Pain from implant and mostly healed extraction site, possibly phantom pain?

[NervousUSA]

Once or twice a week I have pain from my dental implant which is where my lower left second premolar would be. It was installed last year and a crown put on in january. The pain feels like the pain of my dying tooth that was there before. If I probe with my fingers or floss under the implant while this is happening, I cannot feel a painful response or a painful spot when I press.

On the same side of my mouth, lower left, I also had an impacted wisdom tooth removed last year. I feel pain from where it was too, a couple times per week, that feels a lot like it did when it hurt (It was sometimes painful, had been infected, painful in cold weather, etc.) I also don't feel this pain if I press the spot with my fingers. The socket is partially healed but still dented.

Sometimes after my implant hurts or when it hurts I feel like my molars behind it are hurting too. Again, I have a history of pain in them. I had a result from braces of a painful bite on these teeth which meant they had to be filed down. However that was many years ago when I was a kid.

These pains last for five or ten minutes. I can never find a tender spot or change the pain by pressing with fingers or floss. Any idea what this could be? Would this be imaginary or some type of nerve damage? Thank you.

 

[Jodie Nelson]

@NervousUSA as I work in General Practice I am not experienced in Implants unfortunately. Reading your post though reminded me of a case where the patient was experiencing a phantom like pain from a prior extraction.The case I am recalling ended up with potentially unnecessary treatment as the pain persisted after treatment was undertaken. It turns out the patient had other neurological and neuropathic pains and a MaxilloFacial consultant that they were seeing was able to set up a medication regimen for them. You may not feel your situation warrants medication and if so that's great, or medications may not be appropriate for whatever reason. However, it could be worth getting another opinion if the pain affects other areas. There are also non-pharmacological ways to manage pain.

Also as you asked about imaginary pain...our mind and some of the chemicals associated with it can alter our perception of pain. There are also other factors that can affect our perception of pain. Its very complex and we still don't understand fully all the interaction of the mind and pain. I would start with keeping track of your pains to see if there are any triggers. If there are none then it may be worth further investigation depending on how much it bothers you. It may also be worth considering something like clinical hypnosis so that a practitioner can work with you to help you take control of how your mind perceives these sensations.

Let us know how things go and if a cause is discovered.

Take Care

Jodie

 

[LittleLynnie]

I had all of my teeth extracted, and still have occasional pain from areas that were painful before. My dentist said that it was because nerves were damaged a long time ago, and those nerves will continue to act up occasionally for me. These pains are minor, and don't last long, but I find it fascinating to experience pain in those areas where I no longer have teeth. Again though, these pains are minor, and infrequent, so not a problem for me. If you have more serious pain, it might be worth seeing a specialist about it (a neurologist maybe?).

 

[NervousUSA]

@Jodie Nelson Thanks for the reply! Just a couple more questions, do you think I should tell my dentist about this? Also, do you think it means anything that I did not have pain from my implant until the crown was put on?

@LittleLynnie That is really interesting and I suspect it is what I have too. Right now I am trying to decide if it matters enough for me to tell my dentist. For me, this pain is not serious enough to be an issue, just a little strange/mildly unpleasant, but it is, just like yours, minor and infrequent.

 

[Jodie Nelson]

@NervousUSA that is definitely something with telling your dentist just in case, for example, the bite is too heavy and needs adjustment since the crown went on. It might just be coincidence in timing but definitely worth investigating.

 

[NervousUSA]

@Jodie Nelson Thanks for the answer. I am going over there today for a cleaning and checkup so I will do that.

 

[NervousUSA]

I went to the dentist and told the hygienist about this problem. She thought it might be a nerve issue. I was able to talk to her about it in detail. I guess she went and told the dentist about it, but when he asked me about it I could only tell him I felt like I had my two painful teeth sometimes, still. He didn't say any reason why this could be happening to me, but said that everything looks healthy in those areas. So I just don't know. They are going to x-ray me in 6 months to hygienist says that they will look at the area then.

 

[Jodie Nelson]

@NervousUSA at least they now know and a 6 month check in for any changes radiographically is a good idea. Also its reassuring that everything is looking healthy clinically🙂