Are Specialist really Special - Dental Health Message Board

TexasBoy · 09-30-2003, 05:18 PM

Well, I noticed my front tooth becoming loose about 4 weeks ago and then I developed an absess but had no pain..Went to my regular dentist and he sent me to a periodontal specialist..Before I went to the specialist my regular dentist gave me antibiotics for the infection.. So I go to the Specialist and he said tooth number 9 has to come out but he will do a bone graft to give me some bone for a future implant and it will stabilze the other teeth..No problem I thought.
I went back today and this specialist adjust my bite wing and I mentioned to him that this tooth is beginning to absess again and it started drain puss 2 days ago.. I asked if perhaps I should be put back on anibiotics in order to clear up the infection. {I think if I would have had 10 days of antibiotics instead of 7, the infection would have been gone. He said there was no need for antibiotics and to let it drain but call if there was pain...I left his office thinking this was kind of crazy..I was and am under the impression that you should clear up or at leat try to clear up all the infection before anywork is started. I called my regular Dentist and he said he would call in some anti-biotics because he wants the infection cleared up as not to affect any other teeth or spread to different areas of my body. {This makes sense} My regular dentist seemed kinda perturb at the Specialist but he remained professional. Has anyone ever had this happen before??? Has anyone been told by a dentist to allow an infection to drain but not give antibiotics to clear up the infection???? Now I am thinking this Specialist is not taking this problem seriously...What do you think???

Also, the Specialist wanted me to go to a Root Specialist and have them run a pulp test on tooth number 10..He tried to send me to a Specialist for this but when I told this to my regular dentist, my regular dentist made it known that he can do this with no problem and was rather surprised this Specialist didn't have the equipment because the Specialist is a regular DDS Dentist also.

I would appreciate someones experience in the matter.

Thanks!!!

SusanGene · 09-30-2003, 06:03 PM

I can only answer about the pulp test. It is to make sure they are working on the right tooth. My specialist, an endodontist, doesn't use a pulp tester. He just uses ice. which isn't uncommon at all , to just use ice. He touches the suspected tooth with the ice, you jump then he says it's the correct tooth.
Ask whichever genius you're dealing with if he can just use ice? Good Luck

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Susan Gene

Puzzled · 09-30-2003, 06:20 PM

My specialists were always great. Perhaps your dentist could recommend a different one? I know with my dentist if he hears things he doesn't like he starts referring his patients elsewhere. I do think your infection should be cleared before starting work -sometimes they do the work anyway but that is in an instance where the patient is in a great deal of pain which you are not.

TexasBoy · 09-30-2003, 08:10 PM

Perhaps I am requesting to much of the Specialist? I just think if the Specialist has DDS beside his name along with all the other abbreviations, that he could take the extra time to do this simple test..It would save us both TIME and MONEY...right? {Well, save me time and money}

But to allow an infection to re-occur or to not be brought under control especially when my ear feels a little funny, does not seem normal.

Now the ice test Susan Gene mentioned...I never heard of it...Are you telling me that you put a piece of ice on the suspected bad tooth and you will feel it if the nerve is dead??

Thanks to all who replied...

tryingtofeelgood · 09-30-2003, 11:02 PM

But to allow an infection to re-occur or to not be brought under control especially when my ear feels a little funny, does not seem normal.

It is NOT normal! You have an infetion and you should be seeing a specialist ORAL SURGEON and INFECTIOUS DISEASE doctor. PERIOD. You need to be on antibiotics - you'll need some testing done. You have to get this infection under control before it gets into your bone, which it sounds as if it has by what your specialist tells you - although the antibiotics should be via a PICC line - intravenous. Best of luck. cannot leave email on this site for more info. will check back. search bone infection or osteomyelitis on this forum,