If there is pain and sensitivity after a root canal, it would mean that they didn't remove all of the nerve, there should be no sensation in that tooth. The tooth is dead at that point. It could be that they didn't get clean out the infection and it is still living in your jaw. Best to have a second opinion at this point!
Good luck!

I had a dentist that did a bad root canal, it lasted a few years then went bad. Something is wrong with your root canal so please see an endodontist that specializes in root canals and get it done right the first time.

Let the endodontist check the old root canal, he will have to redo it to make sure its pain free and trouble free.

Jonsparky and Magicpill are exactly right - there should be no sensation, as the root canal procedure removes the nerve. No nerve, no sensation.

For what it's worth, the part about "releasing toxins" is an old wives tale. The thing that will release toxins is if you don't take care of your teeth. Poor dental care is a big cause of heart disease, among other things, because teeth and gums get infected, and then toxins are actually released into the bloodstream.

Please get it checked out.

Thanks for your replies. I have an endodonic appt next Thursday. It is a different endo than the one that did my first root canal, so I am going to ask him to check that one out too. I hate to think of having both done.

Yes definitely get a second oppinion. Things can happen, and two sets of eyes are better than just one. Endodonist just do root canals so they are the best ones to ask. Be sure to take an x ray with you if you can.

Good luck.

Great advice, Wishing you the best!!!

I just posted something in the wrong spot... "off topics" about my tooth, LOL.

Has your dentist ever said anything about gum disease? Jonsparky has a point. My tooth hurt so bad that I just wanted to yank it out myself. The dentist and hygenist kept saying it was fine. They finally figured out that I had gum disease, which is an infection underneath the gumline and into the jaw. Those nasty buggers literally eat your bone. She referred me to the Periodontist and I had oral surgery this week to clean out the infection. They also put in new bone. Hopefully, this will do the trick. I won't be able to let you know whether it worked or not until a month from now.

You may want to ask your Dentist about that.

My tooth is in less pain, so that is a good thing. My dentist took an x-ray and saw no infection around the gums. I have strange pain in my teeth every month and I always thought it was a hormonal flare. I am hopinh this might be and not a root canal.

whenever I have any drilling it throws me off for days...did you have novacaine? that can cause side effects and pain afterward too.
In my experience we fibro suffers do not react to drilling or minor procedures like your average person....

Uh...forgot to mention, there are alternatives to Novacain which also cause me to have palpitations and dizzinezz...
good luck

Hi Washington Mom,

I had the same experience as you, both with the continued pain in a tooth after a root canal and a bad reaction to the shot.

My dentists no longer use shots with epinephrine in them. They only use Carbocaine with no epinephrine. This has worked very well for me.

I had a root canal done in a tooth that had a small crack in it and then got an abscess. It felt okay for awhile but eventually it got more and more painful. I had it pulled and don't regret it.

Good luck with your root canal. I had a good endo and I thought the procedure went very well. Ask your new one if it might be possible that your other root canal tooth may have a crack in it.

I know no one could see any more crack in my failed root canal tooth, but the oral surgeon saw it after she remove the tooth.

Hope all goes very easy for you and you get much needed relief.

Hi Washington Mom. I worked for an Endodonist for four years and have personally had plenty of root canals. Most went fine, some not so much. Jannie's suggestion that there may be a crack in your older tooth is very possible. Sometimes during the procedure the root can split and even a small crack will cause continued pain. If you think about it the doc is virtually working blind as all they can see is the opening to the canal and small cracks can't be seen on xray. Sometimes especially on front teeth there can be microscopic canals at the root tip that cannot be cleaned out and will cause continued pain. In either case it may be possible to go through the gum, clean, and back fill the root tip or crack. It just depends on how badly you'd like to try to keep your tooth. In my case, most of my teeth needed root canals because I cracked them from clenching. So a couple of them had the roots split from that. Anyway I do hope this new Endo is able to take good care of you and get your teeth feeling better. Mouth pain is horrible, warm salt water as hot as you can tolerate just held over the tooth, not swished, and ice pack on the outside of your cheek will help. Never use heat outside because it will draw inflammation out and you'll have a swollen face. I hope this is helpful. Hugs...Bonnie.

Thank you for your suggestions. Yes, I think there is a possibility of a cracked tooth. I have been told that I may clench my teeth at night and I am wondering if the pressure has put cracks in the the teeth. I will definitely have the new endo look at all possibilities.

I have had a couple of root canals. My most recent one is causing me a lot of pain but they said because it's cracked. They have told me to get a crown to hold it together and get rid of the pain, but I don't have a thousand dollars to get a crown, so I am looking at getting mine pulled.
Sorry you are having so much pain.