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Always get sick after dental work

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dragonslayer428

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Over the past 6-8 months I have had dental work done. Unfortunately, I am having this work done after not seeing a dentist in about 10 years.

I have had everything from a cleaning, 2 crowns (from cracked teeth due to grinding) a cavity and a root canal.

Here is my concern: Every time I got to the dentist, whether it be later that day, or a day or 2 later, I end up feeling ill.

Here are some of my symptoms (please note, these don't necessarily occur ALL after each visit):

Body Aches
Fatigue
Sore Throat
Sore Jaw (that one is pretty obvious)
Swollen Glands on Cheek

Anyway, I am assuming that this isn't coincidental, as it only happens after I have dental work. I am wondering if it is possible for bacteria to get into my gums to my blood stream causing me to feel sick post dental work?

For instance, today I had my second visit after my root canal. She was did a mold for a temporary crown (and who knows what else she was doing), took off my other temporary crown and put a new one back on. She was definately scraping around the gum area and using some kind of grinding tool. Now (now, 9 hours later, I just don't feel well. Almost the feeling you get when you are coming down with a cold).

Any help or input would be greatly appreciated!
 
The mouth is the most sensitive area, the nerves become oversensitized with all that dental work and especially when you don't go often enough, the cleaning sensitizes the gums also.
If it was bacterial, it would be first and formost in your gum area, not systemic without any obvious signs of infection locally. It is understandably that with so much work in your mouth, you will be feeling so tired or ill. The 5th cranial nerve is the most complex of all, which feeds that area, and it branches and subranches.
Besides all that, the mouth is the first area of neural development in the earliest years and an area of repression where any work done there will release those associations and closest to the neck, where most takes place.
 
Hello,

As a recent victim of 2 root canals on both of my mandibular second molars (left and right bottom back-most molars) I understand the pain you must be going through.

I actually lost my voice for nearly 2 months after my first root canal, which I attribute to the irrigating of the canals with HOUSEHOLD BLEACH (yes, this is what they use). The Assistant wasn't using the evacuator tube properly and some of this stuff got down my throat and burnt my trachea. After the roots are burred out they need to be cleaned or irrigated. The common procedure is to use hydrogen peroxide to bubble up any left over nerve endings the burrs and reamers didn't catch, then household bleach to sterilize the canals. Next they fill the canals with Gutta-Percha and seal it all off.

I am a Dental Assistant and so maybe I can help you with the reasons behind your symptoms. First, you shouldn't experience anything except at most possible mild gum irritation after a prophylaxis / coronal polishing / teeth cleaning.

Your dentist should have you on antibiotics in conjunction with the root canal or any type of oral surgery / endodontic type procedures. If he/she didn't, then it could very well be bacterial infection.

Swollen cheek glands are common as is a sore jaw and sore throat as long as these symptoms don't persist.

As for the Body Aches and the Fatigue, it sounds like your body is either having an allergic reaction or a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics you should have already been given!

Especially with crowns, implants and root canals, or ANY of the typical procedures of Endodontic dentistry; sharp instruments are used. Some in the hand piece (the bzzzzzzz thing / grinding tool) but even as simple as the Explorer or Sickle Probe can cause temporary gingivitis. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums and surrounding tissue. Procedures take a long time to heal. I know a root canal takes 9 months to "fully" heal. Having a crown placed can cause damage to the surrounding gums as they adjust to overlap the crown. And that damn Explorer / Sickle Probe always seems to make the gums a bit bloody. :(

You really just need to express this to your Dentist. Ask about antibiotics and Pain medication. But as for the root canal, hey? We're in the same boat, except I get to deal with 2 of them not just one :) Things will get back to normal in about 9 months. Pain meds + antibiotics. Fatigue and body aches is just your body's way of telling you that its not coping with the changes in your mouth, bacterial or otherwise. And also pain I know makes me pretty damn fatigued.

I hope this helps,

Elemya
 
^Thanks SO much for your reply. You definitely cleared some things up for me,

When I got the root canal, she did give me antibiotics. She also is really good about giving me something for the pain. I'm just concerned with me getting a little ill EVERY post dental work.

The gland on my cheek has come down quite a bit. It just seems that any time my gums are messed with, I'm assuming it stirs up bacteria, in turn, releasing it either into my mouth, or blood stream.

Is it normal to need 3 visits to get a crown for a cracked tooth?
 
Good post elemya. Glad that helped you dragonslayer. :)

Is it normal to need 3 visits to get a crown for a cracked tooth?

Yes... I assume you are having a permanent crown done? I had my upper molar crowned three months ago (on a tooth that was root canalled ). Three appointments were necessary (once a week for three weeks) for the following procedure:

First day: Making an impression (mould) of my teeth with dental putty (which will be sent to a dental laboratory as a guide to fabricate the new crown to fit perfectly) ....preparing the tooth by tapering it to allow the crown to sit comfortably on it and having a temporary crown fitted.

2nd day: One final fitting to see if the crown fits the tooth perfectly and is the right size and shape. Adjustments are made.

3rd day: Assuming we are both happy with the restoration and how it looks, my dentist cements the crown firmly into place.
 
Thanks Maria!

Now I feel better. Dentist office I go to only has one dentist (a one woman show, so to speak). Therefore, I get worried that she is taking extra long because she has other patients etc.

And I'm having done exactly what you had done. A tooth that had a root canal; however, mine was partly due to the tooth being cracked from grinding my teeth at night. But now, I have a night guard that I wear at night that cost me $600! My wife verified that she paid the same amount for hers, from a different dentist.

I wear it every night now because I obviously don't want any more cracked teeth!
 
The pain from your jaw could be what's fatigueing you. I know when I'm in pain in one part of my body, it can heighten stuff like back aches and generally wear me out.
 
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