pain still 3+ yrs after root canal,10 yrs after surgery

[EricaP3]

10 years ago I had a golf ball size tumor removed from inside my jaw. It caused me to need a few root canals. No problems since then. 3.5 yrs ago I needed another root canal on a tooth adjacent to the ones that had been treated years before. Well, that tooth has always hurt since then. I went back to the dentist, he said it was fine but sent me to an oral surgeon to rule out it being anything related to my past history. The surgeon said the root canal looked fine and that he would recommend a MRI to see if anything was going on in my face. Not insured and could not afford that. Have lived w/the pain for the past 3.5 years, it comes and goes, not triggered by hot/cold. Saw regular dentist again today and she referred me to a endodontist to see if they could figure out why it still hurts. She says that the x-rays show that the root canal looks great and I shouldn't have any pain. She said my x-ray shows that my bones are very thin from having had surgery years before and that maybe it was my sinus pushing on the bone that makes me feel the pain in my tooth. When I called to see an endodontist and told them why I wanted to see them they acted like they couldn't help me because all they do is root canals and I don't need one. So where do I go? Another oral surgeon? Why would my reg. dentist tell me to go see an endo if they can't do anything? I am uninsured and can't afford to go to doctor to doctor and pay consultation fees just to get sent to another doctor. Any ideas?? Thanks

[scottma]

If there is a dental school in iowa, there should be one department for managing orofacial pain.

[EricaP3]

Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately Iowa doesn't have any orofacial pain specialists

[scottma]

It appears that there is no identified clinical and x-ray pathology plausible to your pain symptoms. Possible pain sources: occlusal interference, myofascial trigger pont pathology of masicatory muscle, atypical odontalgia, trigeminal neuralgia. Seeing an orofacial pain specialist is advised.