Can an infected tooth relate to a patient's health problems?

We recently saw a patient that had the need for root canal treatment on one of her teeth a few years ago. Once the root canal was completed the tooth didn’t feel right to the patient. She underwent retreatment of the root canaled tooth and it still didn’t feel right to her. An Endodontist (root canal specialist) evaluated and recommended tooth removal as a result of her symptoms. During the time after the first root canal she developed chronic headaches, facial pain, sleep disturbance, and even night sweats. Her Physicians could not find a cause for her symptoms and the result left her on heavy, long term pain medications for coping with her symptoms. After the tooth was removed and the infected area above the bone was cleaned, she reported that the headaches and other symptoms went away within a few days. She no longer needs the pain medication as all of her symptoms have resolved. Removing the tooth and bone infection is the only change she noted in her life. All too often when evaluating their patients, the medical physician is not asking the patient if they have any tooth issues. If you have chronic health issues an oral evaluation in addition to your medical examination could be helpful in improving your overall health and well-being.