Painful gum

[PaulY]

About a year ago I started getting pain in my gum mainly whilst eating. The site is where a bottom back molar was extracted years ago and specifically next to a gold capped molar. incidently there is a tiny hole on the top of the gold crown. A bump appears to grow on the gum which can sometimes bleed. I found that putting ice on it reduces it's size and I can be virtually pain free for up to ten days before the bump returns. My NHS dentist told me it is an abcess on the gold capped tooth which he thinks is dead and requires a root canal that he is reluctant to perform as one of the roots is too close to the edge. I have had several abccesses over the years and the pain is nothing like one. There is no pain when pressing on the tooth and it isn't loose and there is no swelling of my face. I saw a private dental surgeon who was also reluctant to work on the tooth as part of the gum is eroded and he would prefer to pull it and replace it with an implant. My question is this, is the diagnosis correct or could the problem be caused by some other condition which doesn't require an extraction?

 

[Dr M]

The diagnoses sounds correct. The bubble that forms is what we call a draining sinus. Usually minimal or no pain is experienced, since there is no build up of pressure. But it definitely has an abscess.
If there is indeed severe recession or bone loss surrounding the tooth, then extraction might be the best option. Would need to see a clinical picture or x-ray to comment more.