Yen

I'm turning to you not for medical advice, but to see if any of you have had a similar experience.

I am experiencing intermittent but frequent pain on the left side of my upper and lower jaws. I thought it was one particular tooth (the dentist called it #14), but the endodontist thinks it is tooth 15. Both are covered with crowns so an x-ray does not show a crack or abscess or any other pathology in either tooth, or any of the surrounding teeth.

Sometimes, the pain is on the top, sometimes on the bottom, and sometimes it radiates along the teeth on the top or bottom toward the front. When it hurts, it feels like someone hit me in the jaw with a hammer.

The dentist and the endodontist did cold and pressure tests. My reaction to a pressure test (more pain on release than on pressure) strongly suggested a crack in tooth #15 (upper left back tooth). Unfortunately, the same reaction also appears in the tooth directly below it.

Cold and hot bother it, but today at lunch while it was throbbing I took a sip of ice water (expecting to go through the roof with pain), and the pain immediately disappeared!! When it came back, I took another sip with the same result!

The endodontist suggested I may be grinding my teeth at night. BINGO. About a week or two ago I starting noticing that my jaw, in fact my whole mouth, aches. My gums hurt after flossing (I floss often enough that it was never a problem before). He asked me if I've been under stress, so I mentioned that I lost my dad 3 months ago from a fall down the stairs -- immediately and spontaneously, the tears started flowing. He described that as "a family tragedy" and a very likely source of stress and why I may be grinding my teeth or clenching my jaw at night.

In any case, my concern is that there may be more than one tooth with a crack and they're having trouble identifying the tooth that is causing the pain. They said they will need to do a root canal on whichever tooth (teeth) it is, but first they need to positively identify it (them)!

The most troubling part is that I may have done this to myself by grinding or clenching my teeth. All these crowns are preventing them from getting a good view of the surface of my teeth, and cracks could be hiding underneath. Interestingly, my dad's gold work prevented the cat scan from getting a complete view of his neck injuries. Another good reason to take care of one's teeth while still young.

I have a follow-up appt. with the endodontist in mid-Aug for a re-evaluation. They recommended I see the dentist for a night guard.

Has anyone experienced anything like this or have any recommendations? If 3 dental experts can't agree or be certain...........

BTW, as I finish typing this, the pain has now completely gone away. It comes and goes without any particular provocation, like it has a mind of its own.

The Weak Link

I'm not a dentist. I think a night guard and daily use of Sensodyne or similar prep might be helpful.

DnvrFox

I would suggest you read information regarding Trigeminal Neuralgia (something from which I suffer). Almost every single case of TN is first noticed as a tooth pain, particularly a tooth pain which moves around.

Sometimes folks with TN end up having all their teeth removed because no one (including the dentist) ever considers TN. And, they still have the pain.

It is extremely likely that you do NOT have TN, but you need to check it out and ask your doc about it.

TN relates to a short circuit of the trigeminal nerve near the brain. There are a whole variety of treatments. It is so painful it has been called the "suicide disease" from days of old when no treatments were available.

Relief from the tooth/facial pain with either the drugs Trileptal or Tegretol is diagnostic.

The pain can manifest itself in several ways including sharp pedriodic stabs, or "atypical TN" which can simply be strange pain.

https://www.fpa-support.org/

TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) Description / Definition
TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) is a nerve disorder of unknown origin that causes sudden shock-like facial pains, typically near the nose, lips, eyes or ears. It is said to be the most excruciatingly painful human condition in the world.

The disorder, also called tic douloureaux, is named for the three-part (trigeminal) nerve that supplies sensations to all parts of the face.

However, because the trigeminal nerve is involved does not establish the diagnosis as being TN.

The earliest description of trigeminal neuralgia can be inferred by Galen who was born in AD 81. The first full description of trigeminal neuralgia was given by John Fothergill in 1773. Nicholas André invented the term tic douloureux (see below) in 1756.

TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia / tic douloureux) is a disorder of the fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve that causes episodes of intense, stabbing, electric shock-like pain in the areas of the face where the branches of the nerve are distributed - lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, upper jaw, and lower jaw. By many, it's called the "suicide disease".


A less common form of the disorder called "Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia" may cause less intense, constant, dull burning or aching pain, sometimes with occasional electric shock-like stabs.

Both forms of the disorder most often affect one side of the face, but some patients experience pain at different times on both sides.

Onset of symptoms occurs most often after age 50, but cases are known in children and even infants. Something as simple and routine as brushing the teeth, putting on makeup or even a slight breeze can trigger an attack, resulting in sheer agony for the individual.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is not fatal, but it is universally considered to be the most painful affliction known to medical practice.

Initial treatment of TN is usually by means of anti-convulsant drugs, such as Tegretol or Neurontin. Some anti-depressant drugs also have significant pain relieving effects.

Should medication be ineffective or if it produces undesirable side effects, neurosurgical procedures are available to relieve pressure on the nerve or to reduce nerve sensitivity.

Some patients report having reduced or relieved pain by means of alternative medical therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic adjustment, self-hypnosis or meditation.

homebody146

I'm not a dentist but i've had this "bruxism" for years (since at least 1982).....i sleep with a mouth guard..dentist made the mold from my top teeth.....wear it each night and sometimes when riding .....i've bit through three of these guards....but they seem to give my teeth some cushion....I clench my teeth more than grind. I can remember as a child my sister used to complain that she could hear me ginding my teeth in my bedroom at night....we were two rooms apart......i also had a pain in a tooth that could not be found....eventually discovered it was sinus related....the pressure from the sinus on the root of the tooth caused the tooth to be extremely painful.....antihistamine cleared that up. ;-)

Yen

Dear Lord, please don't let it be Trigeminal Neuralgia.

The pain isn't that bad.... yet. It comes and goes as it pleases. While eating, while not eating, drinking hot or cold, or cold might relieve it (huh?). It flared up again during dinner tonight so I drank some ice water -- again, immediate relief. Another data point to give the endo doc at my follow-up appt. in August.

Funny homebody146 mentioned sinus issues. One of the endo docs asked me if I have sinus problems, probably because I told him that the pain is sometimes near my left cheek bone and the left side of the roof of my mouth (all the tooth-related pain is on the left side). I have no knowledge of having any sinus problems.

zonatandem

Have had some aching in gum/tooth area. Went to a simple and cheap solution that I had read about.
Bought container of whole cloves (in the spices area of supermarket). Stick a few cloves in your mouth by affected area
Yup, worked wonders for me!

partbug

Yen I kind of have the same problem it turn out to be a ear infection realy weird check that out and let us know.

Yen

zonatandem: I've heard of that clove remedy. If you say it really worked, I'll try it. But how bad was your tooth/gum pain? Like raw nerve pain, or just a little?

partbug: I'll check that out.... thanks.

zonatandem

Yen:
I seem to have a rather great pain tolerance. However this was much more than just annoying, but not excruciating pain. This had been bothering me for a few weeks and was getting to be a real nuisance and thinking of foing to a dentist.
Read an article about using the cloves; thought it was worth a try. Hold cloves in mouth by affected area like a chewing tobacco wad (but actually tastes better).
After a few clove applications pain/swelling has disappeared.
Hope it works as good for you as it did for me.
Rudy/zonatandem

Tom Bombadil

You know, I don't like any chainring that has 50+ teeth. I think something around 46-48 teeth is best for me.

Bill Kapaun

You STILL have teeth?

Hermes

I thought this was about a problem with a 52,53,54 or 55 tooth chain ring.

Yen

I wish!