dental abcess

[Mary Elizabeth]

Dear Roy,

Two years ago I had an abcess that was treated with a root canal. About a month ago I began to have an odd sensation in that tooth and noticed my face was inflammed in that area. Both my new dentist and an endotontist have told me that it is unlikely the initial abcess was ever completely eliminated by the root canal given the short time that has elapsed and its size. I understood that without immediately taking an antiobiotic I could run the risk of having the infection enter my blood stream. I agreed to a 10 day regimen of Amoxycillin. I later understood that the antiobiotic would not eliminate the abcess, just decrease it; that the only way to eliminate the bacteria causing the abcess was to either retreat the root with another root canal or to have the tooth extracted. Wanting to keep the tooth as long as possible, I opted for the former. The endontist could not complete the retreat due to calcification of one of the roots. I will be having the tooth extracted, but, in the meantime, the abcess has flaired up again and presented itself by inflammation of my face in the area of the tooth, my lower left jaw. The tooth is the next one over from the molar on that side. (The wisdom teeth were impacted and removed some 15 years ago.) Although I have yet another prescription for amoxycillin, is there anything you could recommend I do in lieu of taking it for the second time in a little over a month? Is this chronic abcess in any way connected to the frequent sinusitis bouts I had this spring and fall?

As usual, anything you could tell me would be a help.

[Roy Collins]

Hi Mary Elizabeth. In this case I would not worry about a second course of antibiotics -- just make sue you take acidophilus daily to avoid killing off of good intestinal flora. Then after twn day couse is over make sure you take strong miso soup with wakame and onion on a daily basis for 10 days.

I think extraction ot the tooth is the best way to go because main problem seems to be with roots. So you need to remove them and then treat abcess area. You can have a bridge made later to fill the missing space. Then keep mouth and body on strong alkaline side, using only whole grains, steamed greens, miso soup, kukicha tea mixed with one tea bag of goldenseal root. A little raw garlic can be taken if your stomach can tolerate it, otherwise take garlic is supplement form. Do this for ten days.

Externally you need to apply hot ginger compress to the side of face that is inflamed. Keep on the face for ten minutes only -- twice daily (am/pm). Maybe abcess and inflammation is connected to sinus as eyes, ears, nose and throat are connected. You know when when you have a cold you get mucous in sinus area and at night when you are sleeping it drains into throat and mouth. You then feel the need to spit out the discharge. But teeth roots are fed by blood and if blood is acid then infection comes. Make sure you use a mouthwash made with warm water and salt to keep bacteria at bay.

Green plum extract can also be used in tea to keep blood alkaline.
Ater ten days you can add more variety to food -- but no dairy and
sugars. Chew well before swallowing. This makes food more alkaline as well.

I hope this helps.

In peace, Roy