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Immune Suppressed, need root canals

Posted by hello1234 @hello1234, Feb 14, 2023

Hi all,
Need your advice. My dentist removed two old fillings and gave me new caps. A week later I was in pain. The endodonist showed me that I now need two root canals. One is abscessed. The quickest appointment is 21 days from now. He gave a prescription for 500mg amoxicillin three times a day to start three days before my appointment. I am concerned about having an infection in my mouth for 21 days with no antibiotic. What would you do?
Thank you everyone!

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Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Feb 14, 2023

Ouch! I had a root canal done several years ago after I had been having low grade pain with one of my crowns. When I had a consult with the endodontist she contacted my transplant team at Mayo about any precautions or medicine restrictions. I remember taking an antibiotic after that consult, and also had one to take before the procedure like you have.

@Hello, with your immunosuppressant status, you don't need an untreated abscess! I can't understand why your dentist didn't prescribe an antibiotic. Do you think he was afraid to prescribe something because of your transplant?

I think you should contact your Kidney team and the endodontist.
@loribmt - What are your thoughts about this dental issue?

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Mentor
Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Feb 14, 2023
In reply to @rosemarya "Ouch! I had a root canal done several years ago after I had been having low..." + (show)
@rosemarya

Ouch! I had a root canal done several years ago after I had been having low grade pain with one of my crowns. When I had a consult with the endodontist she contacted my transplant team at Mayo about any precautions or medicine restrictions. I remember taking an antibiotic after that consult, and also had one to take before the procedure like you have.

@Hello, with your immunosuppressant status, you don't need an untreated abscess! I can't understand why your dentist didn't prescribe an antibiotic. Do you think he was afraid to prescribe something because of your transplant?

I think you should contact your Kidney team and the endodontist.
@loribmt - What are your thoughts about this dental issue?

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Good morning, @hello1234 and @rosemarya. I’m with Rosemary on this one…get in touch with your transplant team to see about antibiotics starting soon. What the endodontist is seeing is a little cyst like development at the end of the root tip. It stays intact for a bit but it can release the purulent material into your blood stream if it opens.

So, if you have an abscess, it needs to be treated right away with antibiotics not wait until a couple days before your appt.

I’m not sure about your protocol but there is often a recommended prophylactic dosage of 1 to 3 days given for certain patients such as knee replacements and implants. So what the endodontist prescribed sounds more for that purpose than to keep the current abscess from developing further.

Are you still in a lot of agony? And why, if only one tooth is showing an abscess do both teeth require root canals?
Yes, I’m nosy…30+years as a CDA (certified dental assistant)

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hello1234 | @hello1234 | Feb 14, 2023
In reply to @loribmt "Good morning, @hello1234 and @rosemarya. I’m with Rosemary on this one…get in touch with your transplant..." + (show)
@loribmt

Good morning, @hello1234 and @rosemarya. I’m with Rosemary on this one…get in touch with your transplant team to see about antibiotics starting soon. What the endodontist is seeing is a little cyst like development at the end of the root tip. It stays intact for a bit but it can release the purulent material into your blood stream if it opens.

So, if you have an abscess, it needs to be treated right away with antibiotics not wait until a couple days before your appt.

I’m not sure about your protocol but there is often a recommended prophylactic dosage of 1 to 3 days given for certain patients such as knee replacements and implants. So what the endodontist prescribed sounds more for that purpose than to keep the current abscess from developing further.

Are you still in a lot of agony? And why, if only one tooth is showing an abscess do both teeth require root canals?
Yes, I’m nosy…30+years as a CDA (certified dental assistant)

Jump to this post

Good morning @rosemarya and @loribmt ❤
THANK YOU sooo much for your excellent advice! After receiving your posting, I called the endodonist office and spoke with the nurse again to remind her that I am an immune suppressed kidney transplant patient with an abscess.
I BEGGED for an earlier appointment. She offered to do the root canal with another doctor tomorrow if I would travel 45 minutes. I took the appointment for tomorrow! She told me to start the amoxicillin immediately.
If all goes well with this new doctor, I will make an asap appointment for the next tooth.
I started the amoxicillin at lunch and I am supposed to take to three times a day for 10 days.
Hopefully, tomorrow will go well. She said occasionally it's done in two appointments, but they always try to finish in one appointment.
I will definitely update you after my appointment tomorrow!
Again, thank you so much for the little push. Sorry to say, I am not that great at advocating for myself without a push. I checked with my transplant nurse and she said amoxicillin is okay for transplant patients.
What's interesting is the painful tooth is not showing the abscess. They are going to do the abscess tooth first (tomorrow). and then the painful tooth.
THANK YOU BOTH and I will keep you posted!! Love and Hugs 😊

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