I'm wondering how I can persuade a dentist to extract a tooth. I saw my dentist today and he refused to do it. Saying it would be impossible to justify.

The tooth had a root canal operation 4 months ago by the same dentist and ever since there's been various neurological problems. He said it's impossible for an operation on a top incisor to produce pain in the lower teeth (as well as the upper) because the nerves are quite distinct. Is that really unheard of? Because that's what happened to me.

To be honest I'm not certain it would help either, but feel I should at least try something. I've had wisdom teeth extracted without any complications so hope it might work on this tooth.

I want too see another dentist but fear I'm going to hit the same brickwall "your symptoms are impossible so I can't help" .

Hey, I just had 2 out for no reason, but they did it. I guarantee if you ask enough of them, someone will do it. I don't know if it would help your problem, but i bet you can get someone to take it out..

I have been having problems with my front tooth for months. I had a veneer put on it and I have been in pain ever since. I went to two dentists, and two endo's. The first endo did a root canal, which caused me more pain than I was already in. I called my old dentist and asked him what I should do. I was at the end of my rope. He sent me to a very respected endo that told I didn't need a root canal. Needless to say I was not pleased to here that. It gets even worse. He said that the problems I was having was neurological and he referred me to a neuro. I will see him at the end of March. Anyways, my point is if you pull a tooth that has a neuro problem the pain will not go away. It may even spread to other teeth. My endo told me pulling my tooth was not an option b/c I would continue to still have pain. Maybe even worse pain. I can't believe I went in for a routine dental procedure and now I have to see a neurologist. This has almost ruined my life. I have suffered major depression and anxiety over the regret of having the procedure done and the pain I have experienced ever since. My endo told me I better learn to make this pain my friend b/c I may need to live with it for a very long time. Nice prognosis don't you think? Now I am in counseling and I am learning how to deal with chronic pain and the despair I feel for doing this to myself. I hope you get better but don't pull your teeth if it won't help. You would be really upset if you pull a tooth and continue to have problems anyways. Think carefully before you do it and get different opinions. Hang in there and please feel free to write back. Maybe we can help each other through this.

s.g.

I'll be interested in what your neurologist has to say. I've asked for an appointment with a neuro but it will be next month at the earliest.

Weirdly the aches in my teeth are only ocasional, and bearable. A month after the operation the pain in my teeth turned into backaches then hot skin throughout my body and hissing in my ears. Right now the symptoms take turns. I don't want to dwell on the possibility it might affect my balance and sight in future.

The only positive which I cling onto is that the tinnitus isn't as horrible as the 'knives and daggers' in all my teeth immediately after the operation - if it doesn't get worse.

I beat myself up a lot for trusting an 'expert' and not listening to my body which was telling me the infection in the tooth had been cured or contained. If only I'd looked up 'root canal' on the internet, if only I'd tried harder to search for a dental forum. Etc. etc.

Standing back, I know it was because I've only had superficial dental problems before, so had little reason to be more careful. And anyway I wouldn't know where to find statistics on complications to base a decision on. Medical operations are a gamble where you don't know the odds.

Have you tried Amitriptyline for chronic pain? It does alleviate my symptoms a bit. Anyway I wish you the very best.

Did you get that tooth pulled?
I had one pulled for pain about 4 years ago, wnet to a pain clinic too, but the pain finally settled after 5 weeks of doxycyllin for malarial prevention when I went to Vanuatu the next year.
N ow I have the same molar on the other side which I had an amalgam removed from, and was to get a cerec inlay done by computer, but the dumb dentist diecided my tooth was a weird shape so made a huge crown that is flat and doesnt fit my bit at all.. I hit it hard in a car acident as I'd hit on it even when speaking..
and now it has 3 abcesses at the ends of the roots and needs a root canal, so I'm deciding if I go almost toothless (I have a plastic dummy tooth on the other side now but it doesnt work well and gets lose but stops the other teeth moving), or try a root canal, which probably it loks wont get rid of the infection, and so will still be painful?? Antibitoics have settled the pain thry my body, but this tooth is still a liielte painful to touch and above in the jawbone:-)
Just wondering how you went.