UNKNOWN PROBLEM

[ALISAT]

ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I HAD 2 TEETH FILLED FOR ABOUT A WEEK THEY HURT REAL BAD LIKE PRESSURE ON MY TEETH I WENT BACK TO MY DENTEST HE SAID THE FILLINGS WAS TO HIGH HE TOOK THE FEELING DOWN, AFTER THAT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE WOULD HURT AROUND MY CHEEK BONE AND MY GUMS, AND I HAVE SWELLING, I WENT BACK HE SAID THAT I HAD INFECTION BUT HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS MY SINUS I WENT TO THE DOCTOR AND GOT ON ANTIBOTICS IT FELT BETTER, THAN AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS IT WOULD START UP AGAIN, I WENT TO A ORAL SURGEN I END UP HAVING 2 OTHER TEETH PULLED THAT THEY SAID WAS CRACKED I STILL HAD PAIN, WENT BACK TO MY DENTIST HE SAID THAT I HAD TNJ AND POSSIBLY NERVE DAMAGE I WENT BACK TO MY FAMILY DOCTOR HE SENT ME TO A PAIN DOCTOR, I HAVE HAD 3 INJECTIONS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE, AND OVER THE 2 YEAR PERIOD I HAVE BEEN ON ANTIBOTICS ABOUIT EVERY 6 WEEKS. RIGHT NOW THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE IS TROBING AND MY GUMS ARE BURNING, I REALLY FEEL LIKE IT IS THE 2 TEETH THAT I HAD FILLED BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET ANYMORE TEETH PULLED OR I WILL NOT HAVE ANY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE. LOL! WHEN THE DENTIST OR DOCTOR HAS LOOKED AT MY TEETH THEY SAY THAT MY TEETH LOOK HEALTHY. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN GOOD CARE OF MY TEETH BUT NOW I CANNOT HARDLY BRUSH THE LEFT SIDE CAUSE MY GUMS ARE SO IRRITATED. THANK YOU ALISAT (INDIANA)


This discussion is related to Severe tooth, jaw, face pain after minor filling - 2nd Opinion?.

[moneyfamily10]

Thanks.  I appreciate your help.  I am actually scheduled for a root canal in the morning.  :-(  I can't handle this pain anymore.

[scottma]

The pain source may be dental pulp or occlusal interference from new restorations.Going back to your restorative dentist to find out the pain source is advised.

[moneyfamily10]

I had 2 teeth filled on Monday, 6/9/08.  I did not have much pain, but I knew that I had a cavity that was there.  These teeth have now been filled a total of 3 times.  I was in a little bit of pain on Monday and Tuesday, but nothing really major.  Then on Wednesday morning, I had my teeth cleaned.  I wasn't able to have the left side done because I was in so much pain.  The dentist prescribed me Percodan and told me that it would get better.  Wednesday night I had an allergic reaction to the Percodan, so I am no longer able to take that.  I am now taking Tylenol and Advil as often as I can possibly take it.  It is more like my jaw and left side of my face are killing me.  I have had 8 children, and I would rather go through natural childbirth 10 more times w/o pain relievers rather than to have the pain that I am having now.  Please help!  What do I do?

[scottma]

I was a faculty member at NYUCD back to 1988-1992. I have been a private practitioner ever since 1993. Atypical odontalgia is not difficult to diagnose and treat, as long as the clinician is aware of this disease entity. Glad you get rid of the pain.

[HAITA2]

Hi, Alisat!
Scottma seems to be a dental professor or scholar.
He helped me before: thank you scottma.

So you can count on scottma's advice.

I happened to have atypical odontalgia, (AO) that socttma sugested above.

You may want to google Atypical Odontalgia.
If you think that you might have AO, then visit www.aaop.org and find the orofacial specialist in your city.
Orofacial specialist usually specialized in TMD.
And they are likely to force you to purchase the nightguard.
You will likely to have CT scan done before seeing the dentist.
But you should make sure that the specialist knows that you are suspecting AO.
And you would not want TMD treatment at this moment.

I have a slight TMD; but I did not sign to purchase the nightguard which costs about 3000 dollars including follow ups, since my pain comes from AO, not from TMD.

You may want to see the neurologist for the 2nd opinion.
They will say you have a Atypical Trigerminal Neuralgia (TN).
AO is a kind of TN that pain is limited to teeth.
AO is treated exactly like TN is treated.
The same drugs will be prescribed.

Neurologist will want you to take MRI to exclude other disorders.

I am working on the website called atypicalodontalgia.com and fantomtoothpain.com.
I set up the links to aaop and other articles that might be helpful for AO patients.

I hope that you don't have AO.
I know your pain.
And I know that the dentists are quite unsympathetic to you.
If your pain specialist is not a good one, find another pain specialist at aaop.org, and make dure that dentist has experience with AO.

[scottma]

Based on information provided, assuming no sinus or dental infection identified by health professionals, differential diagnoses include: atypical odontalgia, referred pain and autonomous phenomenon referred by myofascial trigger point of lateral pterygoid muscle, Seeing a tmj specialist is advised.