Gum/jaw/ear ache, still looking for answers

[Soma]

Gnawing, dull, sometimes non-existant ache deep in my gums around and below my back wisdom tooth, it sometimes travels to my ears, or down my neck. I've had a few bouts of cold sweats, I feel "Off" in general. No medicine, or antibiotic has really made it feel any better or worse. Hot peppermint tea seems to be the only thing that brings some temporary comfort.

I've been dealing with this in waves for almost a year now, I've been to the dentist multiple times throughout these symptoms. I've gone in for "emergency" check up with him twice and I had a regular cleaning, with x-rays a few months ago. He admits things are a bit cramped back there, but otherwise the tooth is in perfect shape. It's never had any work done on it, it grew in perfectly straight. He says he really doesn't think it's dental related, he did give me a round of amox, but as I mentioned before, it really had no effect. He said I should see my regular doctor, and I did yesterday.

They poked around my mouth, my neck, had me do some jaw openings and closings. Asked if I grind my teeth, I do to some extent when I'm sleeping. They did a round of bloodwork to check for any sort of infection or suspcious things, did a throat culture. Everything came back clean. She said she thinkgs it's stress and tmj/grinding - to take some advil and if it doesn't clear up, see the dentist.

I feel like a yo-yo. I am stressed, I am a hypocondriac, but these symptoms feel too uncomfortable to be made up in my head. I'm looking for your 2 cents on the situation. I hate to crawl back to the dentist and beg for another x-ray when we just did that song and dance a few weeks ago. He thinks I'm crazy. Maybe I am...it wouldn't be the first time my body lied to my brain.

My worry is that I have an infection, or a deadly abscess forming.
If I did have an infection, wouldn't the hot tea send me through the roof instead of comforting the area?
The fact that heat is comforting makes me think that just maybe it's muscle related (tmj)

The 'valley' between my cheek and my gums is pretty red and beat up, I've done a ton of hot salt water swishes, oil oil "pulls", I've tried leaving black tea bags tucked in my cheek for a half hour trying to draw any infection out. I feel like that created a ton of microscopic sores, If I slide my finger around the bottom of my gums it feels like I touching 100 canker sores.

I'm just completely lost at this point. If something really bad was going on wouldn't something siginificant shown up for a diagnosis by now - between the dentist and the doctors?

 

[AsaGohan]

I can't provide any insight into the canker sore feeling, but I definitely agree with you that it sounds like you have TMJ. I actually got diagnosed by an oral surgeon.

I also totally understand the hypocondriac feeling too. I'm super paranoid about my teeth too.

P.S. First post for me!

 

[Soma]

Welcome to the forum! I appreciate your reply.

Today was slightly better than the past couple days. I'm noticing now the molar right next to the wisdom tooth is reacting a little to being brushed and flossed. A tiny bit of blood laced where the tooth meets the gumline when I flossed it this morning. Not sure if it's just from inflammation, or if there is something brewing beneath the surface. I just had a filling replaced in that tooth earlier this year due to some minor bite pain. That bite pain is still there to a degree, but it's impossible to trigger for me, it happens very randomly. Last cracked tooth I had I could bite a cotton ball and it would send a sharp pain straight down, this one, the cotton ball does nothing. So I don't know if it's related to anything at all.

Anyways, thanks again for your reply, it's nice to know someone at least read it and can relate. I hope you find what you're looking for in this forum.

 

[Leftie]

One rather non scientific test you can try is trial the three main OTC pain killers within the dosage limits and not all together. If you get zero pain relief it is more likely to be Nerve pain. I say non scientific but it would be one of the first question an Oral Medicine consultant asks you if you go for a referral for unexplained facial/jaw pain.

If I were you and I am not a medical person. I would stop whatever you are doing that is causing the canker sores. I would trial using one of the stronger mouthwashes such as Cordsyl or Peroxyl both sell themselves for minor gum infections or bleeding gums. I would also use Gengigel.

It could well be the sores and that it sounds like you think might be self inflicted with too many rinses rubbing etc? They alone could be causing nerve irritation, so try and calm the area.

Caveat again I have no medical qualification's.

 

[Soma]

I've been taking 2 Ibuprofren's (one every 6-8 hours) a day for the past couple days, I don't like to take too many because it messes with my stomach, but it works better than tylenol and other things. It does seem to take the edge off, keeping busy takes the edge off as well, as does the hot peppermint tea. But even when there is no pain, it feels like there is pressure or tightness or fullness in my gum and jaw. I am going to try the OTC thing 'as directed' and see how things go for a couple days.

I've been not chewing on that side at all, today I gave it a little test with some toast and sugar-free chewing gum. It didn't hurt at all to chew on. I test my mouth every couple hours with a ice cold water, and later on I test it with either very warm salt water, or hot tea. - As I know tempature sensativity is a warning sign, but so far the cold doesn't really have any effect and the hot like it's soothing a achey muscle, I'm just hoping it doesn't turn into pain. That molar in front of the wisdom tooth does seem to be a bit achey, where as the other teeth feel more gum related. This tooth just started to have minor symptoms yesterday, again no heat or cold sensativity, no bite sensativity I can trigger, but it does have a general tooth-ache vibe going on. Maybe it's from me over poking it, or the mouthwashes making it more sensative.

The pain I do fee is not excruciating, it's more of a gnawing dull ache, it's annoying and even more-so worrisome to me. My anxiety goes off the charts with anything dental related.

I was using Crest Pro-Health Advantage mouth wash, I heard it's good for fighting gum disease. But it makes my teeth exteremely sensative after, so I'm trying to shy away from that. I will look into Gengigel.

Sometimes my cheek and jaw feel almost cold and tingly, which makes me think maybe a nerve is dying somewhere, or maybe I'll be lucky and it's just from muscles being out of whack. I don't know.

I'm trying to figure out if I want to try to get into my dentist before he goes on Christmas vacation. All I need is for this thing to turn into a big abscess when he's out of town til after the new year. That would be my luck though. Is it worth going back since I was just there a few weeks ago? I already know he's going to take a look and say everything looks fine

Again, thank you for the replies, it means more to me than you know.

 

[AsaGohan]

Soma,

Thanks for the welcome! I did find some major help on this website actually... I avoided the dentist for 10 + years and suddenly a tooth broke on me (2 days before vacation of all days!). I was dragged to a new dentist by my mom and I was super scared. The staff mentioned laughing gas, and the information provided on this website (and my Mom's description of it) gave the just enough courage (the Xanax helped) to get work done under the gas. The gas works amazing for me! I'm really grateful for the information on this website.

I agree with Leftie's idea. Try that and let us know how that goes.

Since I was diagnosed by my oral surgeon with the TMJ, you may want to not only get in to see your dentist, but see an oral surgeon. my TMJ voyage started with an ear infection that would not go away. The ear nose and throat doctor referred me to an oral surgeon. The oral surgeon took one look at my jaw and diagnosed TMJ.

It's up to you, especially which doctor you see (I had one surgeon remove my molar, and a different surgeon for the TMJ). Also, don't feel like your being annoying with asking for appointments. You are a customer and you pay for his services. If you think something is up, you should ask. Just yesterday I went to my dentist for him to tell me I had a canker sore. It was the most painful ever and I was worried. He didn't give me a hard time at all.

I totally understand that dull ache. TMJ pain is the worst. For me, the pain was random. I never could figure out what triggered it. Nowadays it's more predictable.In January of 2015 my boyfriend had to take me to the hospital at 1AM because the pain was so bad, I couldn't sleep and Lortab did nothing for it. Thankfully it hasn't been that bad yet.

Note: I'm no Medical Professional. I have no medical degrees.

 

[Soma]

I tried taking ibuprofren regularly yesterday (friday), it seemed to help a little, but the vague sensation of pressure and discomfort sorta came and went in its usual waves throughout the day and night. Again, this hasn't been overly painful, at least not yet. Today (saturday) and tomorrow my plan is to do the minimal amount of messing around with that spot. I brushed my teeth 3 times, and just flossed and am getting ready to go to sleep. Leaving it alone has been good and a little bad. The good news is that the general discomfort situation has really gone down today. I actually forgot I had a dental issue going on a few times today. However, when I was flossing tonight, my suspected tooth had a ring around blood come up around where the tooth meets the gum. It wasn't gushing, but it traced the gumline with blood, and it left my gum throbbing for a minute or so. That spot has never bled up until a few days ago. It also looks like I have a pale dot on the "valley" between the cheek and the gum that I mentioned before. I gently pushed on the gum and nothing came out of the spot, but I'm wondering if its the tooth infection, or a gum infection that just decides to release blood around that tooth. As I understand teeth/root and gum infections are handled differently.

I'm going to see how things go tomorrow, but I'll most likely give my dentist yet another call monday morning, just to check things out. I'm trying to stay positive, but in the back of my mind I'm replaying worst case scenarios for this...

AsaGohan, I'm happy to hear that this site has helped you out! I've never had laughing gas or xanax, but I'll keep that in mind. TMJ sounds like a royal pain, my dentist has said my grinding teeth have worn off most of the top enamel on my molars, but he never diagnosed me with TMJ. I should see a specialist for that some day.

Thanks again for the reply. I will post any updates I get, just incase the info helps anyone else out.

 

[Soma]

Sorry for the double post. I'm still trying to figure out what to do. The pain hasn't really gotten worse, rubbing sensodyne on the teeth/gumline does seem to help a little for a while, but the dull gnawing ache always returns. I have been waking up feeling like my jaw is out of wack so I'm wondering (hoping) its tmJ, but I don't know.

I've had white spots on my gum for a couple weeks, they don't seem to be balling up, or oozing anything...yet. Still no real senitivity to hot or cold, no problems chewing on that side.

I'm wondering if this white spot looks like a abscess? Or canker sore? Or just a beat up gum?

 

[Soma]

One last update on this and I'm done.

I went to my dentist today, he poked around, did a bite test. And just like last time he said he sees nothing of concern, other than I'm chewing my cheek to pieces, and that tells him something is probably going on with my overall bite / grinding / clenching.

I tried showing him the same picture I posted here, he seemed to have taken offense to it, saying photos enhance things that arent really there and I can't base anything off of a picture on my phone. I said I was just concerned because I've had a gnawing pain for a few weeks straight, he said sometimes things hurt and ache and I can't let it control my life. I said I just wanted to make sure it wasn't an abscess forming or an infection, he laughed at me and said "someday you'll be right". I was in and out in 5 mins, they didn't even bother to charge me, that's how much of a joke I've become to them. I can't blame them for feeling that way. I'm taking a new approach to my dental issues, no more preemptive worry. Unless something is buldging and pouring blood or pus out of my face I'm just going to ignore it.

I appreciate the people who replied to this.

 

[Leftie]

All I can repeat is to stop agitating the area, rinse with a medicated mouthwash and use Gengigel to help heal the gum. It will take a little while to settle down.

Honestly do not wish yourself to have TMJ!!

 

[AsaGohan]

I agree with Leftie again and switching up dental hygiene products, just keep your dental hygiene at its very best and give your gums some time with new products.

My dentist office does not charge if no work is being done (like when I saw him about the canker sore), so it's not unusual. In fact it's pretty nice that they don't and it doesn't mean you are a joke to them or anything. It's tough because as phobics, we have ZERO experience in dentistry. We've had even less experience than non-phobics. I had a canker sore and thought it was an infection! I would hope that dentists remember that it's hard when you don't know what's going on in your mouth.

I struggle with the preemptive worry too. I've tried to reign that in. It manifests itself by constantly asking my boyfriend to look at my extraction site/canker sore/implant site. I've had to learn to let it go and let my mouth heal itself. Our bodies are pretty resilient as long as we take care of it. I was so anxious about my healing extraction site. My oral surgeon finally told me to stop looking at it. So I did and let my body (and toothbrush) do it's thing. It healed up perfectly. I even had enough bone for the implant!

Hope this helps! If you would like, I can go into detail about how the laughing gas feels and more importantly, what to expect.

In my dental world, that canker sore is kicking my butt. It's right below my nostrils on the lip side. I can't smile and I have issues saying certain letters at times (B and P). I want this canker sore to go away! I work a desk job and I'm on the phone talking a lot.

 

[Cathee]

Hi, I am hoping that you are feeling great now, but your symptoms were just like mine last month. First, did you feel the 'canker sore'? Actually put your CLEAN fingers on the white part of it? The reason I ask is that I had the same stuff going on and couldn't find the source of the pain. I felt like something was stuck in my tooth, etc, and the molars and gums were very sensitive. I have TMJ but haven't had a problem with it in so many years (my jaw 'unlocked' and every time I bit down, it hurt like heck!) It went back into place by chewing a lot of gum, and seeing a specialist who manipulated the area (like a chiropractor does on your back) and eventually went back into place. I am also a teeth clencher at night. Anyway, after I noticed what looked like a canker sore (see pic) it turned out to be a piece of bone in the middle. I am not sure why the bone got irritated and exposed itself or what causes this, and this story is very long, so if this is not what has happened to you, I will end this now hoping you have fully recovered! Cathee

 

[Cathee]

If anyone was interested in my reply, I don't know how to upload my pic, so if you tell me how because you want to see the picture, just let me know! Cathee

 

[AsaGohan]

Cathee,

The canker sore still hurts, but it looks like its healing. Sometimes it still hurts and brushing is really painful. I have touched it and its definitely not bone. Also, the location of my canker sore is a quarter inch above my 2 front teeth, but its not ON my gums, its on the other side so its rubbing on my gums. There's no bone there because its the fleshy part under my nostrils.

Thanks for checking in! That's good to know for the future.