So worried and confused! Gum Pain or????

[Martha55]

I haven't been here in ages, had tons of dental work done and survived every last icky procedure. Fast forward to now. Last summer I had a broken three teeth/tooth bridge. Naturally I didn't want to replace it because of the fear, etc, but finally went to the dentist and he recommended a five tooth crown because I needed a root canal next to the original bridge and he would eventually need to crown that tooth so why not do the good old five toothed (probably not a real word but sounds good) bridge and be done with it.
So before the bridge replacement I had a small area on the gum line under one of the bridge teeth that always felt sore and irritated. I told the dentist about it and he said the five tooth bridge should fix that soreness because the bridge would be more secure and it shouldn't bother me anymore. So I white knuckled my way thru the process and lo and behold the soreness abated...for awhile anyhow. Now it is back with a vengeance, plus the very back part of the bridge has a sore spot on the gum line as well plus the tooth part hurts when I tap it. It can actually feel very sharp if I push on the gum line below the tooth. So in essence I have two areas on this five part bridge that either hurt, or inflamed and very sore plus a sharp pain when tapping on the tooth. So far I have diagnosed myself with trigeminal neuralgia, periodontal disease, a jaw tumor, arthritis in the gum bone thingy and anything else I can horrify myself with on the internet.
I take fairly good care of my teeth. I use an electric toothbrush plus use a waterpik at least a few times a week. I have an appointment in two weeks and I am so terrified of what he is going to say...oh also i must mention that I can never leave this area alone. I am constantly rubbing my tongue against it which makes it even worse. It also feels kind of big, like it fits weird in my mouth and I am always aware of it.
I feel like crying, I am so sick of this.

 

[Enarete]

Dear Martha55,

sorry you read about your situation and also to see that you haven't got any reply so far. It sounds like you had such a hope for the situation to get better after you get the new bridge and now things got even worse.
I'm not a dentist, but have a crown and my gums are always been a bit more sore and irritated in this area. My dentist told me it was basically because gums around crowns always tend to be a bit more tender. I trust him so this piece of information already helped me to stop to worry I also remember @Dr.Daniel here on the forum telling here somewhere that if people have soreness around new crowns, it could be because of some cement residue around there, which can get solved with a simple cleaning.
Anyway, I am sure your situation will be solvable if you let your dentist know. Maybe it's the cleaning, maybe there is something slightly different that you can do about your home care that might help, but your dentist surely will know how to handle it.

All the best wishes and keep us posted

 

[Mugz]

So sorry to read all you're going thru, Martha. Are you with the same practice as before or new one? I have no clue what the answer is but living in pain is unacceptable. Totally understand your frustration and just wanting it over. You have come so far just getting this done!! Fingers crossed your dentist can figure out what is causing your pain and has a simple solution for it. In the meantime time, vent away.

 

[Gordon]

Sore spot on the gum line could well be a bit of cement that needs cleaned off. It's puzzling why it's lasted through 2 different bridges though... when you told the dentist about it did he check it or just give you an answer on the spot?

 

[Martha55]

Thank you all for your replies. I’ve been carefully brushing around it and it feels a tiny bit better. The fact is though I hate the whole five tooth bridge. It feels too big and bulky in my mouth. I see my dentist next Tuesday and hopefully he can figure it out. I just hate teeth.

 

[Martha55]

Sore spot on the gum line could well be a bit of cement that needs cleaned off. It's puzzling why it's lasted through 2 different bridges though... when you told the dentist about it did he check it or just give you an answer on the spot?

He felt as though the new bridge would eliminate the sore area because the old bridge was so damaged. That hasn’t been the case. I do have a bad habit of pushing against the entire bridge with my tongue. I’m sure to others this looks highly unattractive. I do it without even being aware of doing it. I think it’s a nervous habit. Maybe I just keep it irritated. I see my sweet dentist next week though and maybe he’ll just yank the whole thing out and start over!

 

[Martha55]

Dear Martha55,

sorry you read about your situation and also to see that you haven't got any reply so far. It sounds like you had such a hope for the situation to get better after you get the new bridge and now things got even worse.
I'm not a dentist, but have a crown and my gums are always been a bit more sore and irritated in this area. My dentist told me it was basically because gums around crowns always tend to be a bit more tender. I trust him so this piece of information already helped me to stop to worry I also remember @Dr.Daniel here on the forum telling here somewhere that if people have soreness around new crowns, it could be because of some cement residue around there, which can get solved with a simple cleaning.
Anyway, I am sure your situation will be solvable if you let your dentist know. Maybe it's the cleaning, maybe there is something slightly different that you can do about your home care that might help, but your dentist surely will know how to handle it.

All the best wishes and keep us posted

Thank you so much for your sweet reply.

 

[Martha55]

So sorry to read all you're going thru, Martha. Are you with the same practice as before or new one? I have no clue what the answer is but living in pain is unacceptable. Totally understand your frustration and just wanting it over. You have come so far just getting this done!! Fingers crossed your dentist can figure out what is causing your pain and has a simple solution for it. In the meantime time, vent away.

I dumped Dr. Igor. Remember how creepy he was? I have a new dentist who is very kind. He’s short, bald, holds my hand and even once said a prayer with me! He’s lovely BUT I still freak out. My phobia is still alive and thriving. I’m also convinced the more work you have done the more you’ll need in the future. It just never ends. How are YOU doing?