Hello, I really need some advice. I have been having a dull aching pain that has remained pretty much constant for over a year in a bottom tooth. I’m not sure which number the tooth is. the pain feels like it’s almost always in one particular tooth, however on some days it seems to radiate to a few of my other bottom teeth. I had the tooth x rayed many times, and no dentist seems to have an answer for me. They say the x Ray is normal every time. I even consulted with a periodontist and had a scaling done to make sure it wasnt gum related. But no change. I don’t know what to do. This pain has severely affected my quality of life, and the worst part is that there seems to be no end to in sight. The pain does seem to be less when I wake up in the morning, and steadily increases throughout the day the more I talk, chew, and just go about normal activities. Would anyone be kind enough to share if maybe they had something similar? Or any possible idea what i should do next? Could it be that my pain is not dental related and this is some type of neuralgia? I attached an X-ray for review. Any advice would be so much appreciated and would mean so much to me. Thank you in advance.
Please help pain in bottom front teeth
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honestdoc
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I'm suspecting you may be grinding and clenching. Are you experiencing stress before the pain started and is still unresolved? Did you have any trauma around the area and to your jaws? Your roots don't look like you had orthodontic treatment. Try an Over-the-counter bite guard and if you notice some improvement, try for a custom guard your dentist needs to make.
I suspect the same but I know I’m not grinding/clenching during the day, if anything it would be only at night. So if that’s the case would the pain be nearly constant the way it is? I can’t seem to get much relief. I will definitely try a night guard. Also, I actually did have orthodontic work.
To be honest, this daily pain definitely has been stressing me out. I can’t remember being overly stressed before this started though.
I can vaguely recall a possible trauma when biting really hard on a peice of gauze after a molar removal and feeling a very sharp pain, but this pain feels like it’s coming from a tooth more toward the front of my mouth and the gauze was toward the back. (Sorry if this sounds a little bit crazy. I’m just trying so hard to figure this out)
Thank you so much for the fast and thoughtful response. It really means so much to me!
To be honest, this daily pain definitely has been stressing me out. I can’t remember being overly stressed before this started though.
I can vaguely recall a possible trauma when biting really hard on a peice of gauze after a molar removal and feeling a very sharp pain, but this pain feels like it’s coming from a tooth more toward the front of my mouth and the gauze was toward the back. (Sorry if this sounds a little bit crazy. I’m just trying so hard to figure this out)
Thank you so much for the fast and thoughtful response. It really means so much to me!
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honestdoc
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Fortunately after orthodontic work, your roots did not appear too shortened. I suspect you have a stressful job or some unresolved stress. You do not notice yourself grinding and clenching. According to experts, your teeth only touch 20 minutes a day including all meals and function. The rest of the time, the teeth are about 0.5 cm (0.25 inch) apart. This allows the jaws to rest and the teeth to minimize contact trauma. From my 20 years observations, this is the most likely scenario.
Did you have any trauma to your jaws? I've attended a lecture from Dr. Jeffrey Okeson from the University of Kentucky and he treats unexplained dental pain. One of the factors is trauma such as an auto accident affecting the lower back. There are nerve centers that can refer to the jaws. I don't think this applies to you.
Did you have any trauma to your jaws? I've attended a lecture from Dr. Jeffrey Okeson from the University of Kentucky and he treats unexplained dental pain. One of the factors is trauma such as an auto accident affecting the lower back. There are nerve centers that can refer to the jaws. I don't think this applies to you.
That does make sense, except that the tooth (sometimes teeth) that hurts is/ are out of occlusion which is why clenching/grinding was originally ruled out by the dentist. I guess I should have probably mentioned that earlier. The only teeth that touch each other when I bite are my back molars..
Never had trauma to the jaw, no serious accidents.
I’m very concerned about the potential possibility that this is some sort of neuralgia, as was mentioned a few times when my dentist was unable to figure this out. Do you think this could be the case? Does this type of pain in front teeth seem typical of an neuralgia? I REALLY hope not.
Never had trauma to the jaw, no serious accidents.
I’m very concerned about the potential possibility that this is some sort of neuralgia, as was mentioned a few times when my dentist was unable to figure this out. Do you think this could be the case? Does this type of pain in front teeth seem typical of an neuralgia? I REALLY hope not.
honestdoc
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I have lower front teeth out of occlusion as well. The consequence will usually be hypereruption. Another possibility is possible crowding. According to an oral surgeon during an audience participation, there was an Iowa study that suggested lower wisdom teeth pushing the anterior teeth to crowding. This suggestion was previously thought as a myth. I wear a bite guard to minimize lower anterior hypereruption as well as my grinding and it helped tremendously. This may be expensive but a custom bite guard may possibly help you as well.
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I am facing sort of the same thing you are going through except it is most all my teeth. The front top and bottom being the worst. Been going on since 11/16. Dentist can see anything wrong. It does feel like my bite is off but I don't think it is bad enough to make all my teeth hurt like this. A neurologist says I have Trigemial Nerulgia but I am not sure about it. It is like I have to go with the diagnosis because I can't find out anything else. He is treating me with medicine so I don't know. I also have pain in my eyes sometime, my nose sometime and my neck most of the time. Going for a MRI of brain and neck. I am miserable I know that. Let us know if you go find out anything.
honestdoc
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I'm not a neural expert. I believe that the hoof beats we are hearing now are not horses but may be zebra(s). I can not explain your constant pain for over a year. One very remote possibility is viral like oral herpes (cold sore). Approximately 70% of people have this virus and it lives in the nerve tracts. A virus expert says that viruses are protected in nerve tissue because the body cannot attack its own nerves. I may be going off tangent but I can't think of anything but brainstorming. Another remote possibility is saliva stones. It can be picked up on radiographic images. I'm sure all the dentists or doctors found no cysts/tumors/disease. If you exhausted all of your options, Dr. Jeffrey Okeson in Lexington Kentucky is the foremost authority on unexplained dental pain.
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Sorry I haven't answered back. I have never had a cold sore that I know of. I know since I have been having this trouble it seems like I put out a tremendous amount of saliva. As soon as I get up in the morning it seems to start. I have read about how much a normal amount is and I think I have way more than that. Sometime I drool. Didn't used to do that. As far as my teeth they touch every time I swallow. That is what hurts because most all of my teeth are so sensitive.
I have had several radio graphic x rays done by several different dentist and one oral surgeon and they have said nothing. I have told most of them my bite doesn't feel right. I had a sleep study to see if i grind my teeth which I didn't. They said I have mild sleep apena. I don't snore and my wife says she has never heard me grind my teeth. I have been to doctors, periodontist, orthodontist, neurologist and I don't know how many dentist. I have been told three things. A neuro musucalar dentist wanted to do some type of tens treatment and make a mouthpiece for 8,500. He didn't give me any kind of clear diagnose I felt. I have been to two neuroloigist. One had a brain scan done and told me my problem was dental. I went to neurolighta a month and a half ago and he told me I have trigeminal neuralgia which I don't really think I have but these are the three diagnoses i have had besides I don't know. I have told more than one of them my bite seems like it changes. It will feel like one tooth is high then it will feel like a differnet one is high or rubbing another one. It changes. I have been told I don't have TMJ. I have had CT scans of face and TMJ joints. I am still looking for answers. Any suggestions appreciated. I am too old for this. It is making my life miserable most of the time. At night is my best time. Doesn't bother me at night. I sleep with a over the counter night guard sometime. I have had the same soft one for a year and it looks like it did the day I got it so I don't think I grind my teeth. I don't know.
I have had several radio graphic x rays done by several different dentist and one oral surgeon and they have said nothing. I have told most of them my bite doesn't feel right. I had a sleep study to see if i grind my teeth which I didn't. They said I have mild sleep apena. I don't snore and my wife says she has never heard me grind my teeth. I have been to doctors, periodontist, orthodontist, neurologist and I don't know how many dentist. I have been told three things. A neuro musucalar dentist wanted to do some type of tens treatment and make a mouthpiece for 8,500. He didn't give me any kind of clear diagnose I felt. I have been to two neuroloigist. One had a brain scan done and told me my problem was dental. I went to neurolighta a month and a half ago and he told me I have trigeminal neuralgia which I don't really think I have but these are the three diagnoses i have had besides I don't know. I have told more than one of them my bite seems like it changes. It will feel like one tooth is high then it will feel like a differnet one is high or rubbing another one. It changes. I have been told I don't have TMJ. I have had CT scans of face and TMJ joints. I am still looking for answers. Any suggestions appreciated. I am too old for this. It is making my life miserable most of the time. At night is my best time. Doesn't bother me at night. I sleep with a over the counter night guard sometime. I have had the same soft one for a year and it looks like it did the day I got it so I don't think I grind my teeth. I don't know.
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There can be several possible causes of your pain. Although X-rays might not always show hairline cracks, they can still cause persistent pain that worsens with activity. Sinus infection, pain in the upper jaw can sometimes radiate to the lower teeth, mimicking dental pain.
Seek a second or even third opinion from a dental professional, preferably an endodontist specializing in tooth pain diagnosis and treatment. When describing your pain to the dentist, mention all the associated symptoms, like the pain radiating to other teeth, increasing with activity, and time of day variations. If X-rays haven't been conclusive, discuss the possibility of getting a CT scan or MRI to get a more detailed view of the area.
Seek a second or even third opinion from a dental professional, preferably an endodontist specializing in tooth pain diagnosis and treatment. When describing your pain to the dentist, mention all the associated symptoms, like the pain radiating to other teeth, increasing with activity, and time of day variations. If X-rays haven't been conclusive, discuss the possibility of getting a CT scan or MRI to get a more detailed view of the area.