I am still in pain with my back molar. Ongoing since October.
To recap my series of events: removed very old filling and replaced with new one... thats when the pain began. Removed new filling... put in temporary medicated one... still in pain... had root canal... still in pain with terrible pressure on side of face... endodontist filed down the tooth and put me on antibiotic and some sort of steriod... helped a little... prescribed it again... began to feel better but pain not gone... regular dentist wouldn't prepare tooth for crown because still in pain... pain gradually became worse and worse. Back to endodontist who put me on a different antibiotic, thinking it could be my sinus... and also another kind of steriod... its still very painful on one section of the tooth. Can't bite on it at all. Hurts even to floss. She said the root canal she did looked good. Said it's possible that there was a fifth root that she didn't see. I had four but she said sometimes people have five. Could this be the source of the problem. Its not sensitve to cold or hot. It just throbs and hurts if I bite down. I cant/dont chew on that side at all, but sometimes mistakenly the food goes over to that side and... ouch... two different dentists have no idea why its hurting. They are both guessing... in the meantime , for five months now, I have been on so much medicine that I just can't take one more pill... I think its really time to just pull the tooth. It's a top molar, second from the back. But no tooth below it which is why I am hesitant to pull it... but I'm at the end of my rope now.

Have you tried massaging your gum or is it painfull for that? :confused:

Perhaps the tooth is cracked down the root? If it is, the only choice is to remove the tooth.

Yes I've tried that. It's not really painful on my gum, but unfortunately massaging doesn't help. Thanks for the suggestion though.

flossie, if the tooth was cracked wouldn't this have shown up in at least one of the x rays?
I will definitely mention that when I go back to see the endodontist on Saturday. Oh, and I checked out that crown lengthening procedure that you suggested. FORGET THAT. I would surely pull the tooth if they even suggested that to me. It looks as though that is the route I am going to take anyway.
if it were a sinus issue would it hurt to bite down on that tooth just in one area. She did tell me that the tooth is very close to the sinus. She also told me that the filling that was there was very close to the nerve and that once she did the root canal that I would be pain free... so much for that...

No yogiP, cracks do not show up on x-rays.
The only way to be sure is to remove the crown and filling and take a real close look at what's left OR to remove the tooth, you'd for sure see the crack then.

Flossie, with all the information I've given you... what is your guess? Would you say it sounds like a sinus issue or a crack?

Does it sound possible that its hitting my sinus and if so, what is my alternative? I know you said if its cracked that it needs to be pulled. Why didn't she notice the crack when she did the root canal... or could it have cracked after. I still don't have a crown.

Thanks
yogiP

It's a good thing then that the crown isn't there. She SHOULD have checked for a crack but then again it could be relatively difficult to see.
I'm not sure about the sinus. Are you having any other sinus problem? Constant runny nose? Sinus headaches? Green discharge from your nose?

No Flossie, I have no other sinus issues. Never did, and still don't. No headaches, runny nose... nothing. She said that if the pain went away with the antibiotic then that may indicate that I may have had a sinus infection... but I'm through with the medication and I'm still in pain.

Is it possible for the tooth to be hitting the sinus when I put pressure of any kind of the tooth. Doesn't seem possible to me.

I cancelled the appointment with her today because I wasn't feeling well and I'm going away for a couple of weeks... so I didn't want to chance that she may want to remove the filling and mess with the tooth... again. And surely don't want it pulled before I leave... so... again... I have to live with this pain and wait till I get back... it's unbelievable.
If I even push the tooth in with my finger, or touch it with the floss... it really hurts.
Could she have cracked it when she took out the filling to do the root canal... or is it possible the original dentist cracked it when he first filled it... thats when the pain began. Although if that was the case the endodontist would have seen it before she did the root canal... I would think. There's so much going on with this tooth that I'm dizzy with the story... you must be too. Lol

Your tooth pain has been going on way too long. You definitely should have dealt with it before going away. The dentist could have put a sedative filling in the tooth. It's hard to know how the tooth cracked, if in fact it is cracked. That would be my guess though.
Your sinus would have to be sitting very close to the root tips of the tooth if it's the sinus giving you pain when you press on the tooth.
To be honest, I WILL be happy once your pain is gone!

Yes, this has gone on way too long. My dentist put in a medicated temp. filling before the root canal to try to calm the nerve and that didn't work.
Would a sedative filling help if it is in fact my sinus?
The endodontist did say the tooth was very close to my sinus... but again... wouldnt I feel the pain in my face when I press on the tooth. It's the tooth itself that hurts when I put put pressure on it. And like I said, even when I floss... puttting a little pressure on the tooth with the floss even hurts it. Does that really sound like a sinus issue.

I think you are right when you say its cracked. And I know I should have dealt with it before vacation... but I wasn't going to chance any more complications. So it looks like I have to put up with this for a couple more weeks. Its not fun... I think I'm getting used to being in pain, since its been sooooo long. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for your opinions and concern. I appreciate it so much...

flossie, one more question...
If it is in fact the tooth pressing on the sinus... what can be done about it?

I'm not really sure unless they can do a sinus lift to move sinus away from the tooth.

A sinus lift?? // ugh! That doesn't sound like too much fun... I think it'd be easier to just pull the tooth don't you think?

Depends how badly you want to keep the tooth and how much function you may lose if the tooth is missing.