This is driving me mad - what should I do ?

[Topcat]

Any advice would be so appreciated

I have been getting pain in one of my teeth (I think) for a while now, since I had a jaw injury, at least I was told it was a jaw injury but now I am wondering if its a tooth problem.

I cant tell if the pain is coming from my jaw, my crown, the tooth next to the crown of if its sore gums !! I know that sounds stupid but I just cant tell anymore, I also get a bitter flavour coming from the crown area I have done ever since it was fitted a year ago, but it comes an goes, it can last days or weeks an then go for months! I have seen the dentist whilst having the bitter taste and the pain but xrays and examination reveal all ok, I have no sensitivity at all to hot or cold, can tap the teeth, bite down hard on them and eat normally with absolutely no discomfort or pain and I have no pain during the night just on waking and as the day goes on!

I have just had a cold an my sinus was playing up causing that horrible tooth pain and pain along the cheekbones but now that has gone.

I thought this irritating ache was due to the jaw injury an possible clenching of the jaw, the mouth guard my dentist gave me made the pain worse so she advised me to leave it off and to let the jaw heal before making another guard, all the jaw pain went away and for a whole week I had no discomfort in jaw or teeth and it felt great. But now it is back together with earache, im not sure if the bitter taste is blood where I poke around the gum area so much with a brush an i find i am always poking about the crown with my tongue trying to find a problem.

Im scared my dentist will have to remove my crown or drill into teeth to try an find a problem in case it is not tooth related and then I will end up with more problems, the pain isnt terrible, its more like a constant dull ache lingering i dont need pain killers for it and I am sure the worry if it makes it seem worse but i do just want it to go away now.

I know this long winded and sorry I just get so worried there is a problem that it is hiding itself. I have been making a really good effort not to clench my teeth but have had a really stressful busy week at work this week an came home twice this week with shoulder, neck an headache so I know I am not relaxed.

If this was a real tooth problem I know it may not show on xray but surely something would show on examination or when eating etc cos all that feels totally normal.

Thank you so much for reading

 

[Gordon]

Don't know where to start with this one

Initial thoughts are that if the mouthguard made things worse, then it was either the wrong kind of guard or it wasn't properly adjusted.

The bad taste around the crown is interesting, but without seeing some x-rays I can't give you a guess about what's going on there.

Could you ask your dentist to refer you to a prosthodontist for a more thorough assessment?

 

[Topcat]

Hi Gordon, thank you for replying.

My dentist said I should wait for the jaw to settle before looking at the mouth guard (the dentist thought I had a partial dislocation a month or so ago). I did think it had all settled down but has flared up again.

As for the bitter flavour it doesnt give me bad breathe or a bad taste its just a bitter/different taste in that area (which is why I thought blood) but nothing shows on a cotton bud and sometimes it goes away for months before flaring up again!

I have had 3 xrays in the last two months an 2 dentists have looked at them in the practise but can not see anything unusual. When they poke around the rim of the crown an gum line they can find no gaps and because it isnt constant they dont seem to think there is anything wrong as they say it would get worse or be there all the time.

My concern is the ache which is somewhere in my mouth (which appears to have gone again today).

What does a prosthodontist look for?

I sometimes think maybe I think about it too much and am too aware of the whole area at all times, maybe someone else wouldnt even notice these things!

 

[Gordon]

Prosthodontist would check the shape of the crown's emergence profile from the gum, any overhangs or ledges on the crown, that kind of stuff...
Also the overall shape of your occlusion to see if there was something triggering your TMJ problems.