Abscess relief

[Olivia]

Hi

I have an abscess underneath my top front tooth that keeps coming back. I have had the tooth root filled three times now and been on many courses of antibiotics and still the infection keeps coming back. I have had enough of it now.

I dont want to lose the tooth because its one of my front teeth, but is there anything that can be done to get relief from a dental abscess? I would like to know if there are any alternatives to root canal and antibiotics?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Hi Olivia

Thank you for your post. Root fillings can fail, the success rate with root canal treatment is in the region of 70-90% according to various studies.

If you had the tooth root filled 3 times now, there could be a different reason why the root canal treatments have not worked, ie. crack within the root or large infection below the root that has not responded to root canal treatment alone.

If the failure is because of a crack and the crack is deep within the root, the prognosis for the tooth is not very good and maybe you should consider an Implant/Bridge/Denture...

If the failure is because of a large apical infection area below the root, you could try apicectomy if you wish to save the tooth. Having said that, success rate with Apicectomy is not as high an Implant.

I would advise you to see a root canal specialist ASAP to see if the tooth can be saved, otherwise consider the other options discussed.