Mystery pain, any suggestions how to explain this better to the dentist?

[greenchicken]

About 6 weeks ago I had two upper wisdom teeth removed (fine) and two silver amalgam fillings replaced with porcelain onlays - one on each side of my upper molars. One side has been fine, one side is causing me lots of trouble.

Soon after getting the onlay I noticed a dull pain sensation when I closed my teeth together in a particular way, or when I chewed food.

I went back to the dentist who ground down the onlay slightly, suggesting it could be causing my teeth to meet too quickly on one side causing a pressure pain.

This did not help, so he offered to replace the onlay. Last week he removed the onlay and has covered the cavity with a temporary one until he can fit the porcelain one next week. He suggested the pain should go away now the onlay has been removed, but it hasn't.

So, I still have to go in next week to get the new onlay fitted (presumably it was a waste of time getting it replaced!) and he has said he will take a look to try and work out the source of the pain.

But I struggled to explain it last time and am really terrified he will have to keep doing various things to my teeth to try and ascertain what's going on.

I am finding it really hard to pinpoint where exactly the pain is. When I bite my teeth down 'naturally' I don't feel it. If I shift my lower jaw slightly to the right then bite down, I feel it.

I feel no pain when I press on the tooth with my finger, which I think rules out an abscess? I can eat hot and cold food/drink without noticing anything strange. It's not a sharp pain, it's not excruciating, but it's annoying enough that I feel it a lot and it's driving me mad thinking about it.

I am even not sure if it's affecting the tooth with the onlay, or the one behind it (the last tooth before the site of the removed wisdom tooth). I am beginning to doubt my own sanity and wondering if it was the last tooth all along.

I am starting to feel like the dentist is getting quietly frustrated with me and I am keen not to keep taking time out of work to sort this, but I really don't want to just sit back and accept I'm stuck with this for life.

Can anyone suggest any ways of working out exactly where the pain is, and how to explain it in 'dentist speak' to try and give him more clues? How do you think he will try and work out the site of the pain when I go in next week?

Thank you very much!

 

[Kmari]

I'm not an expert, but I wanted to chime in here because this is almost exactly what happened to me. I had pain after a root canal and eventually had two do-over root canals on the same tooth with no improvement. I was told there must be some "root"/pulp left that they couldn't get to that was likely causing the pain. I eventually saw an endodontist and followed his recommendation to have the offending tooth pulled.

A year or so later, I saw another dentist who said this kind of intense "phantom" pain can be due to bruising and inflammation related to the procedure (and you had so many!) and she never would have recommended pulling the tooth so quickly. Long story short, it may be that you just need to heal. It would have helped me to know that was a possibility and I could have lived with the pain for a few weeks while things calmed down in order to keep my tooth (it was a molar, so my entire bite and orthodontia was destroyed from having it pulled.)

My suggestion would be to get a second opinion if possible (I know, not easy with the dental fear already happening) or at least to raise the issue with your dentist clearly and straightforward. "I am having ongoing pain. Is it possible that this is due to a slow recovery from the many procedures I had? Are there any solutions for the pain?"

Good luck. I'm so sorry you're experiencing this.

 

[greenchicken]

Thanks for your reply, even if made me nervous!

I will see what he says next week. He has to fit the new onlay anyway, my worry is he'll have to take it off again to do more checks in future. I wish I could pinpoint the exact tooth!

If anyone else has any thoughts please let me know!

 

[Jolly]

I agree with Kmari . I also have pain after root canal. Even now after 1 month and 2 rounds of antibiotics, it is still somewhat tender and sensitive to bite on. It feels weak. Last time, it was very much pain and I come to know that tooth also can be bruise like any body parts. When u performed root canal, the ligament around tooth got inflamed, create pain. The more u chew on it, the more pain and the slower the healing is. Have u try to leave it alone for a while and see if the pain does decrease? I stop eating on that tooth for 1 week and the pain goes. Ii can eat on it again. Just tender and sensitivity are sill there.