Hi, I'm new to this board but i'm having a pretty big problem with one of my teeth. Basically, one of my canines doesn't have a replacement adult tooth so I still have the deciduous tooth. However, a few years back, when I was 17, I was told that the tooth needed a root canal but that I probably would only have it for another few years after that because the tooth has a small root and is weak because it's not an adult tooth. So I went ahead with the root canal and everything was fine until now. A few months ago I started to notice that the tooth was a little discolored and sensitive. However, there was no real pain. Now, there is still no pain, but a few days ago I felt some pressure over the tooth so I looked in the mirror and saw what looked like an abscess over the tooth, and the whole area around it is swolen and has a somewhat bumpy texture. I gently touched the abcess and it popped, and now it has been draining a little. I know I need to go to the dentist but I'm so scared that I won't ever have a normal smile. I'm also nervous because the gum tissue does not look normal, and I don't know if it has been like that for a while but I just havent noticed. It looks kind of like I have sand under my gum. Could this be from irritation or infection? This is very localized, the rest of my gums and teeth are totally normal. I know it's time to lose the tooth and I'm really upset about it. I could really use some reassuring from anyone who has gone through something similar, even someone to tell me that I will be able to go back to school with somewhat of a normal smile even with a temporary denture? Please help, to add to this I'm scared to death of going to the dentist.

- Worried and sleepless in NY

I feel your pain, I wasn't able to smile for years. And people always pointed out that I never smile with my teeth. I finally got some of them fixed and I'm a smiling freak, haha.

The stuff that looks like sand under your gums sounds like an infection to me. (Of course I'm not a doc, just my opinion) The part that looks like sand, is it sensitive?

I would go to the dentist asap to get it taken care of. If you need to lose the tooth, there are many options to replace it. And there are temporary bondings also I believe. So don't stress, there are solutions... you just have to get to the dentist before the infection gets worse or you start feeling pain. The last thing you want is a toothache, I've lived with them most of my life and they're awful!

Get a good night's sleep and call the dentist in the morning. Let us know what happens! Good Luck! :bouncing: