HomeAnswersDentistryperiapical abscessThere is a tiny, harmless dot on the gums of my root canal treated second molar tooth. What could it be?

Is a tiny, asymptomatic dot on the gums of a root canal treated tooth a cause for concern?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At July 25, 2023
Reviewed AtJuly 25, 2023

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I have a question about my second molar tooth. I had a deep cavity in this tooth for a long time. Last year, it hurt a lot that I found it difficult to eat. I visited a dentist who did a root canal on that tooth and he took an X-ray. He treated this tooth for eight months and he prescribed antibiotics for five days. It got swollen again last year and the dentist drained the pus from that tooth and the swelling went away. After that, the tooth did not cause any discomfort and the dentist also took an X-ray and said that the tooth looks fine in the X-ray.

It has been two months now and there are no issues in this tooth. The treatment was completed earlier this year but the thing is that there is a little dot on the gum but it is harmless. It is so small and there is no swelling or bleeding and the tooth does not hurt. The dentist took an X-ray at the last appointment when he filled my tooth. On that day, the gum of this tooth got swollen and there was a lot of pus discharge. He told me to press it and I followed the same. He again took an X-ray and said that there were no issues. But, I would like to know about the tiny dot on the gum. If it is a fistula it would have caused pain and pus discharge. It is harmless and it has been there for two months. The dentist saw it and said that it could be gingivitis.

I wonder what it could be since it does not go away. It is so tiny that one must look closely to have a look at it. I used to move this tooth before the treatment but when it started to hurt, I stopped moving it. Now, the tooth seems to move slightly. I guess this could be because I played with it previously. Is there anything I could do to strengthen this tooth and gum? It is slightly movable but there is no pain and swelling. Please help.

Answered by Dr. Honey Nandwani

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

We take this opportunity to guide you.

I have evaluated your images (images removed to protect the patient’s identity) and have keenly read your question. Since the small dot is hardly visible, it does not seem to be anything serious. It can be due to residual infection in your gum. The small dot is because of tooth-related issues only and there is nothing serious. Do not worry. Just get the gum around the tooth cleaned with a scaler and massage the gum with gum paint.

The tooth mobility can slightly get better with maintenance of good oral hygiene but regaining complete firmness of the tooth is difficult. I kindly request you share the images of the X-rays taken previously so that I can guide you accordingly. But with the present description and X-ray, it does not seem to be anything serious. It is just an outcome of residual infection.

I appreciate your trust in icliniq.

Thank you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Honey Nandwani
Dr. Honey Nandwani

Dentistry

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