Swelling above my anterior teeth

ash23

Hi, just looking for some advice.
I recently began using an Oral B sonic tooth brush (about 2 weeks ago so it may be unrelated) and yesterday I noticed a largish (about half the the size of a 1c coin) swelling above my UL1. It's high up, not near where the tooth meets the gum, more up where the jaw bone would be, where my gum joins the lip. It's tender and sore but not constant pain, only when I touch it.

I'm guessing it's some sort of abcess but not certain. Would a few days of Corsydol mouthwash do the trick?

Thanks

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Go see your dentist for an X-ray. If its an abcess antibiotics or mouth wash will do nothing. You will need a root canal or extractions to solve the problem. Best see your dentists ASAP and not leave it till the weekend, these can get sore quickly.

Nanazolie

Joseph Glamorous Uncle wrote: »

Go see your dentist for an X-ray. If its an abcess antibiotics or mouth wash will do nothing. You will need a root canal or extractions to solve the problem. Best see your dentists ASAP and not leave it till the weekend, these can get sore quickly.

I had an abcess recently, the dentist gave me antibiotics and it was cleared in a few days (but it was a small one). My husband had one, the dentist drained it but he didn't need a root canal or extraction. I guess it depends where the abcess is?

In case you get stuck at the weekend, you can attend VHI clinic in Dundrum, they're opened from 11 to 6pm I think

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Nanazolie wrote: »

I had an abcess recently, the dentist gave me antibiotics and it was cleared in a few days (but it was a small one). My husband had one, the dentist drained it but he didn't need a root canal or extraction. I guess it depends where the abcess is?

In case you get stuck at the weekend, you can attend VHI clinic in Dundrum, they're opened from 11 to 6pm I think

No it doesn't depend on the abscess or where it is, the antibiotics clear up the infection temporarily. It will come back eventually but this time with nice antibiotic resistant bacteria. Dental pain of all kinds requires dental treatment to fix, writing a prescription is not curative treatment is palliative.

Antibiotics are like pouring water into a overheating leaking car radiator and thinking that its fixed, its not.

Oral Surgeon

Nanazolie wrote: »

I guess it depends where the abcess is?

Not really,
If you have a dental infection you will most likely need some type of operative care (root canal or extraction) to remove the origional cause of the infection. Antibiotics or drainage will mask the problem for now but it will come back...
OS

ash23

Would it be possible that the infection is in the gum and not the apex of the tooth? I have no discoulouration, sensitivity or pain when moving the tooth. It's just tender when I touch the swelling.It's actually gone down a fair bit since this morning.
I'm going to the dentist tomorrow.
Hopefully worst case scenario is root canal because I couldn't deal with an extraction of a front tooth. :eek: and a bridge or implant. Even better if I don't need anything at all. Unlikely though

Nanazolie

Thanks for the clarification. The dentist did advise me to see a specialist (I have the name written somewhere) in root canal as the abcess had happened on a root canal tooth. I'm still on the antibiotics, but I'll contact the one he recommended pretty soon (that is, as soon as my bank manager allows me )
Better warn my husband about his too.

ash23

OK well, I don't need a root canal. Wish I did now though

The swelling was caused by an infection because apparantly I have a very deep perio pocket (over 6mm) above my front tooth. None of the rest of my teeth are affected and the rest of my gums and teeth are fine. The pockets at the sides of my teeth are well under 3mm, it's just the pocket at the front of my tooth. Dentist said he'd never seen it before.

So now I've to go to a periodontist and see if they can do anything. My dentist was talking bone grafts and implants (none of which are covered on my dental policy of course).
I'm devestated.

Nanazolie

I had to google "perio pocket". Wish I hadn't, I don't think I'll be fit for lunch after that :eek:
However, I found something that might help you called Regenerative Periodontal Endoscopy (RPE). (I won't post the link here, the pics are too disturbing). I'm not sure it's available in Ireland, the professional posters here might be able to guide you

good luck!

Nanazolie

A question to the professional posters: OP says that he started using the Oral B sonic tooth brush recently. Could the periodontis be caused by it? I tend to brush too much, too often, too hard, and ultimately it can cause more harm than good (I destroyed my gums and much of my cavities were caused by brushing straight after eating acid foods. I wish I had known it before) and I was tempted to buy the Sonic but I am afraid it could lead to more problems. Any advice?

Thanks a lot

ash23

I'm not a professional obviouly, but I doubt the pocket had anything to do with the brush. It would have been there from way before that but I only noticed it because of the infection.
The dentist said it's possible that some plaque/tartar was missed at my previous cleanings (by my previous dentist) and that may have caused the gum disease. He thinks that because there was a bigger build up of tartar there than on my other teeth when he examined them. He removed it and that allowed him to access the pocket to check the depth.

ash23

Just an update. I went to the periodontist and I don't have gum disease. He feels the deep pocket may have been caused by the fact that I used to bite my nails. he thinks this because the deep pockets are only on the front two teeth and I have no risk factors for gum disease.
I have to have a minor procedure to clean out the problem area under the gum (there may be something stuck) but the teeth are sound, no bone loss.
And then just attend my own dentist for regular treatments.

Happy days!