Severe pain - Please help

[PaisCharos]

Allright, I don't know what's going on.  For the past two weeks I've been experiencing severe tooth/jaw pain in my left jaw area.  Back in October I had a cleaning and some xrays done, which showed nothing but an old amalgamate filling.  The dentist replaced it with a composite filling, and all was fine.  I had been experiencing some minor sensitivity on both sides to cold (sometimes) and sweets, but that's "normal", I guess.  Also, three of my wisdom teeth have broken through the gums (the two on the left side are partial erupted, on the right one is fully erupted, while the other won't ever erupt cause of the way it's growing).  I was given a referral to an oral surgeon for my wisdom teeth, but haven't been able to get it done...besides my dental insurance is the pits.

But two weeks ago I started experiencing severe pain in my left jaw, that is only abated by pain killers.  Without any sort of pain killers, my whole left jaw feels like it's on fire.  Last Monday I went to the dentist.  They didn't take any new xrays, and only referred to the ones from October, and told me they didn't know what my problem was.  The thought my filling might be a little high, so filed it down, then told me that I may be grinding my teeth.  I went to Walgreens and bought The Doctor's Night Guard, but that hasn't been helping.  If anything, the pain has gotten worse since Monday.

Any thoughts?  Suggestions?  A friend suggested I go to the ER....but tomorrow I plan on calling another dentist and see if they can give me any better direction...

[Kalio1]

I read recently that jaw pain can be a sign of a heart problem, like chest pains are. I'd see the doctor.

[scottma]

x-ray may not always reveal the offending tooth, unless there is an apparent dental pathology present. However, clinical thermal test and electric pulp test are helpful for locating offending tooth.

[PaisCharos]

If only I could find the offending tooth  <_<  If it is pulpitis, an xray should show which tooth it is, correct?

[scottma]

You probably have pulpitis. Find the offending tooth and Root canal treatment probably can cure your dental pain.

[PaisCharos]

I forgot to mention that now the teeth on my left side are ultra sensitive to anything cold (even cold air), and I can't chew on my left side either...