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Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

M

MountainMama

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Joined
Jul 1, 2018
Messages
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Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

I am losing my mind. In May, I had a filling/crown redone. It ended up needing a root canal (which failed and needed subsequent treatments). In between those treatments (upper left molar), my lower right molar started hurting. It tested positive for infection and I chose extraction this time. Tuesday this week, I was at the dentist again because my front upper tooth hurt. It had an abscess and needs a root canal. I have been on antibiotics since Tuesday, and now my lower front tooth started hurting in the same way as my upper yesterday. It is still painful this morning. I am taking tylenol for the tooth extraction pain, but this bottom tooth hurts more than the extraction site. Dentist is closed until Monday, so I can't get in to get it x rayed.

What is going on? I have never had more than a cavity, with one crown, before, and now I suddenly have teeth all over my mouth going bad? My doctor checked my blood sugar and it was normal, but had no other ideas for me. I can't keep going from tooth to tooth, getting root canals. Especially since my first experience was so bad. I am already scared for the one next week on my upper front tooth.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Are you taking any tablets or medicines?
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Are you taking any tablets or medicines?

I wasn't, until all this started. I have always been pretty healthy, non drinker and nonsmoker. Then I took ibuprofen, (along with antibiotics for the first tooth infection and subsequent treatments) which ended up giving me an ulcer, so now I am on prescription prilosec. Plus tylenol. That is it, except now I am on antibiotics again for the abscess.

I can't figure it out. Now the bottom front tooth is really hurting, not throbbing, but just as painful as the abscess on the front tooth. I don't know what to think. If it was also abscessed, wouldn't the antibiotics help with the pain? It has made the top abscessed tooth less painful today.

Would the front bottom tooth and the tooth next to it hurt due to the 2nd molar being extracted? I didn't think referred pain would affect teeth that far away, but it is on the same side and jaw. The extraction site isn't even that painful anymore, so that didn't seem to be the issue.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Have you had your vitamin D levels tested? I had a similar thing happening this spring - suddenly a lot of problems with my teeth, old issues flaring, new developing etc. In May I did a test of various vitamins levels, and it showed vitamin D deficiency. At first I started taking supplement; then, when summer came, I did a lot of gentle sunbathing. My teeth seem a lot better now: all sensitivity disappeared, they are definitely whiter, and the root canal I had in spring seems to have settled finally (it was sensitive for such a long time, I was worried it was failing).

I'm waiting to see my dentist to get a professional opinion, and also want to do another test of vitamin D levels. But in general, I think, boosting vitamin D was a good idea. (Apart from the teeth problem, I had a lot of recurring throat infections since February, and they finally cleared up after I started sunbathing).
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Have you had your vitamin D levels tested? I had a similar thing happening this spring - suddenly a lot of problems with my teeth, old issues flaring, new developing etc. In May I did a test of various vitamins levels, and it showed vitamin D deficiency. At first I started taking supplement; then, when summer came, I did a lot of gentle sunbathing. My teeth seem a lot better now: all sensitivity disappeared, they are definitely whiter, and the root canal I had in spring seems to have settled finally (it was sensitive for such a long time, I was worried it was failing).

I'm waiting to see my dentist to get a professional opinion, and also want to do another test of vitamin D levels. But in general, I think, boosting vitamin D was a good idea. (Apart from the teeth problem, I had a lot of recurring throat infections since February, and they finally cleared up after I started sunbathing).

I have not had my vitamin D levels checked. I will have to see about that. They have been low in the past.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

This may sound ridiculous, but could there be an infection in my jaw, or somewhere else, that could be causing this? Would this show up in an x ray? My oral surgeon did a panoramic x ray on October 1st, but basically was just looking at the molar to be extracted and how close it was to the nerve.

I am trying to be completely rational and not let my fear get the best of me, but now my cheekbone above the extraction site (lower molar extraction) has had random sharp aching, just like when my upper molar on the opposite side had before I needed a root canal. Plus the roof of my mouth (on the hard palate) on that side is tender to the touch. I know that the extraction can cause referred pain...my oral surgeon even said my teeth may ache on that side. It just seems like my luck so far has been that as soon as one problem gets fixed, another one or two show up.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Are you me? I have a journal in the journal section, and our stories are very similar. In my case, clenching my teeth triggered a whole load of problems, and I have recently been diagnosed with atypical facial pain - my teeth are fine, but the nerves in my face and mouth are all mis-firing.

Before last year I didn’t give my teeth a second thought beyond six-monthly checkups and scale and polishes, now I am actually obsessed with them, to the point that my partner has suggested I have counselling.

No advice, but I completely understand how you feel.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Are you me? I have a journal in the journal section, and our stories are very similar. In my case, clenching my teeth triggered a whole load of problems, and I have recently been diagnosed with atypical facial pain - my teeth are fine, but the nerves in my face and mouth are all mis-firing.

Before last year I didn’t give my teeth a second thought beyond six-monthly checkups and scale and polishes, now I am actually obsessed with them, to the point that my partner has suggested I have counselling.

No advice, but I completely understand how you feel.

I feel like I am obsessing over mine, but I do actually have infections showing up in random places. They are not even in the same side or next to the other teeth. I am sure my nerves in my jaws are all aggravated, which is causing pain that isn't infection, but now that I am on my 3rd infected tooth (with an abscess this time) in less than 5 months, I am so paranoid about every little pain.

Once I get all this worked out, I am going to get a nightguard made. I am sure I am clenching at night.

Thanks for the support. Not that I want anyone to go through this, but it is nice to know I am not completely alone. My husband is so sick of hearing about my teeth.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Are you generally fit and healthy? Any signs of being generally a bit run down? Sometimes you can be slightly anaemic, especially you ladies in general, which would lower your resistance to infection and let these things get started. Not talking clinically anaemic but with sub-optimal levels of B12 and folic acid. If you're going to get bloods done I'd get those checked. Meantime increasing your folate and B12 intake is sensible.
Eat more green vegetables (without boiling the crap out of them first) is good, also Kellog's Special K has extra folic acid in it as well as some Vitamin D.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Are you generally fit and healthy? Any signs of being generally a bit run down? Sometimes you can be slightly anaemic, especially you ladies in general, which would lower your resistance to infection and let these things get started. Not talking clinically anaemic but with sub-optimal levels of B12 and folic acid. If you're going to get bloods done I'd get those checked. Meantime increasing your folate and B12 intake is sensible.
Eat more green vegetables (without boiling the crap out of them first) is good, also Kellog's Special K has extra folic acid in it as well as some Vitamin D.

I am generally healthy, but have felt run down and tired lately. I did have bloodwork done back in June, to check for infection after the root canal, due to chronic sinus infections. It all came back normal at that point, but my diet has been pretty bad since then. I haven't been able to eat leafy greens, crunchy cereal, or anything that requires chewing. I prefer veggies raw, and miss salads terribly. I haven't been eating a lot of sugar or terribly unhealthy foods, just mostly bland and soft stuff due to my my teeth and a stomach ulcer. I have lost 10 pounds in 2 months, which I didn't really need to lose.

Do you think this could be partially die to my current diet? That makes sense, as I haven't had much variety. I could try adding spinach and other green veggies to smoothies. I did start a multivitamin as well.

Maybe it is worth a visit back to the doctor for another blood panel. I just want to feel good again. And eat again.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Hi MountainMama,

As Gordon has pointed out, there maybe an underlying medical condition that is weakening your immune system so infections that may have been symptomless for years, but held in check by your immune system, are suddenly kicking off all at once.
Another possibility is that you have just been really, really, really, really flippin unlucky. It happens. I have seen patients who have had several things go wrong at once, they all say they feel like they are falling to bits.

My gut feeling is you have just been mega unlucky. Get your dentist to check it out, hang in there and this phase should pass.

Keeping everything crossed for you.


Lincoln
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

Hi MountainMama,

As Gordon has pointed out, there maybe an underlying medical condition that is weakening your immune system so infections that may have been symptomless for years, but held in check by your immune system, are suddenly kicking off all at once.
Another possibility is that you have just been really, really, really, really flippin unlucky. It happens. I have seen patients who have had several things go wrong at once, they all say they feel like they are falling to bits.

My gut feeling is you have just been mega unlucky. Get your dentist to check it out, hang in there and this phase should pass.

Keeping everything crossed for you.


Lincoln

I would actually prefer it just be a case of bad luck, because then maybe it will stop. If there is an underlying infection, then it might keep going.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

If it helps, my dentist says I have just been mega unlucky. I had needed no treatment for years, and before my nightmare started last April, had just had a checkup weeks before where everything was fine. It’s so frustrating because i have always taken care of my teeth, have never ever missed a check/scale and polish, and my teeth look good and people often comment on how white and straight they are - if only they knew!

On a similar note, a colleague of mine who’s a bit older - early 50s - had a nightmare year with his teeth a few years back. His dentist said that it was essentially time running out on work he had done in his teens/twenties. He hasn’t had further problems since, but was quite mad with it all at the time.
 
Re: Is there an underlying condition that could cause my teeth to suddenly get infected all at once?

If it helps, my dentist says I have just been mega unlucky. I had needed no treatment for years, and before my nightmare started last April, had just had a checkup weeks before where everything was fine. It’s so frustrating because i have always taken care of my teeth, have never ever missed a check/scale and polish, and my teeth look good and people often comment on how white and straight they are - if only they knew!

On a similar note, a colleague of mine who’s a bit older - early 50s - had a nightmare year with his teeth a few years back. His dentist said that it was essentially time running out on work he had done in his teens/twenties. He hasn’t had further problems since, but was quite mad with it all at the time.

I never had a cavity until I was 18, then it was after I had my braces off, and was on a molar that had a band around it. In my late 20's, I had several cavities in molars, but then nothing until recently. My only teeth that have had cavities are my molars. I just had a lot of baby teeth pulled because the permanent teeth were in the wrong spot, and had permanent teeth pulled for orthodontia.

My dentist Is great, which is a relief. We had moved here a year ago and I asked around for recommendations, as we live in a small town. I am always wary of new dentists, but she put me at ease immediately, and is great with my kids.

I just am scared now every time I go in, thinking, what is going to go wrong as soon as this problem is fixed. My lower right teeth hurt still, after the extraction, and today my lumph node is swollen on that side, even though I am on antibiotics, so I am worried it will be another tooth issue. I am hoping it is still just due to the extraction, although the extraction site looks good, with no sign of infection.
 
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