Anyone dealt with a tooth root infection before?

It really feels like it. If you could, please give me some quick advice or recommendations, and maybe more info on what I'm actually dealing with here.

Back when I was a kid—and honestly, I didn't have a dime to my name—I had this dentist who was completely out of her depth. She ended up pulling one of my teeth because she had absolutely no clue what was actually going on. To make matters worse, their X-ray machine broke down right when I needed it most. What was a kid supposed to do? I was stuck.
So, that’s how I lost a perfectly good second molar. There’s a massive gap now, though thank God, nobody seems to notice!

But now, the tooth right next to it—the first molar—is infected, and I am honestly losing my mind...
I just cannot let myself lose this one too. Good grief, I’m panicking—I was the kid in school with the perfect smile and the straightest teeth, and now I'm worried about becoming a total wreck.
That’s why I’m reaching out for some guidance.
Thanks so much!🙂

Is that tooth actually loose?
How long has it been since you had that premolar pulled?
Is there any swelling?
How can you tell if there was a root infection in that premolar to begin with?
Was it a granuloma?

You really just need to find a solid dentist who knows how to handle this properly—they can definitely fix it up for you, because it's totally doable...

analogowl18 said:Is the tooth actually loose?
How long has it been since you had that premolar pulled?
Is there any swelling in the area?
And how did they determine the infection was at the root—was it definitely a root canal issue?
Was it a granuloma?

I just saw a private dentist who took an X-ray, and he confirmed it’s infected. The catch is that treating both infected canals is going to run me anywhere from $500 to $700.
Since I'm living here on a visa, I don't have standard health insurance, though I did find a way to try and get coverage through a student organization—I should hear back in a few weeks.
Honestly, I'm a bit of a wreck right now; I had no idea an infection could be this serious or that the treatment would be such a massive, drawn-out ordeal.😢
If only it were just a simple cavity or something minor...😁

Yeah, my dentist actually ended up prescribing some antibiotics and penicillin because the swelling from the pain was getting pretty intense—but thankfully, things have settled down now and the pain is gone. Still, I know that's just a temporary fix. Everyone kept telling me that the sooner I get this taken care of, the better!
It looks like I might end up heading back home to the US for a few weeks unexpectedly.😢 😢 😢