell a few years ago. Terrible jaw pain, head aches, he even had loss of feeling, basically loads of weird symptoms. Didn't know what the hell it was, where it had come etc. You can imagine the stress. Anyway in the end it turned out that he had been grinding his teeth during his sleep! That's all it was. I think they gave him something to wear in the end. Obviously I'm not a doctor or dentist, and I'm not saying it is that (alone it doesn't explain the infection). However it might be worth raising if the problem persists and you hit a dead wall with any other solution.
The most common source of TMJ problems (which can cause the headaches, earaches, jaw pain, neck pain, etc.) is bruxism, which is grinding or clenching, usually during the night though some do it during the day as well. And in most cases a simple mouth guard can clear up the symptoms in a matter of days or a couple weeks. So many doctors or dentists try to over- treat TMJ, even doing surgery and causing bigger problems. In most cases you simply put an end to the grinding and the problems disappear.
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level 5/21/2012 3:30pm
5/21/2012 3:30pm
Yeah, I have TMJ but I honestly don't think that is what is causing the jaw pain. The ENT said it was but I know TMJ pain and this is a different pain. That's what irritates me about the doctors. There just so quick to point out the easiest diagnoses and take in account issues going on for 6 months should lead her to look further.

That is why I went to the dentist because abscess tooth was the next thing to think of for jaw pain. I had a huge shot of antibiotics in my ass at urgent care today and today is the first day my jaw hasn't hurt in almost 2 weeks. That tells me right there an infection but I don't know why there is an infection or where it keeps coming from. Now throw the strep on top of that and I am at a complete loss to what is going on.

I'm getting the root canal done in the morning so once he gets in there he will be able to tell if it's really infected or not.

If I get sick again, then I don't know what I'm going to do.
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RonSkj 5/21/2012 3:38pm
5/21/2012 3:38pm
Unsure Whats TMJ ??
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FLmxer 5/21/2012 7:56pm
5/21/2012 7:56pm
Had a route canal and crown today, second one in a short while. He tore the corner of my mouth so bad and it feels like I got punched in the jaw. I hope to feel better in a few days. Good luck with yours and hope you get the health issue figured out.
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BUTCH 5/21/2012 8:10pm
5/21/2012 8:10pm
I feel for ya Level, hope you get things figured out.
Motocross83 5/22/2012 12:12am
5/22/2012 12:12am
Motocross83 wrote:
I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that, it sounds horrible. I had a root canal done last year. Originally I had put it off...
I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that, it sounds horrible.

I had a root canal done last year. Originally I had put it off and put it off for a good 6 or 7 months (I'm scared of dentists), just eating on the good side, taking pain killers etc. Well, as you can imagine when the pain finally came... To this day I have never felt anything quite like it, not even braking a bone felt as bad. I'm a full grown man and yet I was close to tears, that's how painful it was. To make matters worse it was one of the big molars at the back. I even tried removing it myself with a pair of pliers such was the desperation. I just wanted the thing out of my head as fast as humanly possible. Thankfully they were able to safe it. But yeah, they can cause you unbelievable pain if left unattended. Sounds to me like your jaw is getting reinfected.

On another note my brother-in-laws brother had a very bad spell a few years ago. Terrible jaw pain, head aches, he even had loss of feeling, basically loads of weird symptoms. Didn't know what the hell it was, where it had come etc. You can imagine the stress. Anyway in the end it turned out that he had been grinding his teeth during his sleep! That's all it was. I think they gave him something to wear in the end. Obviously I'm not a doctor or dentist, and I'm not saying it is that (alone it doesn't explain the infection). However it might be worth raising if the problem persists and you hit a dead wall with any other solution.
yzthumpa wrote:
The most common source of TMJ problems (which can cause the headaches, earaches, jaw pain, neck pain, etc.) is bruxism, which is grinding or clenching, usually...
The most common source of TMJ problems (which can cause the headaches, earaches, jaw pain, neck pain, etc.) is bruxism, which is grinding or clenching, usually during the night though some do it during the day as well. And in most cases a simple mouth guard can clear up the symptoms in a matter of days or a couple weeks. So many doctors or dentists try to over- treat TMJ, even doing surgery and causing bigger problems. In most cases you simply put an end to the grinding and the problems disappear.
Ah right I see. I didn't realise it was at all connected with TMJ. What you describe there does indeed sound like exactly what he had.

Good luck today level.
yzthumpa
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yzthumpa 5/22/2012 10:01am
5/22/2012 10:01am
Motocross83 wrote:
I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that, it sounds horrible. I had a root canal done last year. Originally I had put it off...
I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that, it sounds horrible.

I had a root canal done last year. Originally I had put it off and put it off for a good 6 or 7 months (I'm scared of dentists), just eating on the good side, taking pain killers etc. Well, as you can imagine when the pain finally came... To this day I have never felt anything quite like it, not even braking a bone felt as bad. I'm a full grown man and yet I was close to tears, that's how painful it was. To make matters worse it was one of the big molars at the back. I even tried removing it myself with a pair of pliers such was the desperation. I just wanted the thing out of my head as fast as humanly possible. Thankfully they were able to safe it. But yeah, they can cause you unbelievable pain if left unattended. Sounds to me like your jaw is getting reinfected.

On another note my brother-in-laws brother had a very bad spell a few years ago. Terrible jaw pain, head aches, he even had loss of feeling, basically loads of weird symptoms. Didn't know what the hell it was, where it had come etc. You can imagine the stress. Anyway in the end it turned out that he had been grinding his teeth during his sleep! That's all it was. I think they gave him something to wear in the end. Obviously I'm not a doctor or dentist, and I'm not saying it is that (alone it doesn't explain the infection). However it might be worth raising if the problem persists and you hit a dead wall with any other solution.
yzthumpa wrote:
The most common source of TMJ problems (which can cause the headaches, earaches, jaw pain, neck pain, etc.) is bruxism, which is grinding or clenching, usually...
The most common source of TMJ problems (which can cause the headaches, earaches, jaw pain, neck pain, etc.) is bruxism, which is grinding or clenching, usually during the night though some do it during the day as well. And in most cases a simple mouth guard can clear up the symptoms in a matter of days or a couple weeks. So many doctors or dentists try to over- treat TMJ, even doing surgery and causing bigger problems. In most cases you simply put an end to the grinding and the problems disappear.
Motocross83 wrote:
Ah right I see. I didn't realise it was at all connected with TMJ. What you describe there does indeed sound like exactly what he had...
Ah right I see. I didn't realise it was at all connected with TMJ. What you describe there does indeed sound like exactly what he had.

Good luck today level.
To elaborte a bit more, I'll give an example of a tooth that has had a filling or a crown done on it, and the dentist doesn't properly adjust it so it sits a bit higher than the rest of the teeth (and I'm talking like the thickness of a couple pieces of paper, sometong barely perceptible). Now every time your teeth meet, this tooth touches first so it induces trauma to that tooth. This will inflame the ligament that holds the tooth into the jawbone, so within days the tooth becomes very sensitive to bite on or even to touch. Then this gets the nerve inflamed, so when cold hits it you see stars (mimics the symptoms of a tooth that is starting to abscess). Now since this tooth sits microns higher than the rest, you have a natural inclination to start grinding your teeth together (and usually aren't aware you are doing it), so now the TMJ gets inflamed. You get what feels like an earache, your whole jaw starts hurting, you getheadaches that feel like migraines to the point of nausea, and your neck muscles start hurting like if you slept on it wrong. You start feeling fatigued, which mimics being run down from chronic infection, but actually its from sleeping poorly because you are in pain.
In most cases, if the tooth is sensitive to cold, to bite, and your jaw hurts, the nerve is going bad or abscessing and a root canal takes care of it. But you'd be surprised how TMJ can make your life hell, and how something so minor as grinding or your bite being slightly off can bring on TMJ problems.
gabrielmalinois 5/22/2012 10:34am
5/22/2012 10:34am
I had to get a back tooth pulled a couple of weeks ago because it had a crack that was too deep to repair. The endodontist that was examining it said he has seen a significant increase in clenching / grinding problems in the last year or so which can be a result of stress.
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level 5/22/2012 1:19pm
5/22/2012 1:19pm
I've had TMJ for a long time. I have also had extensive dental work and a lot of bite adjustments over the years. I mean a lot. My teeth are practically flat on the bottom from so many adjustments. I got to the point where I finally felt my bite was right.

I got a new night guard made so maybe that will help out. This was just a different type jaw pain then I'm use to with TMJ.

I had the root canal done today. It was 3 roots that had to be taken out and filled with Gutta Percha. I will follow up in 2 weeks and get the temporary and then permanent crown.

I ran a fever last night. My body is just always getting sick and it all seems to be related to sinus issues or a chronic type infection. It's just very odd.

I think if my body is trying to always fight an infection that is present and is not being taken care of then I am more suspectible to getting sicker easier hence the strep throat, etc.

The root canal wasn't bad and didn't show a whole bunch of signs of infection but he did see something going on up there. There was very little blood that came out which means the lack of blood coming out of the root is an indication just as well if there is a lot of blood. I am just willing to try anything at this point that's why I did the root canal even though I'm not real sure I needed it.

Thanks for the words of encouragement moto bro's. It's frustrating to say the least and I appreciate the kind words.
captmoto
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captmoto 5/22/2012 11:16pm
5/22/2012 11:16pm
Maybe time for an internal medicine doc, something beyond a GP doc?
Mr. G
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Mr. G 5/23/2012 4:29am
5/23/2012 4:29am
yzthumpa wrote:
To elaborte a bit more, I'll give an example of a tooth that has had a filling or a crown done on it, and the dentist...
To elaborte a bit more, I'll give an example of a tooth that has had a filling or a crown done on it, and the dentist doesn't properly adjust it so it sits a bit higher than the rest of the teeth (and I'm talking like the thickness of a couple pieces of paper, sometong barely perceptible). Now every time your teeth meet, this tooth touches first so it induces trauma to that tooth. This will inflame the ligament that holds the tooth into the jawbone, so within days the tooth becomes very sensitive to bite on or even to touch. Then this gets the nerve inflamed, so when cold hits it you see stars (mimics the symptoms of a tooth that is starting to abscess). Now since this tooth sits microns higher than the rest, you have a natural inclination to start grinding your teeth together (and usually aren't aware you are doing it), so now the TMJ gets inflamed. You get what feels like an earache, your whole jaw starts hurting, you getheadaches that feel like migraines to the point of nausea, and your neck muscles start hurting like if you slept on it wrong. You start feeling fatigued, which mimics being run down from chronic infection, but actually its from sleeping poorly because you are in pain.
In most cases, if the tooth is sensitive to cold, to bite, and your jaw hurts, the nerve is going bad or abscessing and a root canal takes care of it. But you'd be surprised how TMJ can make your life hell, and how something so minor as grinding or your bite being slightly off can bring on TMJ problems.
It is good to have a dentist (albeit retired) on this board. You may get a lot of questions. But look at the bright side, nobody will be able to argue with you.Smile

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yzthumpa
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yzthumpa 5/23/2012 6:14am
5/23/2012 6:14am
level wrote:
I've had TMJ for a long time. I have also had extensive dental work and a lot of bite adjustments over the years. I mean a...
I've had TMJ for a long time. I have also had extensive dental work and a lot of bite adjustments over the years. I mean a lot. My teeth are practically flat on the bottom from so many adjustments. I got to the point where I finally felt my bite was right.

I got a new night guard made so maybe that will help out. This was just a different type jaw pain then I'm use to with TMJ.

I had the root canal done today. It was 3 roots that had to be taken out and filled with Gutta Percha. I will follow up in 2 weeks and get the temporary and then permanent crown.

I ran a fever last night. My body is just always getting sick and it all seems to be related to sinus issues or a chronic type infection. It's just very odd.

I think if my body is trying to always fight an infection that is present and is not being taken care of then I am more suspectible to getting sicker easier hence the strep throat, etc.

The root canal wasn't bad and didn't show a whole bunch of signs of infection but he did see something going on up there. There was very little blood that came out which means the lack of blood coming out of the root is an indication just as well if there is a lot of blood. I am just willing to try anything at this point that's why I did the root canal even though I'm not real sure I needed it.

Thanks for the words of encouragement moto bro's. It's frustrating to say the least and I appreciate the kind words.
If there was very little blood, that is a sign that the pulp was pretty much dead. The pulp sits inside the roots, and that contains the nerve and blood vessels. When they do a root canal, they clean out the pulp, leaving the roots hollow, then seal up that space with the gutta percha, thus eliminating any space for bacteria to set up shop in the roots. When a nerve first starts going bad, it will have inflammation, in which case it will bleed a lot more when you open the tooth. If there is very little blood, it has advanced to the point where the pulp has pretty much died. Either case means a root canal is necessary. In a lot of cases, a tooth will be chronically infected for years and almost never cause problems because the nerve is dead, such as it flares up, you take antibiotics and it gets you through a rough patch, the toothache goes away, but the infection just lingers on forever until you get the root canal or extract the tooth. Your body can react to this long-term low grade infection. In other cases your face swells up and you have an acute infection that you must take care of immediately.
I hope the root canal takes care of your problems. It may or may not have been the source of ALL of your trouble, but from the sounds of it, it was certainly at least a contributing factor.
yzthumpa
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yzthumpa 5/23/2012 6:19am
5/23/2012 6:19am
yzthumpa wrote:
To elaborte a bit more, I'll give an example of a tooth that has had a filling or a crown done on it, and the dentist...
To elaborte a bit more, I'll give an example of a tooth that has had a filling or a crown done on it, and the dentist doesn't properly adjust it so it sits a bit higher than the rest of the teeth (and I'm talking like the thickness of a couple pieces of paper, sometong barely perceptible). Now every time your teeth meet, this tooth touches first so it induces trauma to that tooth. This will inflame the ligament that holds the tooth into the jawbone, so within days the tooth becomes very sensitive to bite on or even to touch. Then this gets the nerve inflamed, so when cold hits it you see stars (mimics the symptoms of a tooth that is starting to abscess). Now since this tooth sits microns higher than the rest, you have a natural inclination to start grinding your teeth together (and usually aren't aware you are doing it), so now the TMJ gets inflamed. You get what feels like an earache, your whole jaw starts hurting, you getheadaches that feel like migraines to the point of nausea, and your neck muscles start hurting like if you slept on it wrong. You start feeling fatigued, which mimics being run down from chronic infection, but actually its from sleeping poorly because you are in pain.
In most cases, if the tooth is sensitive to cold, to bite, and your jaw hurts, the nerve is going bad or abscessing and a root canal takes care of it. But you'd be surprised how TMJ can make your life hell, and how something so minor as grinding or your bite being slightly off can bring on TMJ problems.
Mr. G wrote:
It is good to have a dentist (albeit retired) on this board. You may get a lot of questions. But look at the bright side, nobody...
It is good to have a dentist (albeit retired) on this board. You may get a lot of questions. But look at the bright side, nobody will be able to argue with you.Smile
I'm happy to offer advice at any time. I once got banned from a health forum. It was a message board for people with dental problems, and they didn't want dentists on there. People would answer each others' questions and there was so much misinformation on there it was beyond ridiculous. I started giving proper answers, and got a barrage of questions from people who were thrilled to have me on there. The moderator got pissed and kicked me out. I joined under a new name, lasted another couple days, then got my ip address banned, lol.

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