Re: Long term fistula - other causes ?
- From: mamounjo3@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: 25 Nov 2006 19:15:56 -0800
It's hard to say what the problem is. There is a trick for finding out
where a fistula comes from. The dentist sticks a thin piece of "gutta
percha" into the fistula as far as it will go, then takes an x-ray.
The gutta percha shows up white on the x-ray and it may point directly
to the tooth that is causing the infection, because the fistula is a
drainage pathway from the tooth to the outside, that allows the
infection to drain from the tooth to the outside. Ask your dentist if
he traced the path of the fistula with a gutta percha point. You might
want to see an endodontist (root canal specialist), since they deal
with these types of problems more routinely.
Root canals on 1st bicuspids are sometimes prone to failure because
there may be more than one root in the tooth, and they can be hard to
find. If there is more than one root and it was not treated, a
recurring infection may result. Sometimes, the main problem is with
the tip of the root, and that the tip may need to be treated with an
"apicoectomy" procedure. An endodontist or general dentist could
diagnose the need for this kind of treatment. It is hard to tell just
by looking at it what the source of the infection is, even if the
original root canal material was removed.
Sometimes these things don't show up on the x-ray, and sometimes a
tooth can be dead and infected and not show any signs of that in the
mouth or on the x-ray. In this case, the dentist might just take a
risk and do a root canal on the tooth that seems to be the source of
the fistula, and hopefully the fistula will disappear within a few
weeks after that.
Sometimes also if the crown put on the tooth was crappily made, or if
it later developed a cavity underneath it, it can cause leakage of
bacteria and toxins into the tooth, which can result in a recurring
infection.
That is, if it is a fistula and came from an infected tooth. It is
hard to tell exactly without seeing x-rays and other diagnostic info.
use this advice at your own risk because it is not necessarily
accurate.
david.patrick@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi,
I had root canal treatment around 5 years ago following the death of an
upper right 1st Bicuspid. I never received a satisfactory explanation
for the tooth 'dying' despite good hygiene. I had a crown fitted on
the remains of the tooth.
I have now developed an infection in the cheek side root canal which is
draining through 2 fistulas but is not causing any pain. My dentist has
removed the crown and root fillings and has given me antibiotics to
clear up the infection. I'm going back in a week to investigate the
possibility of re-filling the canals and re-fitting the crown.
Inspection of the root showed no fractures or obvious causes for the
infection.
I've had what I assume to be a fistula adjacent to this tooth for many
years (perhaps as long as 20). Despite repeatedly mentioning it to the
various dentists I've seen over the years, they were never able to see
any signs of trouble on x-rays. The fistula was hard to the touch and
very rarely leaked (if ever). In short, it was there but didn't cause
any discomfort.
I'm concerned that there's something else there that caused this tooth
to die in the first place and I suspect the infection will just recur
if I get the roots filled and the tooth re-crowned. How can I make
sure my dentist gets to the root (pardon the pun) of the problem
without performing an extraction?
Thanks,
David.
.
- References:
- Long term fistula - other causes ?
- From: david . patrick
- Long term fistula - other causes ?
- Prev by Date: Re: Gum seperates from molar?
- Next by Date: Re: Do Dentists make more money than Doctors in USA?
- Previous by thread: Re: Long term fistula - other causes ?
- Next by thread: Numb Tongue
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
|
