Tag Archives: tooth extraction

Emergency Dentist

Death from Tooth Infection

I have a toothache and went to see the dentist. He told me I had a tooth infection and needed a root canal treatment. I’m quite busy at the moment. I’ve had other infections, such as a sinus infection that I just sort of put up with and it eventually healed itself. I suggested this to my dentist and he said, and I quote, “That’s a good way to die.” Seriously?! Is he serious or just trying to scare me into getting the treatment?

Andrew

Dear Andrew,

Woman holding her jaw from a toothache

I am glad you wrote. I know it would be easy to feel like your dentist is using scare tactics to get your business. In this case, however, he is right. A tooth infection is different from other types of infections. With a tooth infection, the pulp inside the tooth dies. When that happens, even antibiotics won’t help because there is no longer any blood flow to get the medicine there.

In the meantime, the infection continues to spread. Your jaw is quite close to your heart, lungs, throat, and even brain. You do not want the infection reaching there. Each year, there are between six to ten deaths from untreated tooth infections.

The only way to get rid of an infected tooth is for a dentist to physically remove the infected pulp. That can be done with either a root canal treatment or tooth extraction. A root canal treatment will save the tooth. If you end up having to extract the tooth, then you’ll need to replace it. This is just for the sake of your appearance. It’s because the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the empty space.

If you do end up needing a tooth replacement, I recommend a dental implant. It is the closest thing to a healthy natural tooth. However, if you get treatment soon enough, you should be able to just get a root canal treatment and not have to worry about that.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Dental Emergency

Why Aren’t My Antibiotics Working?

I had what I thought was a sinus infection. My doctor just called me in an antibiotic because I get them all the time. However, I realized the next day that a tooth was seriously hurting. I figured the antibiotics would work either way, but they are not. The tooth felt better for a short period of time and then started hurting again. It hasn’t improved since. Are you supposed to take a different antibiotic for tooth infections than you would for a sinus infection?

Brandon

Dear Brandon,

Woman holding her jaw from a toothache

While I don’t know what type of antibiotic you used, that is not the main problem for why you are not healing. Antibiotics are used for tooth infections, but only to help get the infection under control. Antibiotics cannot cure an infected tooth. The only way to do that is for a dentist to remove the damaged pulp. Yours will begin to spread, which is why toothaches are considered dental emergencies.

There are two ways to do that. First, with a root canal treatment. This is the ideal option because it can save most of your tooth. The other way to deal with an infected tooth is to extract it. Once a tooth is extracted, it will need to be replaced.

If it is left as an open area, the other teeth will drift or tip into that spot, which will throw off your bite and lead to painful TMJ Disorder. Replacing the tooth, with a dental implant will protect your bite. It is also a very nice tooth replacement that will look, feel, and function just like your natural tooth structure.

Don’t put off getting this looked at by a dentist to get the right treatment. Tooth infections spread outside of the jaw. When lift untreated, they can become life threatening. People still die from tooth infections every year. Plus, the sooner you get in with your dentist, the better chance you have to save your tooth.

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Emergency Dentist

Does a Tooth Infection HAVE to be Treated?

I have a tooth infection and my jaw is a bit swollen. Everyone is saying that I need to go to the dentist, but even though it hurts, I feel confident it will go away. I get sinus infections all the time and they go away with antibiotics. I have some left over that I’m taking, but my sister is driving me crazy about this and keeps telling me what I’m doing is dangerous. Can you tell her that it will be fine and will work itself out?

Murray

Dear Murray,

Man in pain, grabbing his cheek in need of emergency dental care.

Tooth infections are a bit different because at some point the pulp inside the tooth dies and then the antibiotics can not get to the infected part of the tooth. That infection spills out to other parts of the body. A dentist has to physically remove the infected pulp. There are only two ways to fully treat a tooth infection. The first is with a root canal treatment, which is ideal because it saves your tooth. The second is to extract the tooth.

While the antibiotics may help you feel better for a bit and hold the infection at bay, once they run out the infection will flair back up. People die every year from untreated tooth infections because they mistakenly believe it is no big deal.

If your jaw is swollen then yours is already spreading and you have a dental emergency. I do think that you need to see a dentist. Hopefully, a root canal treatment will be sufficient. If not, then you’ll need to extract the tooth. It will also be important that you replace the tooth as well. Otherwise the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the empty space, which will end up causing your bite to be thrown off. If you do need to replace the tooth, I recommend a dental implant. It is the closest thing to having a healthy natural tooth.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Emergency Dentist

A Tooth Infection is Dangerous

I had a molar break about a month and a half ago. I did not have money to deal with it. Recently, I’ve been having pains in my cheeks, sinuses and temple on the side of the mouth with the broken tooth. This morning I woke up with pain in my neck, also on the side of the tooth. Do you think this is related? My sister thinks it is an infection. Is this dangerous? I tend to avoid dentists both because of the cost and the fact that I have never had a pleasant experience at the dentist. So, if there is an antibiotic I can use, I’d rather go that route.

Analisa

Dear Analisa,

Woman holding her jaw from a toothache

I am sorry this is happening to you. Before I talk about your tooth infection, I want to let you know ahead of time that I do have a solution for your negative experiences at the dentist. I want you aware of that so you do not panic.

Yes, you do have a tooth infection and it is spreading. It is dangerous. Yours has already spread up to your temple and your neck. Here are some things that can happen if it is not treated, all of which are life-threatening. It can spread to your brain. Your neck can swell up closing your breathing passage. It can continue past your neck and spread to your heart. I know it sounds crazy, but people die every year from an untreated tooth infection.

Unfortunately, an antibiotic won’t help. The most it can do is temporarily stave off the infection. It will not cure it. This is because it can only reach the part of the infection that has spilled out of your tooth. The only way to treat this is either with a root canal treatment or a tooth extraction.

Both of those probably sound very scary to you. I am going to recommend, especially because of your history, that you see a sedation dentist. They can provide you with a pill that will completely relax you during your treatment. In fact, many people call it sleep dentistry because you can sleep through your treatment if you want to.

Please don’t put off getting this tooth treated. It is a dental emergency and I do not want you turning into another statistic.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Dental Emergency

Dentist Won’t Remove My Tooth

I have been having a lot of dental work done. I recently had two root canals done. One of them has never felt quite right. I have a wisdom tooth that is infected and my dentist wants to remove it. I’m all for that. However, I also want to remove the tooth that had the root canal treatment. He won’t do it. I’m waiting until I can get both done. Is there anything I can say to convince him to take that tooth out?

Stacey

Dear Stacey,

A woman holding her jaw in pain

While I am sure you can find a dentist who would be willing to take out the extra tooth that you would like removed, I’m not sure you want to do that. If your dentist thought the tooth was infected, he would certainly take it out. After all, he would make more money taking out an extra tooth. So why is he saying no? The only reason I can think of is he has integrity and is not willing to take your money unnecessarily. In all honesty, I think that is something to be grateful for.

Please don’t put off getting that infected wisdom tooth removed. A tooth infection is serious and will spread. If you think about how close your jaw is to your heart, you do not want the infection reaching there. You are putting yourself in serious risk by holding out to try to convince him to do this other tooth.

If you still want to insist on having both removed, as I said earlier, I am sure you can find a dentist willing to take your money.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Family Dentist

Angry with Pediatric Dentist

I am so upset right now I am shaking. I had my daughter in for a checkup and he told me there is a cavity on a back tooth and he’ll need to do a pulpotomy. I had some questions. First, what is a pulpotomy? Second, why can’t we just do a filling? Third, if it is a baby tooth, why can’t we just extract it and let the adult one come in? Rather than answer ANY of my questions he said, “Do you ever get tired of questioning experts all the time? Maybe you should trust I am the dentist and know what I’m doing.” I don’t think my questions were unreasonable. AND this is MY child. Not his. Would you mind answering the questions for me so I can decide what to do?

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

Four Smiling Children

I am sorry that you were treated this way. I will be happy to answer your questions. Before I do, I am going to suggest you find another dentist for your daughter. You need someone who is on your side and willing to answer every single question and concern you have. It does not have to be a pediatric dentist. There are family dentists who treat both adults and children. Now for your questions.

A pulpotomy is a child’s version of a root canal treatment. They are less involved than the adult versions. It is typically reserved for back teeth and is a last resort at saving the tooth that is infected. This leads to your second question.

If it is a matter of a simple cavity, then a filling will be all she needs. I recommend mercury-free composite fillings as the safest option. Once the cavity spreads to about 30% of the tooth, then a filling will not be enough and you would have to get her a dental crown.

Only if the tooth is infected would you do a pulpotomy. You did not mention that your daughter had an infection in the tooth, just a cavity, so that makes me wonder. It may be in her best interest to get a second opinion.

Your final question was a good one as well. In some cases, it is fine to just extract a baby tooth and wait for the adult tooth to make its appearance. Back molars are different. They have to last until your child is around twelve years of age. Otherwise, that space is left open for too long waiting on the adult molars. The adjacent teeth drift or tip into the spot. When the adult teeth finally do arrive, there is not enough room for them, which leads to crowding and the need for orthodontics.

If a back tooth does have to be extracted, her dentist would need to put a space maintainer there in order to keep the rest of the teeth in place until her adult tooth arises.

I hope this helps.
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Dental Emergency

How Long Can I Put Off a Root Canal Treatment?

I have a tooth that needs a root canal treatment. My wife thinks it is urgent and I need to get it checked right away. There is absolutely no pain from this and I think it can wait, especially since I’ve been laid off. If I absolutely had to, I could take money out of savings and deal with this, but I would rather wait until I had some income again. Is that possible? My wife is absolutely certain I am going to die from this if I don’t see a dentist.

David

Dear David,

Man in pain, grabbing his cheek in need of emergency dental care.

I cannot give you hard and fast numbers, but there are some general guidelines that apply here. First, though, let me explain why your wife is so worried. Believe it or not, there are still people who die from tooth infections. There was a fairly recent case that made the news about a truck driver who died from his tooth. He’d planned on getting an appointment but was too late. That being said, not every infected tooth has to be seen right away. It depends on if it is an active or latent tooth infection.

Signs of an active tooth infection:

  • Current or recent pain
  • Drainage by the infected tooth
  • A pimple on your gums

Any of the above tells me you need to be seen by your dentist and have the root canal treatment done. On the other hand, if your tooth has no pain at all and has not for a while, then you have a latent infection and can afford to put off your root canal treatment for a bit. If the pain returns, call your dentist right away to schedule an emergency appointment.

Is there a risk in waiting?

There are a couple of risks here. One is that the tooth infection blows up quickly causing you to need a more invasive treatment than would have been necessary. A second issue is that your tooth doesn’t hurt for years, but because of what was going on in the background you end up with root absorption and your tooth can no longer be saved. Then, instead of a simple root canal treatment, you end up with a tooth extraction and the cost of a tooth replacement, such as a dental implant.

If you’re in no pain whatsoever, wait and see if the job situation turns around. If it looks like this may be a long-term problem, go ahead and get the treatment while it is simple.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Sedation Dentistry

Should an Oral Surgeon Do This Extraction?

I had a tooth that I neglected years ago because of a phobia I have with dentists. When the pain became too much to bear I went to see somoene who did a root canal treatment. As expected, the appointment was a nightmare. I did not follow through with the dental crown and neither did the dentist. At the time, I considered that a blessing. Now, the tooth is so far gone that it broke. I went to see a different dentist and he said it is infected and needs to be extracted. He gave me two options because of the state of the tooth. I could do it with him using a local or with an oral surgeon using anesthesia. I was tempted to go with the anesthesia because at least it would be pain free. But, the cost is way more than I can do and the oral surgeon wants payment up front. Here is my question. Am I putting myself at risk by doing this with the dentist? If so, I guess I could try to get a loan to use the oral surgeon.

Dennis

Dear Dennis,

woman asleep in the dental chair from dental sedation

There should not be a reason that a dentist could not do this extraction for you in complete safety. However, that does not mean the dentist you saw is qualified or comfortable doing it. The fact that he suggested an oral surgeon tells me he is not. Plus, given your dental anxiety I do not think a local alone will be enough.

My suggestion is that you see a sedation dentist. They can provide you with oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill but strong enough where you can sleep through the entire procedure pain-free. Be aware that you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment.

The really great news is people in your situation, with anxiety of the dentist, have found that using dental sedation has changed their lives. They’re not only able to get the help they need without fear, but are able to stay on top of their dental care from then forward.

I hope this gives you some confidence.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Emergency Dentist

Antibiotics and a Tooth Infection

I went to see a dentist because of serious pain I was having along with swelling in my cheek that went all the way up to my eye. He said I have a massive infection and gave me some antibiotics. I have been taking them. The infection seemed to be getting better but then got worse again. Now I am out of antibiotics. Do I just call to get a refill or is something else going on?

Morgan

Dear Morgan,

Man in pain, grabbing his cheek in need of emergency dental care.

Are you certain the dentist you went to didn’t tell you to make a follow-up appointment? Antibiotics alone do not cure a tooth infection the way they do with other types of bacterial infections. Instead, they just keep the infection from spreading. The reason tooth infections are different is because, at some point, the pulp inside the tooth dies. This means there is no longer any blood flow to get the antibiotic to the infected tissue.

This means while the infection will seem to improve for a bit, without completing the treatment the infection will return. When that happens, it is dangerous and considered a dental emergency. This is where you are now.

The Solution to a Tooth Infection

The only way to truly solve a tooth infection is to remove the infected pulp. A dentist can do this two ways. The first is a root canal treatment. This is what you want because it will save your tooth. If that doesn’t work or it is too late to save the tooth, your next option is a tooth extraction.

If you end up having to extract the tooth, you’ll also want to replace it. Because you lose the root of your tooth when you have an extraction, you will want to replace that root. The only tooth replacement that does this is a dental implant. Without replacing the root, the minerals in the jawbone where the tooth was will begin to resorb and the bone in that area begins to disappear.

Bottom line, this is serious. Get to a dentist right away and get this treated.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Affordable Dentistry

Can’t Afford Tooth Care

I have had a decaying wisdom tooth for some time. I just don’t have money for the dentist. Lately, though the pain is going up my cheekbone toward my eye. Because it is not just in my tooth, do you think I could get antibiotics for a doctor for the infection? I have medical insurance, but not dental insurance.

Eric

Dear Eric,

Man in pain, grabbing his cheek in need of emergency dental care.

I don’t want you to mess around with this. Believe it or not, people still die from tooth infections. While you could go to your doctor and he might give you an antibiotic, all that will do is hold the infection back for a short time. As soon as the antibiotic finishes, the infection will flare back up.

Dental infections are different than other types because once the pulp of the tooth is infected and dies there is no blood flow in the tooth. The antibiotic cannot reach the root of the infection. The only way to “heal” a tooth infection is to physically remove the infected pulp.

Normally, if the tooth can be saved, the best treatment option will be a root canal treatment. However, with a wisdom tooth you would just extract it.

Affording Dental Care

I know that does not mean you have any more money. However, I want you to think about what will happen when this infection spreads. It is already moving up your cheek. It is not too far from there to your brain. An infection like that will be life-threatening.

One thing I would do is look for a dentist who advertises as an affordable dentist. This almost always means they are willing to work out payment options for patients. That will especially be likely in a situation such as yours where there is an urgent care situation.

Another option, if you can’t find a dentist willing to work with you is to work through Care Credit. This is a medical credit card that will pay for your care and allow you to pay it off. You have to have reasonable credit, but if you qualify their terms are remarkably good.

Please don’t put this off.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.