Fistulas from infected root canal PARANOID?

I've had the bump on my upper gum for nearly 3yrs. My dentist redid a root canal it still did not clear up. I believe he did the wrong tooth. He does not seemed worried about the bump being there. But Im paranoid that the infection will spread. There is no pain or change in size of the bumb.

My dentist is not sure where the infection is. But the do-over that he did was probably not the right tooth. I can't keep going to him and paying so much money.

Should I be worried about the infection spreading? Can and how long would it take for an infection to travel to the brain? Would there be symptoms?

All of the comments rendered below comes from being a "professional patient". If not for dental visits I wouldn't even know what a doctor looks like.

1) Please clarify what you mean by "redid" and why you suspect the wrong tooth was done. Did he redo the tooth you believe is responsible for the fistula? Was this tooth re-done within a few weeks of the original root canal........or many years afters? Was the original root canal performed by a general dentist or endodonist? Was it a molar?

2) Keep in mind the average life of a root canal is about 10 years.....so if you get that much use from a tooth that has that treatment it is considered a success. Most of mine have lasted much longer.

3) If a tooth which has had a root canal needs REtreated (particularly after a length of time has passed) it is called an apicotemy: they make an incision in the side of the gum to treat the TIP (apic) of the tooth since this where the problem (leak/source of infection) generally occurs.

4) The success rate of this treatment (apicotemy) is somewhere around 40 to 60 percent. I am not an advocate of this treatment, particularly if it is proposed on a tooth which had the original root canal 8 or 10 years ago. The cost of this procedure can be very expensive.

5) I had a molar fail 12 years after the original root canal (and crown) and this tooth developed a gumball, aka fistula. It grew quite large and painful and the gum tissue had to be lanced. I was told the tooth would need an apicotemy or have to be extracted within a few months.

6) The tooth developed a fistula after a few months but did not require another incision to drain. It developed a drainage channel (near the base of the tooth) and I kept the tooth for another 3 1/2 years before it had to be extracted. It was tolerable for that extended period of time (with the minor inconvenience of the foul odor drainage) and then suddenly began to act up over a period of a few days 3.5 years later. You don't want this to happen unless you have immediate access to a dentist. I had the tooth extracted.

7) My dentist did not seemed overly concerned about the fistula despite the potential dangers (occasional horror stories) from runaway infections in this "sensitive area" near the brain and sinus tissue. Go figure.

8) Chances are your fistula is also draining somewhere, otherwise you would get immense swelling and pain. Keep in mind the time WILL come when the tooth will require treatment. Meanwhile you must decide whether to risk the potenial problems which might develop from this infection. You might as well bite the bullet now and get the tooth pulled......or roll the dice with a cost apicotemy.

9) The fistula you are feeling could be from ANY tooth: one that has never had a root canal or a tooth which is in the process of dying. If you don't have enough faith in your dentist to correctly identify the source of the problem then I suggest you find a new dentist.

10) Locating a good dentist can be a bigger challenge than finding a good used car. My experience has revealed for every good dentist out there you will find 2 or 3 that should be avoided.

The following incident made news a few months ago:

In February, a 12-year-old Maryland boy died when an infected tooth went untreated. Deamonte Driver died of a brain infection brought on by an abscessed tooth, according to The Washington Post. Report It

If I were you I would seek a second opinion. I don't know what type or if you even have insurance but this can be covered if you call them and explain your situation.

I would recommend that if you are not happy seek another opinion.
But they do take time to heal if you have a week immune system
Make sure you are getting a good balance diet and take a Vitamin for extra burst at this time.

You should most definately seek a second opinion. An infection has a characteristic appearance on an xray, and if the root canal is redone, the xray should change. If it does not, and the bump does not go down, then the root canal may not be the problem. There are many things that can appear as a root canal problem on an xray, but in reality, are something else. Make sure to give your new dentist an accurate history of your problem, and if necessary, he/she may need to biopsy the area to make sure of what the problem is. If it is in fact an infection, it's never good to have an active infection in the body. 3 years is too long. If you are not feeling ill, then I would not become anxious over this, but it would be in your best interest to see another dentist in a timely fashion to ensure that this is not something more serious. If possible, ask to be referred to a periodontist. These are dentists who specialize in gums. If the periodontist thinks it is a root canal problem, then he/she can refer you to an endodontist who specializes in root canals. Hope this helps, and good luck.

I would seek another opinion. The chances of the infection spreading to your brain are so slim that I would be more worried about being eaten by a polar bear then the infection!

If it is not painful and the lump has not changed size then it is not really a problem. The only time infection is a problem is if it grows and has to be drained on a regular basis.

Sometimes lumps like that can be hardened tissue. Ask for your old xrays and take a look yourself. If the tooth has been RC it wil appear very clearly on the xray, the canals will be show in a brighter white then the other teeth as they have been filled with a product.

Good luck!