Possible Botched Root Canal- Should I See an Emergency Dentist?

I slipped on a ladder while hanging Christmas lights and banged my front teeth on a rung. There was no pain at first, but I broke one of them very badly. I went to my regular dental office and he prepared the tooth for a crown, but said he wanted to leave the temporary on for a while to see how it would behave. Right after the tooth was prepared, I began feeling immense pain and was told I needed a root canal. Even after that, the pain didn’t stop, so the doctor figured it was coming from the tooth next to it and tells me I need another root canal. While I’m waiting for the appointment, my whole face swells up, and his on-call emergency dentist phones in an antibiotic prescription for me. I finished the prescription and went in for my scheduled root canal, but the pain has been unbearable. Now I have a blister on my gums above the second tooth that got a root canal. My follow-up is in a few days, but I’m worried my dentist botched the root canal and I’m not sure I want to see him again. Should I hold off or find another emergency dentist to visit?

-Thomas

Dear Thomas,

Something is definitely amiss, but it’s difficult to tell what went wrong based on your story. Determining which tooth needs a root canal school never be a guessing game. However, the blister above that tooth is a clear sign that there’s an infection brewing, so it certainly needed one. It’s a shame he didn’t catch that before it became a major problem for you.

It’s also unclear how long you were on antibiotics, and how much time passed between your visits. An emergency dentist can prescribe you more antibiotics, and you’ll need a longer course of them to make sure the infection clears this time. The root canal will need likely need to be redone. It sounds like there’s still infectious tissue inside it, and you’ll continue to get infections until the underlying cause is treated. Once you have started antibiotics again, you have three main options. You can have the emergency dentist evaluate and retreat the tooth, you can see your regular dental office for treatment, or you can seek out a new Elgin dentist for treatment. Ideally, you’ll choose one who specializes in root canals. The third option is probably your best bet, but don’t delay on getting antibiotics started- even if that means seeing an emergency dentist just for a diagnosis.

This blog is sponsored byElgin dentist, Dr. Steve Sirin.