Hello!
I am 22 years old. My problems began when my dentist removed the nerve from my upper central incisor. After removing the nerve, she filled the tooth with filling material. Soon afterwards the tooth began to hurt and a pus-filled bump also developed above it. First she prescribed an antibiotic, but it did not help. She then opened the tooth and placed medication in it because there was supposedly a reaction to the filling material. At the next examination the tooth still hurt (it hurt when I tapped on it). The dentist decided to change the medication once again. I went back for another check-up and the pain was still the same. This time the dentist thought the pain might be caused by overload of the tooth, so she ground it down at the critical points to relieve it. The problem is that now the central incisor hurts even more and, in addition, the lateral incisor and canine have also started to hurt. It hurts when I tap on the tooth, but it does not hurt when I bite. This has been going on for a whole year. I am seriously worried because I do not know what is causing the pain or how this will end, so I ask for your opinion and advice.
Thank you in advance for your answer!
Kind regards!
Olga

Question

Accepted Answer

Dear Olga!
You describe a classic complication of root-canal treatment, which we also encounter every day in our practices. The complication is most often caused by the shape and anatomical course of the root canal, which does not allow it to be sterilized with medication. If such treatment is unsuccessful (an X-ray can confirm or rule out the described condition), an apicoectomy (surgical removal of the root tip) must be performed or the tooth must be removed. There is no point in prolonging treatment that produces no result.
Have a nice day!

Dentist Tomaž Rotar answers: