Posted by Brainbeard on September 1, 2009, at 14:55:11
In reply to Re: ibuprofen » Jeroen, posted by yxibow on September 1, 2009, at 4:14:54
There are dental infections that could be considered treatment resistant. 'You don't want root canal treatment' - well, that is exactly what you're gonna need if a tooth is infected, since the chance that an infected tooth is going to recover is close to zero. An infected tooth is a tooth that has started the process of dying.
But even after root canal treatment, infection can persist. Dentists try a second root canal in such a case, or an apex resection, which is the removal of the upper part of the tooth's root, sealing the remainder with filling material. Even after an apex resection, infection can persist. I speak from experience, unfortunately. The only thing left is then extraction of the tooth. Even then, infection can persist in the jaw. For such infections, there exists treatment with antibiotics, but ANTIBIOTICS CAN NEVER CURE TOOTH INFECTION, and practice shows they can't cure jaw infections either. They can only help relieve the symptoms and if you're lucky the infection goes in slumber mode. That goes for teeth that have already been root canal treated; untreated teeth will die eventually and at some point you will know by their giving you a throbbing toothache.
The reason antibiotics can't deal with tooth infection is that bacterial colonies are being formed in the tiny tubules (much smaller side-canals to the tooth's root canal(s)) inside the dentin, which is the material of which a tooth is made up. Parts of these tubules are so tiny that blood molecules can't get there. Which is why the antibiotic molecule cannot be brought there.
I have chronic dental infections that have proven treatment resistant so far, so let's say I have a personal interest in the matter.
Ibuprofen, by the way, is damaging to the stomach and causes many deaths each year in those who are prone to stomach bleeds: smokers, old people, heavy drinkers, and: (S)SRI users. Combining an (S)SRI with an NSAID like Ibuprofen heightens the risk of having a gastrointestinal bleeding by about 15-fold.
There has been research showing that many long-term Ibuprofen users are having regular minor intestinal bleedings that may go unnoticed but are detrimental to health. It's a lot better than bleeding to death, obviously.
There doesn't exist a safe painkiller. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is toxic for the liver, the NSAID's like Ibuprofen damage the stomach. Both should be used in moderation and long-term use should be discouraged. In fact, opiates are safer than both acetaminophen and the NSAID's when taken in sensible doses, but they have their own problems, like constipation, tolerance and dependence. Still I think that for long-term treatment of chronic pain, they are healthier than the NSAID's. Of course, the NSAID's address inflammatory pain better/more specifically.
I must say, tooth and jaw pain sucks. I'm having a toothache right now from a root canal treated tooth.
Cheers everybody.
poster:Brainbeard
thread:914800
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090826/msgs/915275.html