Dental horror story, now I am scared!

[LUVMyBirman]

Sorry for the lenght of this post....

Just had a visit with my new dentist. Let's call him dentist B. He's the most thorough guy you could ask for. He examined the muscles in my face down to the lymph nodes. Even had a little camera to look at each tooth more clearly.

Ended up changing dentists because of poor management over the last two years. About a year ago I had a root canal on a rear molar. After that I required a crown. It exploded almost immediately requiring more intervention. Things went well for about 8 months. Little bubble of blood appeared on my gum next to the tooth commonly called an abscess. Dentist A. said it was just an gum irritation. He treated it with some local antibiotics and sent me on my way. Month later it was still bothering me. He still would not admit that it was infected. Sent me to the periodontist in his office. In the meantime they failed to lose the appointment slip and I had to wait almost two weeks to get in. Peridontist stated he was not certain what it was. They did write me a script for Amox at that point to cover themselves I suppose?

The oral surgeon I consult with (mentioned below) said it was not enough for what I had going on. Still concerned I consult further with the oral surgeon recommended by dentist A. He tells me I have a hole in my jaw bone. Still, not calling it an infection. At this point I just wanted the tooth extracted. Oral surgeon assured me that he would save the tooth. Went ahead and had surgery to clean out the "infection" oral surgeon calls it. Ahhhh someone finally admits it. Do you think this is something that can be hidden? Dentist B. tells me the gum is badly infected today and there is evident decay on the xray. 5 months have gone by since my jaw surgery. I had follow up only 2 months ago with the oral surgeon and he said everything was just fine.

This is the scary part....while I was in Golden... became very chilled. It was warm outside. I did take my temperature and it was normal. Last week I was having pain from my knees down in the evening. Can you tell where I am going with this? Maybe I am being paranoid...but could I have endocarditis and really not know it? They just put me on Clindimycin sp? and I see my new oral surgeon on Friday. New dentist thinks after all this I will lose my tooth. Nice! :

Guess letting my cardio and GP in on this would be a good thing. I am sure they will be finding out next week if oral surgery is scheduled.

Thanks for listening you all!

 

[Michelle]

Oh my goodness Gina

Oh my goodness Gina

Gina,
Be a dog on a bone with this one. Certainly this is not something you need!!
I will be praying for the best possible outcome for you!
Keep us posted!

 

[catwoman]

Gina:

I'm so very sorry you're going through this. Nothing worse than pain in your mouth!

Is there anything you can do about the first dentist?

 

[Nancy]

Gina-

I'm sorry to hear of this problem. I agree that you must call your cardiologist about this and also your Primary.

That being said, I have had two molars that caused a very similar situation. The first one I had a root canal on. It worked for a little while then started to infect again, then had a second root canal because they found a "hidden" root that didn't get rotor rooted. That worked for a little while, then it infected again, and this time I had a root canal from the under side of the tooth to make sure that all of the bottoms of the roots were clean. That worked for another little while, then again infected involving my jaw. Dentist wanted to put in an implanted tooth after I had it pulled, but I said enough is enough, not going to fool around with anything else that could possibly become infected. Had the tooth pulled, and got a little bridge. Everything healed.

Several years later, on the opposite side in the same position, I had to have a root canal. That worked for a little while, then infected. Did it one more time, and it infected again so I had that pulled. Now I have a nicely balanced bridge. Had a fancy one made without the "clips" that hook around your teeth. Has a lot of fancy engineering, but it works.

Dentists used all kinds of exotic microscope cameras to do the last root canal, but it still didn't work.

Can't fight city hall, I guess. It must be something in my jaw or tooth that just wasn't the normal structure. I surely didn't want to fool around with that stuff anymore.

But I don't have a heart condition, and if I did, I would be on the phone to the card. right away.

 

[Hank]

Bacterial Endocarditis Worries

Bacterial Endocarditis Worries

Hey Gina,

My experience was different. I had more than chills, and my temp was 104. My pain was extreme to the point of preferring death.

I think that you should do two things - continue with the antibiotics and try to talk someone into an echo just to be safe. Don't know if it would show anything even if there was a problem, but it would at least make you feel better.

 

[Karlynn]

Check it out Gina! Better to feel a little silly for "over-reacting", than punishing yourself with the "I should haves".

 

[ShezaGirlie]

Yep, yep, yep...

Yep, yep, yep...

I agree with everybody else Gina. Get it checked out and I think I'd also get rid of the troublesome tooth. That way, no problems with it in the future and with a heart valve who needs more problems???

 

[geebee]

Gina,
Echoing everyone else. Never fool with dental issues when you have heart problems. Part of the reason I had surgery earlier than expected was due to dental work done without antibiotics (resulting in endocarditis). I still have dental issues - currently still having pain from an infection which resulted in a root canal 1 week ago. I will probably be going back on antibiotics for this one.
Talk to your cardio or GP. Leg aches can be a sign of endocarditis and temp changes (feeling cold not just having a fever) can also be a sign of infection.
Don't fool with it. To paraphrase - "the fastest way to a person's heart is through the dental system".
Take care,
Gina (also)

 

[MelissaM]

Blood Culture, Please

Blood Culture, Please

Hi Gina,

Glad you made it home safely - it was great meeting you at the reunion. There are two types of endocarditis - acute and subacute. Acute often displays symptoms characterized by Hank - super severe fever and pain you can't ignore. Sub-acute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) is a sneaky little guy that is much more subtle. The type of fellow you can ignore for days. . .weeks. . .months, passing it off as fatigue or isolated incidents of chills, achiness, etc. This is the type of endocarditis I experienced. Call your primary care physician and tell them about your chills (SBE is characterized by a low-grade, sometimes unnoticeable fever, but the chills are a dead giveaway), and the achiness in your joints (this was also one of my primary signs. . .made me feel like taking a hot bath every night to ease the ache), and request a blood culture. Given your history and current situation any good physician should be amenable to this inexpensive test.

Also, try to figure out if you were "chilled" or had the "chills." Chilled just means you are feeling (unexplicably) cold. Getting the chills (rigors) is shaking or trembling that is uncontrollable in reaction to a fever/infection. Night sweats are another sign.

If you get a culture and it turns out negative - stay attentive. There IS such a (rare) thing as endocartitis that doesn't grow bacteria.

Take care and hope this passes uneventfully!

Melissa

 

[Granbonny]

Hi Gina

Hi Gina

I hope everything goes well for you..I finally had my dentist to remove a loose back molar that was crowned and the one next to it..about 9 months ago. Went off of coumadin for one day. No bleeding. Just got tired of them..loose and hurting..when I would get some food underneath them. I can still smile and you cannot see the empty space. A few weeks ago, I got a toothache on opposite side of bottom......I may have bothered it by brushing too hard..but it really hurt..I noticed it..in car when a/c was blowing on my face. A week of Anbesol..and it finally left (pain)..Do you have pain? Did the flight hurt it more?My ear even hurt for a few days..No ..fun..these bad toothaches. ..Take care. Bonnie

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Wow

Wow

Thank you all so much for your responses! Words of wisdom for sure.

Just left a message for my cards nurse. Coumadin nurse was notified earlier. Dentist wanted me to check to make sure I am covered with the proper meds, etc. Oral surgeon appointment is on Friday. So we will go from there.

Thanks again! Will keep you posted.

PS. Nancy, I am so sorry you have had that much trouble. It almost makes me want to ask for a denture

 

[Bryan B]

With SBE, you may also get blood cultures that come back negative if you are currently taking antibiotics (i.e. clindamycin). However a good echo technician will be able to find the vegetation if any exists in your valves. My main symptoms were chills, soaking night sweats, puffy and painful joints, especially in my hands and feet (feet being the worst), fatigue, low grade fever, etc...

My only other comment is that subacute bacterial endocarditis eventually turns into acute bacterial endocarditis. I was in the "transition" phase when they caught mine.

 

[McCln]

Your story reminds me very much of my own over three years. I was getting with a dentist, a new one, to get my mouth check and making sure of no infection, before my surgery. She kept me hanging for four months, she could not tell on the first and second visit if I had infection or not. Then, in the fourth month, she decides that I need $800 work done on the teeth, no mention if there was infection or not. She did have several of my teeth pulled. Then I called one of my cousins in town and she recommended her dentist. He was able to tell me on the first visit if there infection and what other work needed to be done. I paid $600 on the work. And get the infection cleared, all in one month. I lost prececious time and developed CH while I waited on the first dentist to do something. There is always a horror story with dentists.

 

[Sherry]

Oh, goodness, Gina. Quite a lot to ponder. I don't have any experience with BE, but you've gotten pretty thorough advice from the others. I'd let both the GP and cardio know just to be safe. Keep us informed.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Consulted with another oral surgeon yesterday. He tells me there is nothing wrong with the tooth. He felt the original issue was in that the crown was not properly placed, i.e. gum tissue too high hence the "infection".

Though he did not note an infection yesterday. Also popped in on the original surgeon who did my jaw surgery. He said it looked fine other than the gum. No infection. Next step is the peridondist on Monday. Hopefully they can do something with the area.

In the meantime..my INR has dropped dangerously low from the antibiotics. Which is my personal reaction. I am not one to spike on any antibiotic. Since there is no infection.......I am stopping right now. Wonder what dentist B actually saw? They refuse to pull the tooth. They say fix the gum.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on the subject

 

[Shirley]

Gina,

I agree with everyone else to check with your cardiologist. Sometimes root canals fail. My experience with patients has been more like 3-20 years after the first one. In that case it frequently shows up like a little "pimple" on the gums near the root. If that is what is going on it is definitely an infection. By being on the antibiotic that could clear it up and hide it. Usually the oral surgeons and gum specialists are most on top of this sort of thing. However, an endodontist would be the dentist best equipped to retreat if it is a root canal going bad. We have some patients that have had one root of a molar removed and everything else left alone. They have done well with this for years.

Shirley

 

[Rebecca]

Hi, I am one of those people who have had lots of root canals and crowns. My 10th root canal lasted only about a year and then I had the surgery where they clip the tips of roots. I was put under during the in office surgery and went I woke up my nose was bleeding and taped. I was put on lots of oral antibiotics after my first post surgery visit After my 3rd post surgery visit with the oral surgeon he told me he had made a bad situation worst. At my next routine visit with my gyn doctor of 11 years told me my heart didn?t sound right and I should make appointment with my family doctor. I waited ten months before I made my visit to the family doctor of which I found out I have moderate AI Before I went to my family doctor my gum had a pimple that was oozing lots of plus. I went to other oral surgeon who wanted to do a tissue built up. I went for a second opinion to a different oral surgeon who told me it was time to say good by to my back molar and on that day I had my tooth pull. I should have done the pre med but at this time I didn?t know I had moderate AI. I now wish I would have had that tooth pull instead of having surgery. This year my daughter orthodontics told me that he didn?t like using the first oral surgeon that I went to because he did procedures in his office that should not be done as in office. About three years ago I had re root canals done on my two front teeth. At that time I was in a DMO and went out of net work and Aetna DMO paid for it at 100%. I did tell them I could not wait two months to get into a network endodontist and I had already had an antibiotic injection at the doctor?s office.

I would make an appointment with an endodontist to see if they can retreat. It may be time to have your tooth pull. My infection was gone after I had my back molar pulled. Good luck

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Gina, I feel your pain. I have some night mares with Dentist and oral surgeons. My thoughts and prayers are with you !

 

[Sherry]

Gosh, Gina, you sure aren't getting anywhere on this. I agree with you in regard to stopping the antibiotic. I'm getting ready to do a series of crowns in a few months so I'm hoping it's an uneventful process. Maybe not... BTW, check out my new reunion pics. Just got them up last night. Take care.