The following is an edited version of my 70-something year old mother's
email to me describing her problem. Her dentist cannot seem to help
her. Any ideas?

Following several root-canals, five extractions, and two implants (one
remaining in place) the pain has become more serious than ever, and
now, there are mouth sores, especially in the area of the oldest
root-canal and the remaining implant.

It started when I was about 23. I went to 3 doctors and a dentist to
try to get a diagnosis for left-side face pain. They diagnosed me with
"internal resorption" of a tooth root. But after it was supposedly
cured, the pain continued. The tooth was root-canaled, but remained
painful.  Years later, it was root-canaled again on the theory that not
every part of the root had been filled and sealed off.  Still it
remained painful.  Years after that a dentist worked on those roots
again by cutting in thru the side of the gum.  It's that area that's
oozing the most blood now.

I had routine x-rays, checkup and cleaning in the middle of May, and
was supposed to be fine, even though I reported slight gum bleeding at
the time.  They said that would clear right up because of the cleaning.
Instead, it got rapidly worse. Most recently, along with the pain and
mouth sores my tongue turned white.