How do I know its not Tooth Sensitivity

General General TN & GPN (Old Site)
1

This has always puzzled me since I started suffering from Neuralgic pain, it seemed to have started after dental work, fail root canal causing broken tooth and then extraction.

The pain would always start in the mornings as soon as I had eaten breakfast, hot and cold foods, also after brushing my teeth.

I would go to the Dentist for an examination only to be told their is nothing wrong with my teeth, I would have the small x-rays taken and this would not show any cavities or any type of problem.

I am adamant that the pain is relating to a certain tooth (like a tooth ache), the pain seems to be located on a particular tooth each time. My Dentist did once say I have sensitive teeth but also said I should only be suffering short sharp pain after eating something cold/hot and that the pain should subside seconds after. But! this does not happen, the pain stays with me all day, a strong throbbing ache which radiates all around my eye and to the front of my forehead.

Recently I ask my Dentist to extract another tooth as its so painful, obviously she does not want to extract anymore of my teeth and suggested another root canal. I kindly declined as I'm sure it was the first root canal that caused the whole problem. My Dentist said by doing another root canal the tooth will be dead and would not cause anymore sensitivity.

My concerns are, the Dentist has already said the tooth is healthy, its just tooth sensitivity I am suffering from, she has said by killing the nerve will stop the pain. BUT! when I said can you just take the tooth out, she stated what if the pain comes back again, most probably will move to a different tooth as its Neuralgia you are suffering from......... :(

I am totally confused, I am so desperate to just have another extraction.

2

My TN began after dental work. I went to the dentist with so many complaints I think he wanted to lock me away. Now I know the pain is TN. There are days when I think it can't possibly be a bad idea to pull a few of those teeth, but I know it will not help. Your dentist is wise to advise you as she did. I use a sensitivity toothpaste--never use cold water--and go for regular dental checkups. Your dentist will see if there is a tooth or gum problem.

Once a neurologist told me that the brain can learn how to "hurt." Since I have been diagnosed, I can see how this is true. The pain takes different forms at times and I can feel it moving across my face. I know this sounds crazy, but if you look at pictures of the TN nerve, you can understand. The Trigeminal Nerve is one of the largest facial nerves and has branches that cover all areas of your face.

Have you had a diagnostic MRI? Are you seeing a neurologist? What medications are you taking? Read through the forums and information on this site. You will find it most helpful.

Best of luck.

Marymo

3

Hi Marymo, yes this is so true in what you say.

My new Dentist also wanted to lock me away I think, at first she thought I was making everything up. I must of saw several Dentist over the first year and all of them said my teeth were healthy. They all said to go and see my GP as it sounds like Neuralgia, but I was so adamant that it was a Dental problem because of the previous failed root canal.

I have always gone to the Dentist regularly for check-ups ever since I was a child, to be truthful I think this maybe what has cause the Neuralgic pain lol. Over the years I had four fillings and two root canal procedures and one crown fitted, the last root canal was 10 years ago. The tooth lasted 5 years before the tooth actually broke, it was then all the pain started, it seem to spread from tooth to tooth.

I had the large head x-ray and the small dental x-rays which did not show any problem with my teeth, the only other suggestion my Dentist wanted to do was to replace my old fillings. I was very reluctant to have anymore Dental work done, I opted for extraction as I was so tired of all the pain and I thought if the tooth was not there, then it cant hurt................ oh! how wrong was I.

I too can feel the pain move up and down my face, I can feel the pain move along my teeth even to the ones that are not there anymore. The pain is right down in my jaw, I can feel it move along my jaw and up into my head.

As I sit here typing this, the pain is located on the left side at the top at the last tooth (#5 tooth), its a strong dull throbbing ache that keeps having a sharp type pain feeling. It so much feels like a toothache but doesn't if you know what I mean. My new Dentist carried out an x-ray on this tooth only last week and found nothing wrong, she said its tooth sensitivity and that the only way she could make the pain stop was to root canal the tooth.

She also said if she extracted this tooth, the pain would just move to the next tooth just like before. This is when she also said I maybe suffering from TN, the tooth sensitivity is causing the Neuralgic pain...............Do you think this is correct ?

If the pain would go, I would have all my teeth extracted tomorrow.......... even though I am just 40 years old.

I am totally lost..............

4

Dallas, I too have 1 specific sensitive tooth lower left.
I kept returning to dentist to make sure and also an endodontist, they both reassured me several times, tooth is healthy it’s your TN.
I’ve probably had 2 unnecessary root canals as a result of TN, but oh well…

I have found during my worst pain, I will rub some orajel on my lower teeth, (tooth numbing gel)
And this helps take the edge off, just be mindful, not to use it too much.
I also use a microwaveable heating pad that also helps take the edge off.

Mimi

5

All my teeth can be sensitive and have to use the sensitive toothpaste. I went to my dentist first, since I too had recent crown replacement and he assured me all was well, again a few weeks later and referred me to an endodontist, you would have thought he could have provoked pain as he was using liquid nitrogen on a wisp of cotton to test the sensitivity of the molars in questions, but nope, negative exam. However I wasn't out of his office for more than five minutes when unbearable pain started, enough to make me pull over, open the car door and throw up! So I guess he induced some pain. In the end it was the 3-d MRI that showed the problem with the nerve and blood vessels.

I'ved used ora gel too, didn't last long, but let me catch my breath.

6

don't do it!!! They more dental I had done the worse i got!!! are you on any meds??

7

Wow! talking with you guys really does help, I know it may sound stupid but I did think I was the only one suffering this awful pain.

My Father suffers head pain which is down to his Arthritis, it effects his eyes and ears. I don't think he has been properly diagnosed, I am beginning to think both my father and I suffer from the same thing. He too started to loose his teeth at the age of 40, he's also a big strong man that would rather put up with his pain than rather go bother a doctor.

My auntie suffers from Cluster Headaches, I'm not sure if any of you have heard of them. She says its similar to TN but she has long remissions where there is no pain, normally 2-3 years. When the pain does come-on she now has the drug Morphine to inject herself with to stop the pain, she has the short sharp stabbing pain.

Myself today, it has been extremely painful, constant throbbing ache that numbs my whole head. It feels like my brain is swimming in water, being shaken around. The pain is always located at front of forehead, the sharp shooting pain that I can feel moving is on one particular tooth, its the top rear #5 tooth. The pain never goes, its constant and either gets stronger through the day or lessons now and again, The pain also moves down onto the bottom row of teeth towards the rear even though the molars are missing, its like the pain is trapped in my head and cant escape.

I have reached for the phone twice today wanting to call my Dentist and beg her to take another tooth out, but I must be strong. As much as I say its not my teeth causing the pain I still think it maybe, The pain started up yesterday after I had lunch, as soon as I finish my meal I could feel the pain creeping up in the background. Its the same when I brush my teeth in the mornings, it starts of the pain and last the rest of the day.

Last week my Dentist did carry out the cold-test on each of my teeth, I responded with extreme sensitivity with two of them. The tooth that is hurting now was the one I responded with the liquid cold substance, I said to my Dentist "hah! thats the one! it must have a cavity"............. she took an x-ray and "said no its perfectly healthy", she continue to say its quite normal to respond with tooth sensitivity as its telling me your tooths nerve is alive.

So I do not know what to think.

I have an appointment with my GP on Thursday, so I just hope he can refer me to a specialist.

Is it normal to have pain start in a tooth that radiates up around the eye and front of forehead just because I have just finished eating ?

Thank you for all the support, it is very much appreciated.

8

I think you should listen to your dentist. I and many others have been through the same thing. I have a constant throbbing /pulsing in a tooth with a root canal--where doctors say it can't possibly hurt because the nerve is dead. Right! Some days it throbs so hard I swear I can hear a clicking noise.

You need to see a neurologist or some doctor to prescribe some of the medications for treating TN. I am sure you will feel better.

Get your hands on a book called Striking Back. Read, read, read.

Dallas said:

Hi Marymo, yes this is so true in what you say.

My new Dentist also wanted to lock me away I think, at first she thought I was making everything up. I must of saw several Dentist over the first year and all of them said my teeth were healthy. They all said to go and see my GP as it sounds like Neuralgia, but I was so adamant that it was a Dental problem because of the previous failed root canal.

I have always gone to the Dentist regularly for check-ups ever since I was a child, to be truthful I think this maybe what has cause the Neuralgic pain lol. Over the years I had four fillings and two root canal procedures and one crown fitted, the last root canal was 10 years ago. The tooth lasted 5 years before the tooth actually broke, it was then all the pain started, it seem to spread from tooth to tooth.

I had the large head x-ray and the small dental x-rays which did not show any problem with my teeth, the only other suggestion my Dentist wanted to do was to replace my old fillings. I was very reluctant to have anymore Dental work done, I opted for extraction as I was so tired of all the pain and I thought if the tooth was not there, then it cant hurt................ oh! how wrong was I.

I too can feel the pain move up and down my face, I can feel the pain move along my teeth even to the ones that are not there anymore. The pain is right down in my jaw, I can feel it move along my jaw and up into my head.

As I sit here typing this, the pain is located on the left side at the top at the last tooth (#5 tooth), its a strong dull throbbing ache that keeps having a sharp type pain feeling. It so much feels like a toothache but doesn't if you know what I mean. My new Dentist carried out an x-ray on this tooth only last week and found nothing wrong, she said its tooth sensitivity and that the only way she could make the pain stop was to root canal the tooth.

She also said if she extracted this tooth, the pain would just move to the next tooth just like before. This is when she also said I maybe suffering from TN, the tooth sensitivity is causing the Neuralgic pain...............Do you think this is correct ?

If the pain would go, I would have all my teeth extracted tomorrow.......... even though I am just 40 years old.

I am totally lost..............

9

I suffered TN pain for 4 years. It started out of the blue days after a dental cleaning. Went back to dentist sure it was a tooth because of where I hurt. He said teeth were fine. My pain during the entire 4 years before my MVD was all centered under my bottom teeth. I also had some pins/needles sensations up the right side of my face when it was really bad. I saw multiple dentists, endodontists, oral surgeons, GP's, neurologist and finally found my neurosurgeon who did the MVD and found two major compressions on my trigeminal nerve. I have been pain free since I came out of anesthesia after surgery. It was so hard to believe it was NOT my teeth because of where I hurt. But my symptoms were classic TN1...shocking electric pain mostly which moved around along the 3rd branch of the nerve. So, do your research! Don't have unneccessary dental work as it could make the situation only worse! Find a doctor who knows about TN, have an MRI to look for a compression on the nerve (although, they do not always show up) and rule out any other reason for the pain. Find a good neurologist! I'm very sorry you are suffering.

10

Is it normal to have pain start in a tooth that radiates up around the eye and front of forehead just because I have just finished eating ?

Have I mentioned Lidocaine Mouthwash Prescription?

Go to google -- click on word above that says images -- type in atypical face pain and look at those -- does it look familiar -- then search trigeminal neuralgia -- do those images fit also?

Also - the bad thing here is that morophine and strong narcotics - don't stop our pain -- can dull it - or put us to sleep -

Keep hunting!

11

There is this really COLD stuff the dentist puts on a q-tip and will touch it to each tooth. that's how they know if it's tooth sensitivity or not. I never felt a THING when the dentist did this to me. He did it during 2 visits. After talking to me more about how it felt and me explaining further to him, he said it sounded more neurologic. So I went to my regular doc and was diagnosed immediately.

12

Please don't have any more extractions. See a neurologist as soon as possible to get a diagnosis. I am in the process of having the teeth replaced that were extracted due to this same mystery pain. I am looking at $15,000 to have implants since the bridge I had destroyed the teeth they were connected to. You'll notice many of us had numerous extractions and root canals because our pain started out as weird toothaches. I am trying to educate any dentist I come in contact with to refer these patients before starting any expensive, irreversible procedures.

13

My initial pain started in my teeth, gums and the roof of my mouth. I drove my dentist nuts for nearly a year insisting that there was something wrong and after lots of visits, X-rays etc he kept insisting it was not my teeth.
At the time I would gladly have had teeth removed to try and resolve the pain but in hindsight I am so glad my dentist was adamant that it was not a tooth problem.
I still get lots of pain in my teeth and now over the year the pain has spread up my face.

Your dentist sounds very wise and seeing a neurologist with TN experience is definitely the way to go forward.

Hope you can find something to relieve the pain.

Hugs
Trish

14

Thank you guys for all your support, it is very much appreciated.

I saw my GP today which was a total waste of time, I also booked in at my Dentist as an emergency as the pain was unbearable this afternoon.


My GP has put me on Amitriptyline again and also Co-amoxiclav which is a antibiotic, he has said I may have an underlying infection................ lol, bloody long 5 year infection. I ask my GP could he send me to a Neurologist again or to the Maxi-Facial clinic, he said its not really worth doing as my last results came back ok, this was 2011. He just told be to see how the Amitriptyline and antibiotic work.......


I went to see my Dentist today as the pain is getting unbearable, another examination to be told my teeth are healthy. But the cold test reveals I have two teeth which are Hypersensitive, anything cold, sweet foods start of the neuralgic pain which then last for days. My understanding is that normally people only suffer short sharp pain with tooth sensitivity which soon subsides after the cold substance is taken away (such as ice-cream)..... so why does my pain last for bloody days, months and years........? I'm so going crazy...... :(


My Dentist prescribed me 4 tubes of Duraphat Toothpaste and said if the pain doesn't go or if it gets worst lol, to come back and they will refer me to the Maxi-Facial clinic again (Yippee!), told me doesn't really want to take another tooth out incase the TN pain moves to the next tooth like it has been doing................. I replied with no tooth no pain, the Neuralgic pain is alot weaker when the tooth isn't there, can I have all my teeth out please ? .............. need to keep them he says. :(


So I am still in pain, I've been given the same drugs that I had 2 years ago, they took the edge of things for about 3 months and then the pain just got worst again..................... and I don't like how the Amitriptyline makes me feel.


The UK NHS doesn't work, they would be better off giving me a gun to shoot myself. I know that sounds awful but thats how this TN makes you feel......................... :( ................ I'm so sorry to moan, please forgive me.

15

So you can’t just go see a neurologist on your own? Take your own initiative and find a neurologist who will help you. You are WAY off track with this whole teeth pulling thing. It is not the right way to go. Everyone here plus your dentist is telling you the same thing. We all know what that tooth pain peels like (well, the ones who have TN that goes into their teeth at least). You should listen to all of these people who know what you are feeling.

16

Yes I think you are correct Heather, the more I read on here the more I agree its ATN I suffer from.

I found a Topic HERE! from JoeE this is how my day starts, I see lots of members here suffer the same routine. I am so shocked that other people suffer the illness............... I really thought I was going mad.

A big thank you to everyone who is involved in the running of this site, you are true angles.......


Heather Calkins said:

So you can't just go see a neurologist on your own? Take your own initiative and find a neurologist who will help you. You are WAY off track with this whole teeth pulling thing. It is not the right way to go. Everyone here plus your dentist is telling you the same thing. We all know what that tooth pain peels like (well, the ones who have TN that goes into their teeth at least). You should listen to all of these people who know what you are feeling.
17

Hi everyone,
Wow this sounds so familiar, I have phantom tooth pain all the time always at the dentist just to make sure nothing going on with other teeth. Had too many extractions at this point. The alveolar nerve is part of the 2nd branch of the trigeminal nerve, thats where I get the phantom pain. Even after my MVD unforunately for me my sx’ s have returned 6 months after surgery. My compression was from the petrosal vein largest my surgeon had ever seen. So am still battling the monster. Its always got me chasing my tail. So no no one is crazy with thinking its their teeth. Always good to make sure though.

18

I thought it was a tooth problem in the beginning too. Went to the dentist many times only to be told nothing was wrong. Had a horrific attack one night that sent me to the er. They started me on tegretol right away after I told them my history. They say if you start taking tegretol for tn and your pain goes away or lessens quite a bit then it probably is tn. That is what I've been told anyway. Hope this helps.

19

I have very poor enamel on my teeth due to childhood illness, I couldnt understand how my teeth which didnt hurt before felt like they were rotten if my husband would have given me the money I would have had them all out....I realised the day I had no pain in them but washed my hair and felt the pain grow and grow until I wanted to be sick when I straightened my head and the pain gradually subsided I understood that my teeth were ok and it was just the tn....dont have anymore work done it wont stop the pain. Good luck Karen xx

20

You could pull all teeth and still have TN pain -- is sad!

Keep us posted!