Tooth root pushing against neighbor tooth—help!

Greetings, dentists,

I have a question for the group. I’ve already consulted several different dentists, yet not one of them has been able to provide a straight answer. Essentially, my upper right premolar suddenly started causing intense pain whenever it was touched. There was no sign of inflammation at the beginning. I went ahead and had some X-rays taken, which revealed this:

http://imageupload.org/en/file/176323/zub.jpg.html

As you can clearly see, the root of my premolar is actually pushing against the root of my canine. One dentist spent his entire time glancing back and forth between me and the X-ray—me, then the image, then me again, then the image—only to ultimately shrug and say, "I don't know." So much for professional expertise, right? 😛

This has been going on for about a year now. Initially, the pain was excruciating, but after two or three months, it subsided; now, I only feel a slight sensitivity when pressure is applied, which isn't really an issue. However, a bump eventually formed in that exact area on my gums, and on two or three occasions, I actually had to squeeze out a bit of pus. That subsided after a few months as well. Now, for several months, I've had this protrusion that I can feel under my tongue; it isn't red, it doesn't hurt, and there's no swelling, just a faint sensation of pressure when touched.

Does anyone have any insight into what I should do here? Everything feels fine for the moment, but I am acutely aware that something is wrong. Is it even possible for a tooth root to shift forward enough to create such a physical protrusion, or does that even make sense given that the roots are embedded in the bone?

Thanks!

The root doesn't actually have to be touching the number two... I know it looks that way in the photo, but that's just a 2D representation.
It’s kind of like those photos where two people are standing super close and talking into someone's ear, but because of the camera angle, it looks like they're kissing. 🙂
Basically... one object can be sitting right behind another, but in a flat projection, it looks like they're touching.
Since these kinds of cases are atypical—and since it’s blindingly obvious you have an infection around that tooth (you literally mentioned pus)—my advice is this:
1. Find a specialist who actually has the capability to read 3D imaging.
2. Get a 3D scan done so you can see exactly where that root is heading and what needs to be done about it.

Thanks for the response.

I’ve seen several different dentists by now, and none of them have given me a straight answer. Sure, anyone can speculate about what might be missing or why a diagnosis hasn't been reached, but isn't that exactly why I’m posting this on a forum—to see what kind of speculation we can gather? If I wanted a definitive medical diagnosis, I would go sit in a dentist's chair in person.

Let me rephrase my question: if we aren't looking at a situation where the roots are being pushed out of place, then what else could it possibly be? And if they *are* being pushed, what happens next?

I honestly think there’s a much higher probability that this root tilting is directly linked to the inflammation, seeing as that's exactly where the pain is localized, rather than whatever you're suggesting regarding the 3D imaging.

Furthermore, how common are chronic root inflammations—we're talking about a year-long issue here—and just how tolerable are they, or more importantly, how dangerous do they actually become in the end?

Best, and thanks.

Because the thing is, it doesn't even really hurt; it's more of a slight discomfort when touched. Is it possible for inflammation to present itself through symptoms like that?

If you’ve got a fistula—basically an abscess—hanging around a tilted root, I’d suggest getting a 3D scan. You need to see if those roots are accidentally touching. Why risk it? You want to make sure the infection hasn't jumped to a neighboring root that's perfectly fine and innocent.
If the swelling is sitting right in front of the root, things are manageable... but if it’s wrapping around behind the root? Now we're talking about a much bigger problem.
Regarding the infection itself: technically, you don't "infect" the root itself, but rather the material inside the root canal. If that infected gunk leaks out from the root, it starts eating away at the surrounding bone. Over time, it spreads, and before you know it, it can wreck the teeth next to it too.
Do you see how dangerous this actually gets?