cleaning concern

[suszy123456789]

i have had a regular cleaning and my teeth feel painful and sensitive to touch. i also feel my bite is off because when i bite down i am hitting teeth i never used to. i do not want to go back to the dentist,i am just asking what you feel as a dr. what could be going on here,i was feeling maybe when she polished the teeth being that she was new she used the wrong instrument,is that possible and would this cause this discomfort? if so what do you do from this point on to get better?please answer, my teeth are really bothering me and please do not tell me to visit the dentist,just looking for your professional advice!!!! thank you! it has been 6 days so far

[suszy123456789]

also dr,please answer me about the periodontal ligament being inflamed,if clenching causes this and does it heal,and how long? thank you again

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Oh, waiting for an abscess to form could take awhile.  Swelling could occur in days or it could take years.  Sometimes they don't show up on an x-ray for months.  Did your dentist do a cold test to test the nerve functionality of each tooth?  That would give a good indication of how the pulp/nerve is doing.  

Sometimes the nerve can die from trauma and not necessarily from a cavity.  This could include a blow to the teeth (could be years ago), heat, clenching/grinding, etc.

If the periodontal ligament is inflamed, it needs time to just calm down.  But the irritant thats causing it needs to be removed first.  I don't know exactly how long but usually if its an acute case which is occurred quite rapidly, it should resolve quite rapidly as well.  It should go away in a week or so.  There should at least be some improvement in a week.

If your educated guess is right, then as the TMJ and bite correct itself, the irritation in the front will start to resolve itself too.

[suszy123456789]

I'm all confused,do people stay in pain for years until an abscess forms? i have to wait months till i get my tooth to show an active infection? cant that hurt my body or other teeth ,having an infection that long? or will the infection show up on an x-ray?no,he did not do a cold test,what is that? this has just been a very unpleasant experience!!!! i do not wish to jump into a root canal,if my tooth will resolve with time! thank you i go for my x-ray on the 6th of april!just say the x-ray shows nothing, PLEASE INFORM ME WHAT YOU WOULD TELL YOUR PATIENT TO DO?

[suszy123456789]

ALSO YOU MENTIONED HEAT,CAN THAT CAUSE A NERVE TO DIE,I REMEMBER YOU SAID THE POLISHERS GET HOT AND CAN HURT THE TOOTH DURING A CLEANING! WHAT KIND OF HURT DOES IT CAUSE? IS IT REVERSABLE?

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

When I say heat, usually its more of a result of drilling than polishing.  That's part of the reason why we use water with our drills to cool it off due to the heat from friction.  Yes, injury from heat like anything else can be reversible.  

I'm sorry you're confused.  I understand your frustration because there's nothing obviously wrong with your tooth (like it broke or a big cavity) but its hurting you.  Have you tried taking any anti-inflammatories such as Motrin/Ibuprofen or Tylenol?  Does your bite feel off anymore?  

[suszy123456789]

yes,advil,my bite still feels off a little,it feels like my back teeth were shortened some how!!!!!!!!!!!!!but i never had any problems with tmj or my bite before. i may never find out what is wrong,i am very upset and the worst part is i nor my dentist at this point knows what is going on. that's why i thought maybe you might have an idea!how about an infection in and under the gums,but my gums arn't red or swollen? have you ever heard of this type of situation after a cleaning? does tmj just come on someone with out any symptoms through the yrs.? dr. i want to thank you for all the time you have spent writing back,i know your very busy!