Abscess tooth and tingling pain in left hand

[KGBrr]

I have had an abscess tooth for over a year. I haven't gotten the recommended root canal due to lack of funds. Twice in the past year, my cheek became very swollen, I went to the dentist and got a prescription, which eliminated the infection but never got a follow-up root canal. Since then I developed a small swollen mass on the inside of my gum which was there for about two months, but haven't had any pain in the tooth since then.

On Monday, the mass on my gum went away and my cheek and jaw swelled up. I've been taking Bactrim and Keflex since then. The swelling has gone down some. For the past two days I've had an extremely intense burning and tingling feeling in my left hand up to my elbow. I've been experiencing numbness in my pinky and ring finger, and have had shooting pains up my hand into my elbow. It's also very itchy.

Could this all be related? I need to know if it's worth going to Urgent Care because I don't have insurance.

Thanks!

[ArzooNasiry]

Your tooth is probably not causing your hand and elbow pain, but it's a very bad idea to prolong treatment of your tooth.  Infection from your tooth enters your bloodstream and can adversely affect other areas of your body. Tooth infection is different from other infections.  Antibiotics don't eliminate the infection, it just lowers it but it will return if the source of the problem is not treated.  I hope you feel better soon.

[Sanjivani Wanjari, MD]

HI,
The tingling and burning in the left hand may not be related to the tooth abscess. It is more likely to be due to compression of nerves in the spinal cord or due to peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by vitamin deficiency or due to systemic diseases like diabetes. Hence you should consult a Doctor for an evaluation.
Also long standing abscess of the tooth can cause spread of infection to the jaw and neck also; hence it needs to be taken care of. Hope this helps.
The answer is based on information provided. Exact advice is not possible without a proper examination and investigations. You are requested to consult your Doctor. Take care and keep us posted.