Pus forming again in my healed tooth socket... help!

About two months ago, I developed this swollen, pus-filled area near my gums. It was quite red and inflamed, so I headed over to my dentist to get it looked at. Initially, they had me on a course of Augmentin, and then we moved into treating two root canals on one of my upper molars.

It ended up being an incredibly drawn-out ordeal. My dentist spent nearly two months working on it, requiring multiple appointments just to ensure everything was stabilized. Once they were finally confident that the infection was completely cleared and the pus was gone, they placed the permanent filling. We waited so long just to be absolutely certain it was healed, but now, only about two or three weeks later, the swelling has returned in that exact same spot. I pressed on it slightly, and sure enough, more pus came out. How is this possible if the tooth was supposedly treated?🤦

The area feels a bit firmer than it did the first time around. I should mention that, strangely enough, I’m not actually in any pain—not then and certainly not now. It’s just frustrating because of the swelling and the discharge. Has anyone else dealt with something similar? What should my next move be? Am I really looking at another two months of the same repetitive procedures and replacing yet another filling?

To be honest, I’m tempted to just grab some more Augmentin and hope for the best. I really don't have the stomach to go through that whole cycle again, not to mention the cost. I truly believed this was settled once and for all, but here I am facing the same old nonsense.😢

This forum is an absolute disaster, quite frankly. It’s truly unbelievable. I post a request for help, and not a single person can spare sixty seconds to share their own experience. Surely I’m not the only one dealing with this particular situation. Given the number of people lurking here, someone must have gone through the exact same thing!

I could certainly understand if I were asking some trivial, unimportant question on a hobbyist message board, but to receive zero assistance on a health-focused forum is simply staggering. Honestly, I don't see the point in visiting this mess ever again. Reddit is far superior; you can always count on someone actually responding there.

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copperangler39 says: Two months ago, I had this swollen, pus-filled bump on my gums. My dentist said it was pretty red and inflamed, so he put me on Augmentin and spent a couple of months working on two roots of my upper molar. It was such a long process, honestly... we were seeing him constantly for nearly two months just to make sure everything was totally cleared out and there wasn't any lingering infection before he finally put the filling in. We waited forever to be absolutely certain the pus was gone, but now, just two or three weeks later, the same spot on my gum is swollen again. I pressed it a little and the pus came right back out. How does this happen if the tooth was supposedly fixed??? 🤦> And it feels a bit harder than it did last time. I should mention it doesn't actually hurt, not then and not now. It’s just annoying because of the swelling and the pus. Please, has anyone else dealt with this? What am I supposed to do? Do I really have to go through that whole two-month ordeal all over again and pay to get a new filling? I'm honestly thinking about just grabbing some Augmentin and hoping for the best. I can't deal with the whole process again, not with the cost and everything. I really thought this was settled, but here we go again with this same crap... 😢

Ugh, I'm dealing with the exact same thing. I'm no dental expert, but...
Basically, they were fixing one of my teeth—there was this small cavity on the side. But after drilling and cleaning it a few times, a chunk of the tooth is basically gone now. A few months back, I started feeling this little pus-filled bump under my tongue. They told me whenever I see it, I should just squeeze it because getting that pus out is critical. Sometimes it pops up and has pus, other times it's just a bump that disappears on its own in a couple of days. It doesn't hurt, but we're constantly messing with that tooth—cleaning it, filling it, putting medication in...
A few days ago, I missed my appointment, so the medication sat in there too long and the whole tooth got infected. Now I've been in pure agony for three full days. My entire right jaw is inflamed; I can't even tell if the pain is coming from the tooth, the gums, my ear, or my facial bones... my whole jaw is shot. Of course, it hit me over the weekend, so I ended up at the ER. Got a Motrin injection on Sunday and I've been on antibiotics for two days now. There's a tiny bit of progress, but while the inflammation is active, I need something for the pain. I try taking Dexcom because it hits harder than Motrin and it's the only thing that kills the pain instantly, but it gives me terrible diarrhea, so I give up and stick to the antibiotic which is way too slow for what I need. The antibiotic works on the infection eventually, but it doesn't touch the immediate pain, which is my main issue right now. And now I'm stuck because I'm also taking a probiotic so I don't end up with more stomach issues. It's hell...

Anyway, if you're dealing with this, the only advice I can give is show up to every single appointment they schedule so you don't end up with an infection like the mess I'm in right now.

I’m certainly no medical expert, but my initial impression here—if you'll pardon the presumption—is that the tooth hasn't been fully resolved. One really ought to insist on a follow-up X-ray immediately after treatment; without a proper panoramic scan, how can one possibly be certain that everything is clean beneath the surface? If there is any hope for saving the tooth and you have the means, wouldn't it be more prudent to seek out an endodontic specialist right away? It would save you from two months of aimless uncertainty, wouldn't it? You'd know exactly where you stand, and the work would follow standard clinical protocols. As for finding a dentist, this forum isn't in the business of assigning practitioners for you—that is something you truly could have handled much sooner.

...

Regarding the discomfort—perhaps you might try some Ketorolac suppositories (the 100 mg strength, though those require a prescription)? Or perhaps a combination of suppositories and oral tablets might be necessary, depending entirely on your specific needs?