Another UPDATE Sinus Infection w/teeth pain-previous thread...New issue

[jewellsmommy]

Latest UPDATE: I am now over my allergic reaction from the Avelox. It took a full week for the rash to go away! 

 

I have now seen an ENT, Oral Surgeon, and an Endodontist. The consensus is: The sinus infection is cleared. The "abscess" of roots 9, 10, and 11 identified on the CT is actually a cyst. In the xrays there is this white line around it and the oral surgeon says that happens with slow growth as the body pushes/fight back. The ENT says he can see the cyst pushing into the nasal passage where the cellulitis is. The cyst became infected, likely from the nose- but it is believed to be clear now. Tooth 14 is fine.

 

So now, I have to have the cyst cut-out. Before that can happen, though, teeth 9, 10, and 11 have to be root canaled!  :scared:  :willy_nilly: . Lets just say xanax was not enough. I was a mess at the oral surgeon and I was far worse at the endodontist today. He did that compressed-cold spray test on every.top.tooth! That stuff is very uncomfortable, like electricity entering the tooth and exiting out your head somewhere. His decision is that given my circumstances  Nitrous would not be sufficient. He has referred me to a different endodontist in Richmond (a little over an hour away) to have all 3 root canals done at the same time under IV sedation. I didn't even have to ask  :lol: . He said it really is the best way to go about this and there was no-way I could handle it otherwise.

 

My mom took me today and she got teary-eyed because I was crying so much.  I apologised, I was so embarrassed, and I actually have a pretty high pain tolerance -I'm not afraid of needles -its just a dentist thing (childhood trauma - never take your kids to a dentist that won't let mom stay in the room).  I will go for an initial appt in about 3 weeks where they will do a dental ct scan and schedule the procedure. Then have the procedure. And then back to the oral surgeon for the cyst removal which may potentially involve the ENT as well? Still not clear on that.

 

The good thing is that I will still be able to go to Boston with dd for her competition (in 2 weeks). I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to.

 

I am still shocked that this whole thing happened. There is no cavity/decay, no chips or cracks, and no previous dental work on any of these teeth. The oral surgeon and endodontist, both, are adamant that there was trauma to this part of the mouth/teeth and that is why a cyst like this would form. There was no injury. Ever. The only possibility is when I had 3 surgeries in a row last year, all were general anesthesia where I would have been tubed. Unless it happened as part of that, otherwise I don't know what else it could be.

 

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UPDATE: The CT scan showed that my ethmoid sinus is mildly infected. My actual nose is infected ( soft tissue infiltration at the inferior aspect of the left nasal passage). There is mucosal thickening in the maxillary sinus, and there is a rightward deviation of the septum.

 

The part that freaks me out: The CT findings state that there is bony destruction of the maxilla. There is an abscess that is 1.3 x 1.6 x 1.2 cm in the bone. The abscess extends to and involves the tip of the roots of teeth 9, 10, and 11. There is a smaller abscess with partial root involvement of tooth 14.  So, 4 teeth in two locations have roots that have been infected! (Atleast teeth 12 and 13 are fine).

 

My doctor called his dentist for some advice. He said to let an ENT be the lead because I will definitely need a specialist and the ENT will direct me to an oral surgeon or endodontist etc. based on his exam and the CT findings.  So,my doctor got me an appointment for an ENT this Friday. I am still on the new antibiotic that I started yesterday. I have no idea what will be coming next. I asked my doctor if this is all considered medical or dental (I ask because our medical insurance is way better than our dental), and he said "medical." So at least that's good.

 

I can't believe that 4 teeth have infected roots! The doctor says that he thinks it started in the sinus and spread (because of the two locations), but he can't know for sure. I am so freaked out! Oh, and he wrote me a prescription for xanax.

 

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I started the whole story in a previous thread 2 weeks ago. If you want to see it it is here: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/642677-ack-facenose-pain-and-pain-in-teethupdated/

 

 

The short version: Over a month ago I had a brief issue with allergies. That cleared. I woke up with a painful nose and annoying discomfort in front teeth. Eventually that spread to include almost ALL of the teeth on the left side. There was and still is NO congestion or runny nose etc. The hive diagnosed Sinus Infection.

 

I went to an urgent care 2 wks ago. Dr said bad sinus infection. He gave me Augmentin 2x daily for 10 days and a narcotic for pain relief (tried once overnight, was not helpful at all-Advil better). I started the Augmentin that night and concluded Friday morning (4/21). There was no improvement at all. In fact, I was a little worse as I could now feel a presence/fullness in the left sinus area and had a dull headache behind the left eye.

 

I could rant for several paragraphs about what happened when I called the urgent care to ask if I should return to that (original) doc or follow-up with my family doc.but basically I decided to go to my family doc. He got me in that afternoon.

 

So, Friday (4/21) see family doc. He says it's still a really bad sinus infection and prescribes Biaxin 1000mg daily for 2 wks, Claritin-D 30 days, and 800mg Ibuprofen. BUT, he didn't want to wait 2 wks to see if it starts working. He gave me a return appt for Wed (tomorrow). If there is not significant improvement then he will send me for a sinus CT.

 

Yesterday, I discovered that my left central Incisor has started turning a purplish/grey!  :willy_nilly:  I called the doc office yesterday and talked to nurse but have not yet heard back from doc yet. I'm a little freaked out because I don't think teeth "clear up" once they start turning grey. Do they? It feels deadened to touch but still very sensitive to temperature. Nothing else has really changed, as in no improvement. My nose still hurts, teeth vacillate between hurting and being annoying, can 'feel the sinus', headache on left side. Still no congestion or drainage.

 

Oh, and the cherry on the top is that my anxiety has shot up to high heaven (I suspect it is the pseudoephedrine in the claritin-d).

 

Has anyone ever had anything like this?  :confused:  What else can be done? Any one's tooth turned grey before, what can I expect there? What if the CT shows nothing abnormal? What if it does? Experiences? I do know that I have a very deviated septum. It had been repaired when i had sinus surgery at 16 (21 yrs ago) but that was after years of sinus problems. Please tell me there are simpler procedures available now. I don't have time for all this nonsense (who does, right?  :lol: )

 

*I have tried saline/sinus wash spray (that Jean reccomended), but only in the spray. I have not tried a nettie pot. Is it really any more effective? I've never used one. Do you have to be coordinated to use it? I can't even get eye drops to fall into my eyes.

 

*Doc said to take the decongestant, not the Flonase -that I already had at the house- (he didn't give any particular reason)

 

 

I guess this is mostly me complaining. Why can't things be normal? I always feel like the zebra, never the horse. I'm in a flipping family of zebras! Commiserate, Zebras, commiserate.  ...Sorry for the length and thank you for your patience! 

 

Edited May 4, 2017 by jewellsmommy

[Jean in Newcastle]

I like the saline rinse system that uses a squirt bottle. I think that it is easier than the Neti pot.

 

At this point I will go to an ENT.

 

They need to find the right antibiotics for the bacteria. And sometimes it can start working but then stop and you have to switch to a new one.

 

I have no experience with the tooth changing color. I do know that the roots of teeth go up into the sinus cavity though-or close to it -so infection in there can affect them.

 

I hesitate to tell you this but I was on 6 months of antibiotics one year for sinus infections that would not clear up. And then 7 months of sinus infection the next year. Both times the ENT finally had a breakthrough when he had me doing saline rinses that included a drop of baby shampoo and white vinegar VERY painful. But in my case the bacteria had developed a defense called "biofilm " like a little raincoat that protected it from the antibiotics. We had to break that down before the antibiotics could work.

 

I would do normal saline rinses though first - 3 or 4 times a day-every day. No you don't have time but the saline shrinks the swollen tissue allowing for drainage.

 

Ps- I would never do the shampoo/vinegar thing without being told to do it by a doctor. I'm just sharing information about the biofilm.

 

 

 

 

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Edited April 25, 2017 by Jean in Newcastle

[Sandragood1]

Stay on top of the infection! Take the antibiotics and do anything you can to ease the congestion and maybe open the airways in your sinuses. Drink tons of warm water, Hot soup, spicy food, sleep upright, ibuprofen, sinus wash, mucinex, real sudafed.

 

ASAP get treatment for the anxiety. Get the CT scan. You have a bad infection inside your skull. Near your brain. Tip top priority is to clear it up. Nothing else is this important.

 

I'm guessing you have an abscess in your sinus. It may require iv antibiotics or surgery.

[Pink and Green Mom]

My son got a gray tooth, but it had been injured (chipped on the ground playing basketball with my DH...).  Once it turned gray he needed a root canal (it turned gray because the tooth got infected).  I would see a dentist or an endodontist.

[jewellsmommy]

I like the saline rinse system that uses a squirt bottle. I think that it is easier than the Neti pot.

 

At this point I will go to an ENT.

 

They need to find the right antibiotics for the bacteria. And sometimes it can start working but then stop and you have to switch to a new one.

 

I have no experience with the tooth changing color. I do know that the roots of teeth go up into the sinus cavity though-or close to it -so infection in there can affect them.

 

I hesitate to tell you this but I was on 6 months of antibiotics one year for sinus infections that would not clear up. And then 7 months of sinus infection the next year. Both times the ENT finally had a breakthrough when he had me doing saline rinses that included a drop of baby shampoo and white vinegar VERY painful. But in my case the bacteria had developed a defense called "biofilm " like a little raincoat that protected it from the antibiotics. We had to break that down before the antibiotics could work.

 

I would do normal saline rinses though first - 3 or 4 times a day-every day. No you don't have time but the saline shrinks the swollen tissue allowing for drainage.

 

Ps- I would never do the shampoo/vinegar thing without being told to do it by a doctor. I'm just sharing information about the biofilm.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thank you. Wow that is a long time to deal with an infection, you poor thing! I do have an ENT appt but May 23 is the soonest they could do. I am hoping that my doc can get it moved up depending on what the CT scan shows. I can't imagine that the scan would show something that the family doc could do, but who knows? We are supposed to take dd to Boston in mid-May for her regional Bible quizzing competition. I had hoped to be done with this before then.

 

I agree about the spray bottle. I think I will do better to stick with it. I have my doubts that I could use a neti pot effectively  :lol:  I really hope I don't have biofilm, yuck!

[jewellsmommy]

My son got a gray tooth, but it had been injured (chipped on the ground playing basketball with my DH...).  Once it turned gray he needed a root canal (it turned gray because the tooth got infected).  I would see a dentist or an endodontist.

 

 

I didn't hear (read) that...LA LA LA LA...my fingers are in my ears, did you say something?

 

I require xanax to get in a dentist chair on a good day! I might explode if I had to think or deal with that under these conditions. SIGH. I imagine they won't see me though until the infection is cleared up, right? stupid sinuses.

 

I will ask the doc..if he ever calls me back!!!

[AmandaVT]

Have you seen your dentist? I had a sinus infection, or so the Dr. thought, but it was really a badly infected tooth that needed a root canal and crown. Having gone through that a few years back, I would recommend a call to the dentist and an exam and x-ray of the side of your mouth that the pain is on. 

 

And *hugs* - tooth/sinus pain is the worst!! 

[jewellsmommy]

Stay on top of the infection! Take the antibiotics and do anything you can to ease the congestion and maybe open the airways in your sinuses. Drink tons of warm water, Hot soup, spicy food, sleep upright, ibuprofen, sinus wash, mucinex, real sudafed.

 

ASAP get treatment for the anxiety. Get the CT scan. You have a bad infection inside your skull. Near your brain. Tip top priority is to clear it up. Nothing else is this important.

 

I'm guessing you have an abscess in your sinus. It may require iv antibiotics or surgery.

 

 

:iagree:  My mom recommended the hot foods too based on something she read. I have been trying to do some spicy. That's a bit tricky. My stomach has not been pleased with all these meds. I am eating with them but my stomach is a bit of a jerk. I will try and drink more though, thanks for the reminder.

[jewellsmommy]

Have you seen your dentist? I had a sinus infection, or so the Dr. thought, but it was really a badly infected tooth that needed a root canal and crown. Having gone through that a few years back, I would recommend a call to the dentist and an exam and x-ray of the side of your mouth that the pain is on. 

 

And *hugs* - tooth/sinus pain is the worst!! 

 

I have not. I hate dentists btw. But the urgent care doc said he could see cellulitis in the nasal canal which was a result/connected to the sinus infection. He said it was a glowing red up there.  :lol:

 

I asked him about other possibilities like nose injury (my original thought) and a tooth issue (my biggest fear) but he was adamant that it was a sinus infection. I guess the CT would show if it were tooth related as opposed to sinuses?

[Pink and Green Mom]

I didn't hear (read) that...LA LA LA LA...my fingers are in my ears, did you say something?

 

I require xanax to get in a dentist chair on a good day! I might explode if I had to think or deal with that under these conditions. SIGH. I imagine they won't see me though until the infection is cleared up, right? stupid sinuses.

 

I will ask the doc..if he ever calls me back!!!

 

I would call the dentist right away and ask them, to be honest.  Sorry, I know that isn't what you want to hear.  :grouphug:

[Outdoorsy Type]

I'm really sorry, but I agree that you need a dentist for that. Can you find one that specializes in anxiety? (((Hugs)))

[jewellsmommy]

Finally heard from doc. I go back in today at 2:45. I will ask him about when to seek the dentist or endodontist. sigh 

 

I'm sure ya'll are right and that a dentist is in my future.

[jewellsmommy]

Ugh, so sorry! I just want to put in a plug to make sure you're taking probiotics. Especially hearing that your stomach is unhappy with the meds. Florastor for sure.

 

Thank you. This is one of those things that I know I should have already done but haven't yet made happen. I will get some today after the doc appt.

[Sandragood1]

Coming back to suggest warm compresses on your cheeks and nose. It really eases the discomfort for me. I hope it helps you.

[AmandaVT]

I have not. I hate dentists btw. But the urgent care doc said he could see cellulitis in the nasal canal which was a result/connected to the sinus infection. He said it was a glowing red up there.  :lol:

 

I asked him about other possibilities like nose injury (my original thought) and a tooth issue (my biggest fear) but he was adamant that it was a sinus infection. I guess the CT would show if it were tooth related as opposed to sinuses?

 

It could be both. I wouldn't have mentioned the tooth but you mentioned that it had turned gray. It may not be related, but if it is, the endodontist will perform his/her dental magic and you'll be out of pain almost immediately. 

 

My Dr. swore up and down that mine was not tooth related and that it was a sinus issue. The dentist also originally thought sinus based on the x-rays. The endodontist said tooth and it was fixed immediately. Once he got in there, he was surprised I wasn't in more pain because the tooth was so "angry". 

 

I'm not a big fan of the dentist myself, but I've gotten better at handling them after 2 root canals and a billion cavities. The endodontist is a whole different animal though - much better at giving novocaine, the tools are gentler- if I could, I'd go to one for all my dental needs! 

[Splash]

Honestly  a lot of this could be due to the death of a tooth.  Visiting your dentist or and endodontist would probably bring a lot of relief.  A root canal might be in your future.  I had something similar and it was in infection at the tip of the root of my tooth.  Once that infection was cleared up I was  much better. Sorry.

[Lorien]

I'm still recovering from major oral surgery so that is on my mind quite a bit, but on reading all you had to say it really sounds to me like a tooth infection causing a sinus infection. The roots of your teeth go up quite a ways, and the infection can extend into your sinuses, causing them to become infected as well. In my case, I too was given antibiotics, but while they helped for a few days, as soon as the prescription was done it all came back worse than before. My dr refused to give me another round of antibiotics, and I was referred to an ENT. I have had bad teeth for a while, and someone asked if my teeth could be the issue. So I started researching and found that it is very possible for an infected tooth to cause a sinus infection. That was when I started oil pulling.

 

To clear up the infection I highly recommend oil pulling! Just swish one or two teaspoons of oil in your mouth for 20 minutes at a time. With my infection (a major "sinus" infection that came and went for a year) I had to oil pull multiple times the first couple of days - every time it started hurting. It hurt to pull at first (I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it through the 20 minutes it hurt so bad!), but if you keep going and suffer through it starts to feel better. I went from having all the signs of a major sinus infection - teeth pain, facial pain, inflamed sinuses, major headaches that felt like someone was beating the side of my head in, as well as dr confirmation that that is what it was - to having no pain at all, just by oil pulling. It took a few days before all of the pain was gone, but relief came fairly quickly as the worst symptoms disappeared and before long all symptoms were gone.

 

I have since had oral surgery and no longer need to deal with problem teeth, but by oil pulling every morning I went for four months without any pain at all. My ENT appointment was canceled, and I never had any sinus issues at all after that! If you truly cannot stand the thought of going to a dentist ..... oil pulling isn't hard to do at all! And it works! 😀

[jewellsmommy]

I went to the doctor again. He found my tooth fascinating. He said it looks as if there is blood pooling inside because of the purplish color. He seemed to think it was more purple than grey and that he could see some red streaking. He asked about the pain. which all of the top teeth on the left side and some of the bottom teeth on the left side all hurt. I've got more headaches behind the left eye than before. He concluded that this antibiotic is not the right one either. He prescribed Avelox (moxifloxacin). He also gave me a lot of samples of 800mg Ibuprofen with fomatidine mixed in a single pill because of my stomach complaints. 

 

The great part, though, was that he called for me to get a CT done as opposed to having his staff call. He came back in and told me that I had 13min to get to my CT appointment! It was only 5 min down the road. I walked in and they were waiting for me. They took me straight back and I was done in less than 10 min (no contrast dye). I have never had such service  :lol: .

 

I go back tomorrow for him to discuss the CT results. He said he wants to see those and then will decide about the dentist. In the mean time he told me to use the narcotic with the ibuprofen to make sure that I am getting quality sleep and that the pain is not interrupting my sleep cycle. 

 

Edited April 26, 2017 by jewellsmommy

[jewellsmommy]

I convinced dh to try the nasal rinse because I wanted to see if it was just me or what. Half the flow seems to come back out the same nostril, very little seems to make it around to the other side, and the remainder chokes me (down the throat). It seemed to work great when he did it, the very.first.time. :huh: .  When I do it, it irritates my nose (mild burny sensation) and there is a lot of coughing and gagging involved. I figured it was a learning curve...nope...I'm just defective apparently.  :glare:

 

I had to get more water and packets today. It's not for lack of trying. Maybe there is a structural issue going on? I have tried both harder and lighter squeezes but just end up choking my way through anyway. I'll keep trying but, dang, nothing can be easy lately. :lol:

[debinindy]

As one who has suffered many sinus infections and tooth issues, I empathize with you!  I hope you get to a resolution soon!

 

Update when you can.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Jean in Newcastle]

I convinced dh to try the nasal rinse because I wanted to see if it was just me or what. Half the flow seems to come back out the same nostril, very little seems to make it around to the other side, and the remainder chokes me (down the throat). It seemed to work great when he did it, the very.first.time. :huh: . When I do it, it irritates my nose (mild burny sensation) and there is a lot of coughing and gagging involved. I figured it was a learning curve...nope...I'm just defective apparently. :glare:

 

I had to get more water and packets today. It's not for lack of trying. Maybe there is a structural issue going on? I have tried both harder and lighter squeezes but just end up choking my way through anyway. I'll keep trying but, dang, nothing can be easy lately. :lol:

If you are really stuffed and swollen it might be getting blocked. Do you do some squeezes in one nostril and some in the other? Also- the deviated septum might be restricting flow.

[jewellsmommy]

If you are really stuffed and swollen it might be getting blocked. Do you do some squeezes in one nostril and some in the other? Also- the deviated septum might be restricting flow.

 

Yes, both sides. The right side works a tiny bit better but not by much. I'm not stuffy though. I can breathe through my nose if that's what you mean. But if you mean general swelling-then yeah I think there is some up the nasal passage especially around that cellulitis area. I'm still trying. It just feels like I'm drowning. All of it leaves my nose hurting (just general achiness) for a while after, really tender. 

[J-rap]

I hope you get help soon!  When my dd gets sinus infections, they are always bad and she generally needs to go on Prednisone.  There is also a type of infection that can settle into your jaw bone, or something like that. I can't remember the name.  in any event, it sounds like you're in the health system now and will hopefully find out what's going on soon.  Take care!

[AmandaVT]

Thinking of you this morning Jewellsmommy and hoping you got a good night's sleep last night!!

[jewellsmommy]

UPDATE: The CT scan showed that my ethmoid sinus is mildly infected. My actual nose is infected ( soft tissue infiltration at the inferior aspect of the left nasal passage). There is mucosal thickening in the maxillary sinus, and there is a rightward deviation of the septum.

 

The part that freaks me out: The CT findings state that there is bony destruction of the maxilla. There is an abscess that is 1.3 x 1.6 x 1.2 cm in the bone. The abscess extends to and involves the tip of the roots of teeth 9, 10, and 11. There is a smaller abscess with partial root involvement of tooth 14.  So, 4 teeth in two locations have roots that have been infected! (Atleast teeth 12 and 13 are fine).

 

My doctor called his dentist for some advice. He said to let an ENT be the lead because I will definitely need a specialist and the ENT will direct me to an oral surgeon or endodontist etc. based on his exam and the CT findings.  So,my doctor got me an appointment for an ENT this Friday. I am still on the new antibiotic that I started yesterday. I have no idea what will be coming next. I asked my doctor if this is all considered medical or dental (I ask because our medical insurance is way better than our dental), and he said "medical." So at least that's good.

 

I can't believe that 4 teeth have infected roots! The doctor says that he thinks it started in the sinus and spread (because of the two locations), but he can't know for sure. I am so freaked out! Oh, and he wrote me a prescription for xanax.

[maize]

Wow, I'm glad your doctor is being so proactive; that is quite the infection you have going on. I hope they get it all cleared up quickly!

[debinindy]

Yikes!  So sorry about this.  How upsetting.  I hope you are able to get into a specialist that can take care of this and that those teeth can be saved!

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm sorry that it is so bad but I am glad that you are getting treated.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Katy]

I don't want you to get more freaked out, but just in case no one has told you yet, with that degree of infection - if anything gets worse you should go to the ER.  Set a timer on your phone or your alarm clock to take your temperature 4 times a day.  If you spike a high fever, suddenly feel much worse, or get delirious, go to the emergency room immediately, and do not drive yourself.  With something that severe and that close to your brain, if you're on the wrong antibiotic and don't get it corrected quickly it could lead to sepsis, so to prevent that if you get at all worse you're going to want to be admitted and get IV antibiotics before it becomes life-threatening.

 

I'm so serious about this I think you should tell the kids to look out for you and call 911 if you suddenly don't act like yourself.

[jewellsmommy]

Wow, I'm glad your doctor is being so proactive; that is quite the infection you have going on. I hope they get it all cleared up quickly!

 

Thank you. I can't believe this is happening. I don't know if this means that I could lose these teeth or end up with 4 root canals? My mother has forbid me from googling anything and has made dh my watch dog. Apparently she freaked herself out after googling what I I told her about before I even got home. 

[LarlaB]

UPDATE: The CT scan showed that my ethmoid sinus is mildly infected. My actual nose is infected ( soft tissue infiltration at the inferior aspect of the left nasal passage). There is mucosal thickening in the maxillary sinus, and there is a rightward deviation of the septum.

 

The part that freaks me out: The CT findings state that there is bony destruction of the maxilla. There is an abscess that is 1.3 x 1.6 x 1.2 cm in the bone. The abscess extends to and involves the tip of the roots of teeth 9, 10, and 11. There is a smaller abscess with partial root involvement of tooth 14.  So, 4 teeth in two locations have roots that have been infected! (Atleast teeth 12 and 13 are fine).

 

My doctor called his dentist for some advice. He said to let an ENT be the lead because I will definitely need a specialist and the ENT will direct me to an oral surgeon or endodontist etc. based on his exam and the CT findings.  So,my doctor got me an appointment for an ENT this Friday. I am still on the new antibiotic that I started yesterday. I have no idea what will be coming next. I asked my doctor if this is all considered medical or dental (I ask because our medical insurance is way better than our dental), and he said "medical." So at least that's good.

 

I can't believe that 4 teeth have infected roots! The doctor says that he thinks it started in the sinus and spread (because of the two locations), but he can't know for sure. I am so freaked out! Oh, and he wrote me a prescription for xanax.

 

 

Oh wow!  That's intense and pretty intimidating sounding- glad you have xanax as needed given your dental anxiety (I understand that very well). The GOOD thing is that they are now aware of everything and can get on top of it. I'm so glad your Dr ordered a CT and didn't just send you home to try another antibiotic for a few days.  Praying the ENT sees a clear path to resolution and that can quickly and effortlessly guide you there. 

[scholastica]

I hope this all gets resolved quickly for you with minimal dental work. Prayers for you.

[jewellsmommy]

I don't want you to get more freaked out, but just in case no one has told you yet, with that degree of infection - if anything gets worse you should go to the ER.  Set a timer on your phone or your alarm clock to take your temperature 4 times a day.  If you spike a high fever, suddenly feel much worse, or get delirious, go to the emergency room immediately, and do not drive yourself.  With something that severe and that close to your brain, if you're on the wrong antibiotic and don't get it corrected quickly it could lead to sepsis, so to prevent that if you get at all worse you're going to want to be admitted and get IV antibiotics before it becomes life-threatening.

 

I'm so serious about this I think you should tell the kids to look out for you and call 911 if you suddenly don't act like yourself.

 

Absolutely. The doctor said he was too late to keep the infection from eating my teeth, but that he would make sure it doesn't eat my brain. He has a way with words. Then he took a picture of my purplish tooth with his phone :huh: (not sure why), and told me to take my antibiotic like my life depends on it...because it does. He's great, but a little weird. 

 

Oh, and the ENT he is sending me to is named Dr. Bacon.  :lol:

[Rebel Yell]

:grouphug:

 

Take good care of yourself, and keep us posted!

[jewellsmommy]

Yikes!  So sorry about this.  How upsetting.  I hope you are able to get into a specialist that can take care of this and that those teeth can be saved!

 

I told dh that the dr said I could take 3 xanax when the time comes to get in the dentist chair. Dh has promised me that no matter how much extra it costs, we will just pay for full sedation if they have to root canal those teeth or replace them. So I can just sleep through it. :001_wub: 

I think he's afraid that I'd down half the bottle in my panicked state. 

[AmandaVT]

I told dh that the dr said I could take 3 xanax when the time comes to get in the dentist chair. Dh has promised me that no matter how much extra it costs, we will just pay for full sedation if they have to root canal those teeth or replace them. So I can just sleep through it. :001_wub:

I think he's afraid that I'd down half the bottle in my panicked state. 

 

Oh, you poor thing!! I'm so sorry you're going through all of this - I hope this new antibiotic kicks in quickly and helps drive out the infection. I also hope that the dental work isn't going to be too extensive. Keeping you in my thoughts tonight!!

[happi duck]

(hugs)

[jewellsmommy]

Latest UPDATE: I am now over my allergic reaction from the Avelox. It took a full week for the rash to go away! 

 

I have now seen an ENT, Oral Surgeon, and an Endodontist. The consensus is: The sinus infection is cleared. The "abscess" of roots 9, 10, and 11 identified on the CT is actually a cyst. In the xrays there is this white line around it and the oral surgeon says that happens with slow growth as the body pushes/fight back. The ENT says he can see the cyst pushing into the nasal passage where the cellulitis is. The cyst became infected, likely from the nose- but it is believed to be clear now. Tooth 14 is fine.

 

So now, I have to have the cyst cut-out. Before that can happen, though, teeth 9, 10, and 11 have to be root canaled!   :scared:   :willy_nilly: . Lets just say xanax was not enough. I was a mess at the oral surgeon and I was far worse at the endodontist today. He did that compressed-cold spray test on every.top.tooth! That stuff is very uncomfortable, like electricity entering the tooth and exiting out your head somewhere. His decision is that given my circumstances  Nitrous would not be sufficient. He has referred me to a different endodontist in Richmond (a little over an hour away) to have all 3 root canals done at the same time under IV sedation. I didn't even have to ask   :lol: . He said it really is the best way to go about this and there was no-way I could handle it otherwise.

 

My mom took me today and she got teary-eyed because I was crying so much.  I apologised, I was so embarrassed, and I actually have a pretty high pain tolerance -I'm not afraid of needles -its just a dentist thing (childhood trauma - never take your kids to a dentist that won't let mom stay in the room).  I will go for an initial appt in about 3 weeks where they will do a dental ct scan and schedule the procedure. Then have the procedure. And then back to the oral surgeon for the cyst removal which may potentially involve the ENT as well? Still not clear on that.

 

The good thing is that I will still be able to go to Boston with dd for her competition (in 2 weeks). I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to.

 

I am still shocked that this whole thing happened. There is no cavity/decay, no chips or cracks, and no previous dental work on any of these teeth. The oral surgeon and endodontist, both, are adamant that there was trauma to this part of the mouth/teeth and that is why a cyst like this would form. There was no injury. Ever. The only possibility is when I had 3 surgeries in a row last year, all were general anesthesia where I would have been tubed. Unless it happened as part of that, otherwise I don't know what else it could be.

[unsinkable]

(((Tammy))

 

My goodness! You've been through so much!

 

I'm getting anxious just reading this I'm so afraid of dental situations.

 

You'll be in my prayers!

 

:grouphug:

[jewellsmommy]

(((Tammy))

 

My goodness! You've been through so much!

 

I'm getting anxious just reading this I'm so afraid of dental situations.

 

You'll be in my prayers!

 

:grouphug:

 

Thank you. I just hope I stay asleep. I have a tendency to wake-up under twilight sedation. I do not want to be awake in the midst of 3 root canals  :lol: . Just knock me out please.

 

...and then there is the bill   :ohmy: ...I can only imagine at this point. I'm pretty sure the sedation part won't be covered by the dental insurance. At least the cyst removal will be under medical insurance.

[debinindy]

Thanks for the update. I was wondering how things were.  So sorry you have to have such invasive procedures done!  STAY ASLEEP....

 

Hope things go as smoothly as possible!

[scholastica]

Thank you. I just hope I stay asleep. I have a tendency to wake-up under twilight sedation. I do not want to be awake in the midst of 3 root canals :lol: . Just knock me out please.

 

...and then there is the bill :ohmy: ...I can only imagine at this point. I'm pretty sure the sedation part won't be covered by the dental insurance. At least the cyst removal will be under medical insurance.

Please be sure to have the oral surgeon and anesthesiologist run this through your medical insurance. It may cover a good bit. My sister thought she was going to have to pay most of my niece's wisdom teeth removal, but medical covered a lot of what the dental didn't. Good luck with all of it.