Dental surgery (pulling abscessed tooth) and bronchiectasis

Posted by raney @raney, Aug 16, 2022

I have bronchiectasis, chronic rhinitis, leaking mitral valve and pacemaker. Years ago I had to have antibiotic to even have teeth cleaned. I now have an infected back molar and have appointment with dentist this afternoon.
My dentist and staff have limited if any knowledge of bronchiectasis. What have others done when having dental surgery or tooth pulled?
Are dental patients now getting antibiotic before having a tooth pulled?

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I cannot find any specific recommendations, but in reading I did find that your lungs are at risk from the bacteria in your tooth.
In your situation, unless you are already on antibiotics, I would give a (short) explanation of bronchiectasis to my dentist and ask for a course of antibiotics after the procedure. My dentist always does this for any abscess anyway.
Also, it is safer to ask for a cup for rinsing your mouth rather than having them spray - that way you get less aerosol into your lungs.
Sue

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@sueinmn

I cannot find any specific recommendations, but in reading I did find that your lungs are at risk from the bacteria in your tooth.
In your situation, unless you are already on antibiotics, I would give a (short) explanation of bronchiectasis to my dentist and ask for a course of antibiotics after the procedure. My dentist always does this for any abscess anyway.
Also, it is safer to ask for a cup for rinsing your mouth rather than having them spray - that way you get less aerosol into your lungs.
Sue

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Thank you. The dentist x-rayed every tooth and checked moth good inuding tapping teeth and could not find any signs of tooth infection .. I went to Urgent Care the day prior to the dentist because of ear ache and jaw pain. It is several weeks before I can get an appointment with my ENT. He looked in the ear and at ear drum and in my mouth and said he could not see any sign of ear infection.. I have been using CPAP for almost 2 months and this ache/pain started about 7 days ago..
I have chronic rhinitis.. I am at a loss of what it can be and it is two more weeks before I can see pulmonologist of primary physician . Pain and ache in left lower jaw and left ear continues. Is CPAP causing a problem. The pressure was on 6. I have turned it down to 5 and not having any more events per hour and sleeping better but that has not helped the pain and ache in ear and jaw

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@raney

Thank you. The dentist x-rayed every tooth and checked moth good inuding tapping teeth and could not find any signs of tooth infection .. I went to Urgent Care the day prior to the dentist because of ear ache and jaw pain. It is several weeks before I can get an appointment with my ENT. He looked in the ear and at ear drum and in my mouth and said he could not see any sign of ear infection.. I have been using CPAP for almost 2 months and this ache/pain started about 7 days ago..
I have chronic rhinitis.. I am at a loss of what it can be and it is two more weeks before I can see pulmonologist of primary physician . Pain and ache in left lower jaw and left ear continues. Is CPAP causing a problem. The pressure was on 6. I have turned it down to 5 and not having any more events per hour and sleeping better but that has not helped the pain and ache in ear and jaw

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Ah, another piece to the puzzle.
Yes, my son-in-law and a friend both went through several styles of CPAP masks before they found one they could tolerate. In my friend's case, the headband was pressing in a sensitive spot and compressing a nerve.
Maybe see if you can adjust the bands to make things better?
Sue

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Thank you, Sue. I had not thought. about the head band. It is worse when I wake up in the morning and gets better after a couple of hours. Not completely gone but not distracting.

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@raney

Thank you. The dentist x-rayed every tooth and checked moth good inuding tapping teeth and could not find any signs of tooth infection .. I went to Urgent Care the day prior to the dentist because of ear ache and jaw pain. It is several weeks before I can get an appointment with my ENT. He looked in the ear and at ear drum and in my mouth and said he could not see any sign of ear infection.. I have been using CPAP for almost 2 months and this ache/pain started about 7 days ago..
I have chronic rhinitis.. I am at a loss of what it can be and it is two more weeks before I can see pulmonologist of primary physician . Pain and ache in left lower jaw and left ear continues. Is CPAP causing a problem. The pressure was on 6. I have turned it down to 5 and not having any more events per hour and sleeping better but that has not helped the pain and ache in ear and jaw

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I have recently had jaw, tooth, ear and face pain and was told it was TMJ. ( had face CT and saw an ENT) Then I realized that when I do nebulizer that I hold the mouthpiece in my teeth so that I can read the newspaper with both hands. I am clenching and ultimately causing the jaw pain.
Hope this helps.

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@fjc0830

I have recently had jaw, tooth, ear and face pain and was told it was TMJ. ( had face CT and saw an ENT) Then I realized that when I do nebulizer that I hold the mouthpiece in my teeth so that I can read the newspaper with both hands. I am clenching and ultimately causing the jaw pain.
Hope this helps.

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Me too! Once I put the paper on the table and held the neb in one hand, it was gone. Also, the RT told me to hold the neb with my lips, not my teeth. This after using one for XX years, clenching my teeth - who says we can't learn something new? My daughter used a mask because she couldn't break the jaw-clenching habit.

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@sueinmn

Me too! Once I put the paper on the table and held the neb in one hand, it was gone. Also, the RT told me to hold the neb with my lips, not my teeth. This after using one for XX years, clenching my teeth - who says we can't learn something new? My daughter used a mask because she couldn't break the jaw-clenching habit.

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Watch TV instead of reading?

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Sue, Is using a mask as efficient as the nebulizer mouth piece?

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@dltorres

Sue, Is using a mask as efficient as the nebulizer mouth piece?

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I don't believe the mask is as effective as the mouthpiece because some of the saline goes into the nose and sinuses. BUT a mask is better than not nebbing.

As with everything health care related, "something is better than nothing" - so if a mask is what works and you keep nebbing, that's better than skipping the neb because your jaw is too sore.
Sue

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@sueinmn

I don't believe the mask is as effective as the mouthpiece because some of the saline goes into the nose and sinuses. BUT a mask is better than not nebbing.

As with everything health care related, "something is better than nothing" - so if a mask is what works and you keep nebbing, that's better than skipping the neb because your jaw is too sore.
Sue

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Thank you Sue. I just heard back from my doctors office too. I have 4 medications I nebulize & the only one I can use a mask for is the albuterol if I have to. But mouthpiece is always preferred especially for tobramycin. Pretty much what you said, only use mask when you’re too sore to use mouthpiece. Thanks again for your response & have a great day.

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