Can a tooth abcess do this?..........

kims

kims

Cathlete
Hi and TIA for any reponses,

I've been suffering with pain in the right side of my face with swelling and pain in my sinus', jaw and ear. I'm being treated for chronic sinusitis(which I am having trouble with), but even with anitbiotics the problem with the right side of my face does not go away...actually, it doesn't really improve.

I have a tooth with an old filling that is tender to the touch in my lower jaw and I'm pretty sure the tooth is abcessed. Unfortunately I've had experience with this before, too, and I remember the symptoms being almost identical to sinusitis. So I'm thinking this may be my problem.

But would the tooth abcess cause so much trouble like ears 'running', dizziness, fatigue...all symptoms of the sinusitis....???


I just wonder if anyone has had any experience like this and if you could share what worked for you. I do have a dentist appointment on Dec. 20.


As I said, any replies ...TIA,


Kim :+
 
I believe it could:( I remember when my kids were teething that they could actually get a sinus/ear infection from it.

My dad also had the exact syptoms you describe and needed a tooth pulled.

Not medical advice, but I would say it is in the realm of possbility. Our bodies are pretty amazing, finely tuned, and when something goes out of whack it can really mess up a lot of other things...especially in our noggins.
 
Kim,

Yes!! A tooth ailment can cause some of the problems you describe.

A few years back, I suffered from a nasty bout of chronic sinus headaches, neck aches, and even began to develop a facial twitch.

A routine check-up with my dentist showed that I needed a root canal from a molar (that also had a filling) that I had broken about six months earlier. After the root canal, all of the things above immediately went away.

Definitely see your dentist. There are a lot of nerves in there that can affect things.

BTW – I went to a fabulous dentist who specializes in performing root canals (endodontist?). The procedure was just about painless. She charged more for the procedure than I believe others do, but it was worth every penny.

HTH
 
Yes! Over Thanksgiving break one year this happened to me. My doctor gave prescribed a pain killer and a muscle relaxant to get me through until my dentist could see me. It was awful!!! So sorry you are feeling bad.
Angela:-(
P.S. I would think this qualifies as somewhat of an emergency. Can your dentist see you before December 20?!
 
Kim,

If you did have an abscess, the antibiotics would definitely help. But, since they don't, it is probably not an abscess.
It sounds like a fractured tooth to me, especially if that tooth has a large filling. Unfortunately, if that is the case, the only solution is to have the tooth pulled.

Does it only bother you to bite on it or touch it? Does it feel like the tooth is moving? If this is the problem, antibiotics will do little. Do you have any hot/cold sensitivity? Do you have sinus trouble?

It is rare that an abscessed tooth may cause these symptoms, but if by chance that is the problem, depending on the severity it is possible because your body is just fighting the infection.

You need to get to the dentist as soon as possible-Did you tell the dentist office about the symptoms you're having. I don't think you should wait till December 20 if at all possible.

As far as pain medication goes, if you can, take Ibuprofen - it is the best over-the-counter pain med you can take.

I hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions,
Wendy (Registered Dental Hygienist)

Connie is also a RDH-maybe she'll see this and offer more help:)

Edited to say that sometimes a tooth problem can cause "referred pain" which may cause other areas to hurt when they are not the source. However, if a tooth hurts to bite on it you may have both a sinus problem and a fractured tooth.
 
Since the tooth is in your lower jaw, I do not think it would cause problems in the sinus area. Also, when you say a "running ear" do you mean fluid coming out of the ear? If yes, then it is not your tooth. Sounds like you have a sinus infection that has spread to your ear.

The antibiotics prescribed to you may not be working. They all have different "scopes". Have you had an x-ray or MRI of the sinuses?

I think another trip to your ENT is in order.

Love,

Madonna
 
My mom had a crown that came loose & the tooth became absessed. She didn't have ANY pain in her mouth but the rest of her body ached. She found out that she had the absess at a regular dental visit. They fixed the tooth & put her on strong antibiotics. She began to feel better in just a few days.

If it is an absess until you get it corrected, the antibiotics may not do the trick alone.
 
Again, thanks to everyone for your replies.

The dentist office called and I'm going in Monday. The office is 3 hours away (we moved but kept our dentist, been with him a loooong time) so I'll have to make it til then.

Goodness, I hope this will solve atleast some of my noggin problems x( :)
 
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