Crowned tooth pain/possible missed 4 canal from root canal 2 years ago i had a root canal and a crown. when i finally settled on my current dentist (for insurance network reasons) i had a root canal and crown. the first 2 dentists said i had a 4th root so

Sorry : Sorry to hear of your troubles, however, you should take the advice if the first dentist... Go to www.Aae.Org and locate a qualified endodontist near you. If you want to save the tooth, go to hear what the experts have to say. In addition, if your crown fell out only after 2 years, it should be reevaluated as well. Best of luck, dr. Zev kaufman.

It : It is possible that you have a fouth canal, also that the tooth is fractured. And yes, your infections can be coming from that tooth. A radiograph may not necessarily show the fracture, but usually will show a darkening of the bone at the root tips.. An indication that there is unresolved pathology (infection) still present. If the infection keeps recurring, it is not a good sign regarding the long term prognosis of the tooth. Root canal therapy is not always 100% successful. That your crown came off after only two years may be an indication that it did not fit your tooth correctly. An ill fitting crown can allow leakage of saliva and bacteria which work their way through the tooth and perpetuate the infection. Have the dentist (endodontist) who treated the tooth initially reevaluate the current situation. A second opinion by a qualified specialist may be a good idea. In this way you will be better informed on the long term expectations of success. There are additional surgical procedures designed to clean out the infection (apicoectomy), but they add additional cost to the treatment and are also not always succesful.

As : As had been stated already, your first action would be to go to an endodontist board certification should not be your criteria but instead getting recommendations and online resources should help you find a well qualified endodontist the tooth can then be evaluated by an expert in endodontics. You and the endodontist can then go over your options to relieve your painful situation.

Well : Well you are on your way to becoming a expert on that particular problem now, and I am sorry you have this experience. I am assuming that you have this problem on an upper molar. My advice immediately is to consult with an endodontic specialist a board certified endodontist, and one who has a good reputation where you live in oakland. The upper molars do commonly have a fourth canal tucked away at the front of the tooth, and they have often been missed. I that is the case it would explain the symptoms. There is also the possibility that the tooth may me fractured, and that is a death sentence and puts you in line for removal of the tooth and replacement therapy with and implant ideally. You must not however dismiss the possibility of the sinus complicating the situation. If you have a sinus infection it can muddy the water and make diagnosis challenging so make sure you address that possibility too. Dr. Neil mcleod dds dentistry that lasts - quality that counts.

3-D digital xray: A new technology is now available to take 3-d digital x-rays. It is called cone beam computed tomography (cbct). It is possible to take horizontal slices through the tooth and identify all the canals. Very often fourth molars have a fourth canal that is missed. An endodontist (root canal specialist) with magnification loupes of 6-8x or a microscope can better identify all the canals visually.

See an endodontist: Seek and endodontist with a microscope to properly diagnose, the problem, and if possible a dentist with a 3d cone beam , the latest in diagnostics.

See Endodontist: 95% of upper molars have 4 canals. The missed canal is called the mb2 canal. Microscopically trained endodontists are adept at finding and treating this problem. I suggest you see one asap. In the future, suggest to your dentist you want to see a specialist. You are in control of your treatment!

Unanimous: It's unanimous. See an endodontist!!!