Hi. So I have written a bunch & have several areas of concerns in my face. My left side is my bad side. I have issues on the upper & lower. My lower pain started 2-3 years ago. I have a cracked tooth & I had ignored it for several months & just chewed on my good side. This tooth is a molar. I did finally go to an endo & he did an X-ray & said I did not need a root canal & just to cap the tooth. Well I was so busy figuring out my upper jaw issues that I just let it go & I have brought it up to lots of drs I just never called it for a while. Basically if you put your finger on the lower gum the gum is tender & there is a tender spot in my jaw bone. It’s like in front of that molar it before the other tooth. It hurts very bad when u touch that spot. So I had a root canal on tooth & all was fine no infection. I then had an apicio & the endo said he didn’t see anything in that tender area. I can’t even chew on this tooth if it’s anything hard like or crunchy like a dorito so I plan on just taking that tooth out. No one saw anything but could it be the crack causing my pain all along? I get this awful localized jaw pain in the corner of chin in the bone at times. When it flares it is awful & localized. The face pain dr says that’s not normal but he can’t figure out the source so that’s when they blame nerve. If the endo did not see an issue when he opened me up then could it be that the cracked tooth is causing this? Maybe it’s another tooth. The tooth infront is a virgin tooth so no cavity. Nothing showing on X-ray. So I say I can’t chew on that tooth if it’s hard bc of the crack so I want to get rid of it & not worry. IF it is the cracked tooth causing me pain & the crack got deeper into jaw bone then does that mean lots of jaw surgeries? I so hate my face lol. It’s one thing after another & there are times I dream of feeling normal again. I break down in drs offices all of the time. I mentally am exhausted.
Cracked teeth do not always show up on X-rays. I had the same trouble finally just got it pulled. It was cracked in two places. Instant relief.
Hi. Oh I am so happy for you!! I am envious! I had a root canal & apicio on this tooth. The endo said he didn’t notice anything or rather nothing stood out when he did procedure but it could still be cracked deeper. I just wonder that since it’s been a while with it that if it was the cause if it did damage to area & will be an issue. I was told by the face pain dr to be prepared incase it does not solve my issue. I know it’s cracked just how deep no one knows. So out it goes! Finally after a long time!!
I agree. Cracked teeth do not always show up, but they certainly cause pain. I hope the removal helps and you find relief.
Do you have Trigeminal neuralgia? That is how mine TN presented before the huge flare up. A couple of months of pain when chewing on that side, X-ray etc nothing showed but dr did a root canal an then a week later lightening struck so to speak. Hit with a big zap that was unmistakable TN. By the way the tooth was fine all along and shouldn’t have had the root canal done as it was my nerve the whole time.
Best of luck. I hope you feel better.
Layla, make up your mind as to whether you
1 ) want a Dental Implant to replace the tooth and
2) want Cadaver bone to fill the area left after the tooth is removed
When my problem tooth was extracted the Dentist ignored my saying I did not want an Implant and put in Cadaver bone anyway .
Over the next 3 months there was new , non -nerve pain from the Cadaver bone shedding through the gum tissue . It never healed correctly and to now go in and try to clean it out would be a big deal .
While it’s common to use --one Endodntist told me he thinks it’s just a money making technique and not necessary .
I have not invetstigated that statement but I do know in my case it has caused a lot of additional, un-necc. trouble
Question is a cadaver bone the same as a collegian plug??? I had a collegian plug on my last tooth extraction… that extraction I was left with pain. Nothing protruded my gums but I always wondered if the collegian plug dissolved correctly.
I definitely do not want an implant. I will definitely mention I do not want it. The face pain dr of all people was selling me on it today lol He has an implant in the same spot but you know considering I have who knows what going on with my lower jaw… possible nerve pain… or is it the crack causing it… I don’t want to take a chance with it. So partial it is!
Hi. I just read about your cracked tooth and wonder did you get it resolved. I sure hope so. Having tooth pain is certainly not fun!!! My TN presented as teeth pain in 2008. I thought I must have had an abscess in the eye tooth on the left side. After visiting my dentist, Endodontist, ENT Dr and back to my PCP I was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia. The pain would shoot up from my mouth along side my nose and into the corner of my eye! If shower spray hit that part of my face it hurt. That was only the beginning. Eventually it stopped hurting all the time in that area but is still where I get the worse pain. I thought about how I was so sure it was a tooth issue. I have heard many people who have teeth pain and had extractions but still have the pain. I sure hope you found out what was going on as could resolve it. Gentle Hugs
Hi. I didn’t have it pulled yet but am soon. I have an appt with a regular dentist & another later this month for an oral surgeon. Part of me thinks an oral surgeon would be better at removing it & the dentist is cheaper & sooner & I want it out already. So I have to figure out who will take it out. If I see the oral surgeon it will be a consult & probably won’t get me in until later next month. I already had my consult with dentist & can get it out sooner. I do get jolts in that area occasionally. So I do think nerves are involved. Thing is I really want to eat everything on that side of my mouth & not just soft foods. So it’s more for me wanting to not deal with pain if sharp foods get to that tooth every now and then. It WILL be a bonus if it solves my weird pain in the lower left jaw. Oh how I hope it solves it but the face pain dr says it can still be a problem. Also… there’s a slight chance a lower jaw pain issue can contribute to an upper jaw issue but my upper left jaw problems has got to be a tooth or ent issue. So I feel you with wanting answers & I hope you get relief soon! My lower jaw is very sensitive but when you touch it it sets it off big time. So I have spots in my lower & upper jaw bone that if I touch it forget about it I am miserable even more. I miss my normal days!
I’m sorry you’re having to deal with dental pain on top of facial pain /trigeminal neuralgia and as a friendly warning be careful with having teeth pulled. Those of us suffering with any type of facial pain so badly want the source of the pain to easily be fixed with a root canal and/or have teeth pulled, and before we know what’s happened half of our teeth ate pulled. I recall in 2004 when my facial pain initially began the first visit I made was to my dentist who took x-rays and cleared my mouth of any dental concerns. My next visit was to my family doctor and the rest is history; 15 years later I still have intense, severe and at times excruciating pain in the first, second and third branches. I haven’t eaten on the left side of my mouth for 15 years.
When I press up high on my gum area it’s very painful and tender as though the pain is coming directly from my gum and tooth, yet other days the pain is very mild and tender. My dentist checks my mouth and assures me my teeth are fine. The few teeth I have left (medications take a big hit on teeth), but that conversation is for another time. I feel sorrow every time I read about someone’s pain that mirrors mine as facial pain / trigeminal neuralgia is an evil, evil monster that so many don’t understand and frankly how can we expect others to understand our extreme pain when we don’t even understand it ourselves, the source or how to cure it.
Best of luck to you 
Hi. Thank you for your reply!
Ah yes I get that too! Touching high up on the gum & having it be very sensitive. My lower jaw is very much worse with that than my upper. There is a spot near the main nerve on the bottom that hurts when I touch it & it can set it off real worse!!! The top gums are sensitive too that I worry it’s something with my upper teeth. You are correct… so far I took 2 teeth out. I want to get this cracked tooth out. I tried doing a root canal & the apicio on it but the crack is still annoying & the dentists didn’t see any issues with the tooth when they went in. The o my reason I wanna pull it is bc of the crack. I want to chew normal. So sorry to hear you haven’t eaten on the one side for 15 years… that’s awful. My bad side has tmj degeneration so I want to chew on both sides so I don’t make tmj worse. I avoid my left bad side with crunchy hard things with that cracked tooth.
I wish we all would have to suffer. It is horrible.
Hi. I did get the cracked tooth removed 2 weeks ago. The oral surgeon didn’t notice any obvious crack in the root but I definitely had a crack in the top portion that was driving me mad b/c if some crunchy food hit that spot forget it it hurt. So not sure if it will solve anything however once healed I am excited to eat freely. No bone graft was put in. My oral surgeon was smart and said it can make your pain worse. I have been a busy bee b/c I also just had sinus surgery lol because I have a cyst in my sinus & some swollen tissue. Been back & forth from ENT to dentist & each blame eachother. I have a large filling molar that’s sensitive and the dental school said tooth is vital & they weren’t convinced it was the tooth. So after 3 years with the upper jaw left side back & forth to dentist/ent I finally did the procedure. So fun times for sure!!