The time has come....

It's been eight years since my last appointment. I have had a dental issue for a little over a week now -- my first ever, actually. My back upper molar hurts when I bite down. The pain has not been constant; nor has it been throbbing, but it's been sharp when I have it. It has not reacted to hot or cold really. The only thing is that initially my jawline would hurt like in a muscle cramp periodically and I had a dull headache for a few days. But then that went away and I was left with my tooth hurting when I bit down sometimes on hard things but no other time, except at night I will wake up, in pain, for a few minutes several times a night. I thought it was my bruxism and TMJ and that I might have cracked a tooth. When I have the lingering pain, it will radiate and feel more like it is in my cheekbone than in the joint. The lingering pain occurs at night mostly, and I still clench my teeth and grind so that makes it worse. I investigated with a mirror and I can see a large black place on the tooth, which I assume is a big cavity. I was frightened when I was saw this. I am really worried that this might be something worse than an abscess.

I am very nervous (and embarrassed) about having to visit the dentist after all this time because I know there will be other things that must be done but I am being forced to do this. I do not have dental insurance with my job right now (too new for it to take effect yet -- six months, I believe.) Other people just say "go to the dentist" like it is no big deal, but for me, after all these years, it has become one.

I just needed to vent because I woke up tonight and had some pain. Thanks for this forum. It's good to know I am not alone in my fears.

Hello Lulu:

Sorry to hear about your mouth pain. A lot of the discomfort sounds like it comes from Bruxism. This can produce the type of pain you are describing. Bruxism is primarily a stress related disorder and is treated with relaxation or biofeedback techniques.

These modalities are also very effective in reducing dental anxiety ( Harvard; Dental Health for Adults 2007).

These methods are easy to learn and can be done at home. If you would like I can provide you with some free techniques I use with my patients.

All the best

Thanks. Yes, bruxism and tension are problems for me, but this is beyond that. I can see a large black place on the tooth and it is very painful when it connects with my lower tooth, but not when I touch it with my tongue or finger. I managed to get a couple of dentist recommendations from people; one was from my doctor. I found one on the Internet that looks promising as well. I am calling someone tomorrow. I am very nervous about this.

The embarrassment is the biggest fear -- that and what the dentist is going to say. I did not have a dental fear until the past three years or so. It's developed since I neglected to go on a reasonably-regular basis. I live in an area of my city and work in an industry where most people have close-to-perfect teeth. On the surface mine just need to look whiter, but it's the hidden things people don't see. like the periodontal issues I know I have and now this tooth problem that are my embarrassing secrets. I guess things happen for a reason and now I'm being forced to go. I just don't want it to be something horribly major. I'd like to get this tooth removed and just go from there with everything else. One step at a time rather than be bombarded with all the bad news.

Anyway, I am very nervous about this. Just making a call makes me shake.