A. It has been a long time since you have been involved with dentists and dentistry. Things have come a long way in 16 years. You obviously need to have something done to help you with your pain so I would advise you to ask your friends whether they know of a gentle dentist in your area and at least let them have a look at your problem. You never know it may only require a course of antibiotics and to teach you how to clean the area better. Certainly if you leave it, it will probably get worse.