Question about root canal/infection and something with moving the jaw bone?//please answer!!?

allright, this morning i went to a new dentist and I am getting a root canal done on thursday, i knew it was gonna be a root canal theres a huge whole in the tooth and its hurt me for at least 8 months. My teeth are all screwed up, iv had many root canals before. So the New dentist (i just moved to a different place) took an xray, said it was infected to the bone and had to move the jaw bone or something? i dont know what he means but he said it was a common procedure? Im kinda nervous because im used to my normal dentist so this is completely new. Also after reading everything on here about infection and root canals im nervous that what if its spread to my blood stream, i mean the nerve is infected and everything. WOuld my dentist of known by looking at the xray? i know i can ask him everthing on thurs but im a nervous gal. He said that i wouldnt have to go on antibiotics cause the root canal would take care of it? Can any one answer any of these questions? I would really appreciate i

Question about root canal/infection and something with moving the jaw bone?//please answer!!?
Yes, you can tell my looking at an xray, if the RCT has been there for a long time (chronic). Reason being, the diagnosis for indicating a root canal treatment (RCT) would be the size of the infection, the type of pain it induces, and if it's been there for awhile, the xray would show it. it looks like a big black hole around the tip of the root; that blackness is called a radiolucency, and means that the bone around the tip of the root has been infected to the point where the bone is gone, and therefore no longer white (radio-opaque - that indicates bone).





As for going on antibiotics, that's sometimes the first course of treatment, since some root canal infections are so large that the patient needs the infection reduced before we can even begin the RCT. Typically in those cases, the pt exhibits swelling in the mouth and around the gum tissue.





As for moving the jaw bone, i'm not quite sure what you're refering to. My suggestion would be to write down what you want to ask, and discuss your concerns with your dentist. He should be more than happy to help you with alleviating your concerns about the procedure, esp since you say you've had so many done before already.
Reply:Normally, going on antibiotics is a common procedure if you are in pain. If you are not in pain the infection may not currently be fired up so you may not need antibiotics right now. The only thing I can guess with the bone thing is there is severe infection in that jaw bone area and he is afraid the root canal alone won't be enough to clear the infection out of the bone so he is planning to do an apicoectomy. This is where they go in the jaw bone and clear out the infection around the jaw bone and root of the tooth. This is a common practice when a root canal alone does not work. Normally, the root canal alone is tried first, but I do not know how bad the bone is infected, it may be necessary. Discuss this with your doc so you understand. If he is not willing to discuss and explain your treatment then he isn't a good dentist. The apicoectomy normally happens when the body fails to clear the infection in the bone after the root canal is done. Normally treating the tooth causes the immune system to kick in and clear the bone infection. However, if it is really severe he might think this will never happen or be afraid by the time it clears you may lose more bone around your tooth possible comprimising the tooth and the work done on it.