jaw/ tooth / throat pain

[Onyx]

Last night I started having an extreme severe pain, sort of like a toothache but seemed to be starting in my throat. It quickly spread to my teeth, ear, cheekbone but the strange thing is that it is hurting only on one side. My cheekbone (I suppose where the sinus is) hurts the most, but all the teeth on that side hurt too. I drifted off to sleep and when the pain came back it woke me up from a sound sleep. I got up and took ibuprofen and was able to sleep till it wore off.

I don't really know whether to see my dentist Monday or call my doctor. It's more like a toothache than anything else I guess, but it is down into my throat too. I have no infections I can pinpoint, no runny nose, no fever, and my teeth and xrays were fine just a little over a month ago. There is no pain at all in my throat or anywhere else in between these bouts of aching.

I've never felt anything like this really. It comes and goes. This morning I flossed and brushed with no sensitivity and about an hour later the pain came back. Ibuprofen makes it go away so well I forget all about it till it wears off so I guess it's not too serious.

Anyone else had something similar? I guess I'll start with the dentist Monday and see what he thinks.

[honeymustard02]

I would say an sinus infection but that would be on both sides of your face.

I'm going to put a strong guess that you might have some type of infection or and absess maybe?

But I'm not sure if those come on that fast.

[Der Nister]

It could be a wisdom tooth making a move and it's hitting nerves that will effect everything you described. Definetly get an x-ray.

[Onyx]

Yep, probably will have to have yet another xray. There goes my budget.

I thought of an infection maybe too but this is so so strange because it comes and goes, and I'd think I'd have at least a mild fever with an infection. It stays away as long as two hours and then starts hurting again, plus no fever. Can't be a wisdom tooth, had those out years ago.

hmmm...

It's a little better today but still need a bit of ibuprofen.

[Der Nister]

It's an alien inplant that's what it is. :woot:

Seriously, since the teeth are gone then it could be some kind of problem with the glands in your throat. But that's just my guess - as you may know, I'm not a doctor.

:grin

I'm just making my best guesses. Good luck and hope it clears up soon. :clover

[kellygrrrrrl]

I JUST went to my dentist yesterday for what you described above....except, less the throat pain?...all of my pain is in my jaw, ears, neck, etc....

I had a tooth that was capped years ago, that was in jeopardy of needing a root canal, but he was able to fill and cap it....I thought that tooth was going bad...so i went and had it x-rayed....it was not the tooth, but TMJ....some sort of jaw condition? I guess something to the effect of the Cartilage wearing thin between the jaw joints. The pain comes and goes, and I have clicking when I open/close my mouth. It is especially bad in the morning when I wake up and at nite after I have been talking/chewing all day.

(I grind my teth in my sleep too, I'm sure that doesn'y help)

Perhaps concider that?

[JaneDead]

i have the EXACT same thing going on onyx. but with me, nothing makes the pain go away. the pain SEEMS to be in my upper left/middle tooth. but then when i push on my jaw-where it also hurts- it seems the pain is coming from there. and it hurts up into my cheek bone, ear, throat, and even my eye at times. i've gone to the dentist 2 times for it and they tell me nothing is wrong ... with my tooth. ok then, what is wrong??

let me know what you find out, maybe that is what is wrong with me!

[Head Wreck]

i think it could be dental. or in that regeon.

one of the main nerves to face runs allong the edge of the jaw.

can do odd stuff. when i had my wisdoms and the extar set beyond wisdoms removed my whole face aches below the cheek even tough i had only been cut open in one two areas (both sides of jaw)

[Fierce Critter]

TMJ is temporal Mandibular Joint Syndrome. My sister Susan has dealt with a extreme form of it her entire life. She's had treatments involving everything from braces to oral orthotic devices to you name it. Problems she suffers from include a tendency for her jaw to lock in the open position (requiring a doctor or dentist to push it back into position - it's a lot more serious and lot more distressing & painful than you might think), pain from certain types of movements, nightime grinding, bad bite, etc.

The most extreme treatment would basically entail major surgery, requiring basically disassembling her face, re-shaping the joint, and putting her back together. She's been avoiding that at all costs. I haven't asked her lately how she's dealing with it.

I don't know if that's your problem, Onyx. TMJ is usually either a condition that forms as you grow through puberty, or can be brought on by a facial injury in an accident of some kind, etc. It's not usually something that comes on suddenly for no reason. It's a malformation of the jaw joint.

I have had some kind of infection going on in a tooth that was rebuilt 2 years ago exactly. I get a recurring pus pocket on the outside of the gum. I have researched this, and the closest description I can find is an abcess. I do not think it is abcessed, though, as there is no accompanying pain nor sensitivity of any kind whatsoever. I have recently been on antibiotics for a different sort of infection, and I believe it may have reduced the pus problem a bit. I need to see a dentist.

I thought abcess as soon as I read your description. However, as I said, there's supposed to be sensitivity to cold or hot in the tooth itself, as it's generally an infection coming up from the roots & accompanying nerves.

I would follow up with a dentist for sure, and if he can't find anything, definitely see a doctor. An oral infection is nothing to mess around with. I am quite the fool myself for not having mine looked at, but finances being what they are, for now, I'm just glad I live 2 blocks from the hospital, just in case.

Best of luck.

[Onyx]

Somehow I don't think it's an infection, but who knows. It seems to me I'd have a fever or that flossing would hurt a lot, but if I do it when the pain isn't happening it's entirely comfortable.

I think I will for sure start with the dentist. I'm hating the fact I have to go back when it's not even time though. I'm hoping it goes away before tomorrow :laughing because I'm wondering if I'll go in and he won't find a thing.

TMJ - Yes, I do have that. It started years ago when I had a wisdom tooth removed. When he wedged it out of my jaw it knocked my joints out of whack, and my jaws do get stuck open at the dentist if I open too wide. This is something I've suffered from for years though and never had this type of pain. I was told just to avoid chewing gum and eat soft food when it bothers me, which is rarely.

It's the weirdest thing. I tend to think it might have somethign to do with that jaw joint though because a few minutes ago when the meds wore off I got shooting pains into my eye and cheek, and that seems to me it would be nerve pain. I think infections tend to hurt all the time and not come and go like that. That's a bad thing though because there's no easy way to treat nerve pain and that sort of thing tends to drain your bank account with tons of xrays and tests which show nothing.

I wish dental care and health care wasn't so damn expensive. It's frustrating to go in not knowing if it's going to kill your finances and end up not helping.

[Onyx]

This morning everything changed. The pain in my jaw and cheekbone is gone and all the pain is localized to one tooth, so apparently that's it. The pain is actually a bit better unless I try to chew. Still eating the ibuprofen doses around the clock, drinking Slimfast because it hurts like hell to chew, even on the other side.

Bugs me a bit that my teeth were fine a little over a month ago. The strange thing is, I can still floss without pain. That makes me think the pain is coming from inside the tooth (I'm thinking root canal ahead...).

My dentist can not see me until Wednesday at 10 a.m., and that's only because there was a cancellation. :blink They have my cell # and my home # and are supposed to call me if something sooner comes up. (apparently it's not an emergency unless the tooth is actually knocked out and needs reimplanted).

I am thankful the ibuprofen takes care of most the ache, but I wish I could chew.

[torn asunder]

my first suggestion - chiropractor. tooth/jaw pain, ear infection, headaches - i've had them all cleared up with an adjustment of my neck. and since this seemed to come on suddenly, seems to me that might also indicate your neck being misaligned.

eh, 'sonly my opinion, just thought i'd offer it. hope you're feeling better soon! =)

[AstralCrux]

I should look up John's #, he's a medical massage therapist, who is currently attempting to publish a solution to TMJ through massage techniques. Being that noone else has taken that stance however, has made it hard for him to do the research for the journal article he's trying to get published. Let me know if you're interested.

[kellygrrrrrl]

I should look up John's #, he's a medical massage therapist, who is currently attempting to publish a solution to TMJ through massage techniques.  Being that noone else has taken that stance however, has made it hard for him to do the research for the journal article he's trying to get published.  Let me know if you're interested.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would love to be a guinee pig or lab rat for that! I'd be willing to write a good review!

[Onyx]

Well, I got my answer today. They had an opening from a cancellation and I rushed to my dentist.

It's not TMJ. The tooth where the pain has now localized needs a root canal. They took an x-ray of that tooth and the filling that tooth needed was so deep that it inflamed the nerve. He explalined that is why hot drinks make it worse and cold makes it feel a bit better. He said he sees this a lot with deep fillings.

He tapped the tooth and that reproduces the pain exactly. Fortunately my gum around the tooth is still healthy so there is no problem fixing the tooth.

I'm happy they can save the tooth, and happy that I have dental insurance now. Otherwise it would be around $600 but with my insurance I'll only have to come up with around $130.

I'm hoping it doesn't hurt too bad, but with the pain I've been in now, it can't be too much worse, and at least it should stop the pain and allow me to be able to chew again. Unfortunately because the tooth will be basically dead after that it will eventually turn gray. It sort of grosses me out to think of a dead tooth being in my mouth. Eww. I hope he can put a veneer or something over it, because it does show when I smile.

I have to be on antibiotics for ten days and on the tenth day he will do the root canal. Anyone had this done? He claims I won't feel a thing, no worse than a filling. I've always heard they are really bad. hmmm...

[kellygrrrrrl]

ooooh Onyx.....

I don't mean to scare you, but when I had a root canal done, they put the novacain in the wrong tooth and began work. I didn't feel anything until they hit the root and exposed it to the air and started ripping the nerve out of the tooth.....OMG....that was seriously the worst pain I ever felt.....I was too doped up on Gas to immediatley be able to say anything....when I teared up and white knuckled the chair he then asked me if everything was ok....I was able to barley shake my head "NO!" then he took me off the gas and I was like dude...I can feel everything!

about a year later, the root canal that I had spent mucho $$ on went bad. I then had to pay about 300-400 to have it ripped out....and then another $3000-$4000 to have a bridge made..... :confused

Just be sure to ask him what percentage of success he will have with this tooth and ask how long it will last to avoid the complications I had had.

I dread EVER having a root cancal ever again......to be quite honest.

(I suggest taking some pain med prior to, or A few shots of favorite strong liquor )

THEN AGAIN....I'm a big baby.

[Onyx]

Thanks Kelly.

I am a big baby too. I'd much rather be forewarned than get a nasty surprise once I get in that chair. I've made him stop drilling before and give me more Novocaine so he's used to me being a baby, heh.

That's a good idea about taking some pain meds prior.

[Onyx]

OWIE.

I had the root canal today. The tooth had stopped hurting the last few days but felt like a foreign object in my mouth since the nerve was dead (hence the need for the root canal). My tooth looks really good. He didn't have to cap it since there was a lot of bone left and it was very strong, and he removed the dark filling and used a white one which looks great.

The actual drilling and everything wasn't bad, just a twinge of pressure and pain now and then, but when he inserted the filling material into the canals it hurt a lot. The gas helped some this time (last time I had a filling swear the tank was empty because I didn't feel all floaty and weird. I hate that feeling though but it did seem to help with the pain).

On the drive home it started hurting more and more and now it's worse than the pain was in the first place. I just took 800 mg of Advil and I hope it will do the job.

He said there would be some "discomfort" for a few days, but this pain is so bad it has me worried something isn't right. If it doesn't calm down by tomorrow I'll be calling him back.

[kellygrrrrrl]

sometimes they don't get all of the nerve endings out and have to go back in....

thats what happened to me....

[Onyx]

sometimes they don't get all of the nerve endings out and have to go back in....

thats what happened to me....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, that's what I'm wondering. If he took out the nerves then why am I hurting even worse than before?

I'm going to give it till tomorrow if I can stand it and see how it goes. I don't want him going back in there unless there's no other choice. I nearly always have pain with dental work though. They can numb my whole face and I still feel it, and fillings give me pain for sometimes a month after.

You'd think with all the fillings I have I'd learn to avoid sweets!

[kellygrrrrrl]

sometimes the bone and surrounding jaw bone gets bruised good after work like that......thats an ouchie for sure....

I hope that it works out to your advantage!

Yeah....about the sweets? I still have not learned. BUT...I carry a tooth brush and floss with me now at all times!