How do I know its not Tooth Sensitivity

General General TN & GPN (Old Site)
21

Thank you for all the replies guys, its great to have friends that can understand.

I've not been on here for over a week, I've been pain free for 10 clear days (yippee) and I wanted to try and forget anything Neuralgic related.

I had went to my GP to inform him on the Neuralgic pain returning after recent broken tooth, he gave me an antibiotic as he said I could have an underlying infection. He also said I should go back on Amitriptyline, I kindly declined as I do not like the way the drug makes me feel.

I also went back to my Dentist to check the tooth that was hurting, all was fine. Dentist gave me Duraphat toothpaste and said come back if pain gets worst, we can refer you to Maxi-facial clinic again.

Yesterday the pain came back, but not as bad (thank god), its still running in the background today, but not as painful as it normally is.

What makes matters confusing is........ I drank a warm milk yesterday and thats when the pain fire-up, about 5 mins after. I'm sure its the top back tooth on the left side, it also happens when I eat a Banana lol. I still think its my tooth at fault.

Thank god, its my left-side hurting and not my right-side, the right-side hurts the worst.

I will see how I go over next few weeks, I have a Dentist check-up in May (the regular 6 month check-up), but for some reason I can never make it without going before the 6 months....... it seems I go every 2/3 months or weeks sometimes.... lol

Thank you for all your support guys. ♥

22

I feel your pain Wes, have been dealing with dental issues for such a long, long time. I just got over dealing with an infection that had been ongoing since N0V 2012. On and off antibiotics, ended up with root canal then it abscessed, dentist said yes , endodontist said no abscess. My dentist was right. Then it abscessed again, had to do an apioectomy, removing tipmof the tooth then scarpes the bone for infection. Two more rounds antibiotics. I have spent already $8000.00 just to save my top teeth. I told him one more infection out they go. No more. I habe phantom tooth pain left upper gums. Horrific pain , no teeth. Because its not the roots in the teeth by the TN. Ifyou are young save your teeth dont extract them . I cannot have implants because of my TN, so have partial dentures. All the pain in my teeth was from my trigeminal neuralgia, outside of the fact these meds create havoc in your mouth , meds you speak of and most meds for TN dry out your mouth severly. I use Biotene mouthwash, toothpaste, oral spray just to keep my mouth moist to help prevent caviites. Been on amytrptaline for 8 years now tegretol 4 years. As far as pan starting in the am , i love mornings for about 15 minutes and its all down hill from there. This is not unusual pattern , ironically no pain while we sleep, then early am no pain for 15 minutes and then it begins. I believe its all part of the cycle with TN. Have you seen a neurosurgeon yet? Your dentist is correct when she says killing the nerve of the tooth will not eliminate the pain because its not the root of the tooth, its the second branch of the trigeminal nerve. Sounds like shes a good one, knows her anatomy and TN. Hang in there I know its easier said, but find a neurologist or neurosurgeon that can help you. If you click in the doctor icon on the top there are lists of them recommended. If your out of country, try to message Red Lawhern hes a moderator and very smart man who may be able to guide you in the right direction. Theres always someone on this website willing to help. God bless you and stay strong!
My Best
joanne

23

dont have another tooth extracted. I have no molars on my left side because of like you begging the dentist to extrat teeth hoping that would take the pain away. You have TN, talk to a neurologist, Get on the right medication to control your pain. I am so mad I did that and now I'm without teeth for no reason, Hope you figure this thing out and are out of pain.

Take care of you

Linda:)

24

Thank you Joanne and Linda, I really appreciate everyones support :)

It seems we all go through the same ordeal, I really thought I was the only one to suffer this awful pain. I thought there was something terribly wrong with me, if it wasn't for joining this wonderful forum and talking with very understanding people, I would still be in that confused state of saying to myself WHY!

It amazes me why and how this pain starts, lots of us seem to suffer the same morning routine. When I read that others have the same 15min pain free mornings before the pain would start. I was totally amazed and I had to keep reading again and again just to absorb the relief that I felt, I thought I was on my own and I really thought I was going mad.

My problem which I still find it hard to grasp, is why do I always think its a tooth hurting ? It seems I have been very unlucky with having several extractions over the course of 5 years, but each time I would have an extraction the pain would go, but then would come back on a different tooth.

Pain started on the leftside which was the side of 1st extraction, 1 year later the pain transfered to the rightside, I felt the pain drain from the leftside and move to the right, it stayed in the rightside for 3 whole years. Several extractions later the pain went, but I would still suffer phantom tooth pain where there wasn't even a tooth present, but it was less painful (this is why I would always beg my dentist to extract another tooth because the pain seemed to be better where there wasn't a tooth present).

The pain now has moved back over to the leftisde (thank god) its less painful, I rather have the pain on the leftside any-day compared to the right, this is whats makes it all so confusing.

My Dentist and GP has suggested its TN pain I suffer, but in all fairness neither of them know much about the condition if you ask me, even my scan I had didn't show any sign of a problem (the specialist just said don't have anymore teeth extracted and just take the Amitriptyline).

My Dentist has also said I suffer extreme tooth sensitivity which seems to start the TN pain, because I suffer the constant stabbing throbbing pain all day for days/months at a time, sometimes it can be triggered by eating/drinking hot and cold foods if it hasn't already started in the morning that is. My Dentist she doesn't want to extract anymore teeth.................... but the pain I have now on leftside at top rear tooth, I really want to go have it extracted. :(

Someone said its like chasing your tail, its true! I just go round and round in circles and not knowing what to do next. The Amitriptyline which I really don't like taking because how it makes me feel, I am currently just taking 2 Aspirin in the morning at the moment which seems to help, which is hard to believe as its just over the counter drugs lol. Sometimes the Aspirin don't do anything but then another day it takes the pain clean away..................... why is this ?

Thank you guys for all your help and support, it is very much appreciated. :)

Kind Regards

Westley

25

Linda, I forgot to mention, My GP did refer me to a neurologist back in 1998. All the neurologist done was to get me to do a number of exercises which I must of passed, all he said was it was stressed I was suffering with.

I ask my GP last month to refer me again and he said there is no point, we have already done that. He said you suffer from Neuralgia and to keep taking the Amitriptyline, it will help. ???????????

My Dentist said they will refer me back to the Maxi facial clinic again if I wont them to, but I'm not sure as don't think I could go through any type of Surgery if it was offered by them....................... I'm caught in limbo :(

26

Wes if you go to wikipedia and type in trigeminal neuralgia it gives you diagrams of its branches the alveolar nerve branches maxillary or top V2 branch and the inferior alvelar nerve branches the mandibular jaw the bottom V3. I have V2 branch affected which gives me phantom pain all from the molars to canine tooth. In Jan 2009 is when my issues truely blossomed from an abscess and extraction so we think. I went back and forth from my dentist who is no longer my dentist ,who said no abscess, then to ENT then to facial specialist. This all started sept 200& By Jan 2009 the tooth abscesed and had a severe septic infection. They extracted the tooth , then the next and the next. The V2 branch was affected by the infection that I believe spread to the Tn nerve. When I saw my surgeon for MVD he did though find compression from a oversized petrous vein it compressed in four areas of the nerve. So it does get confusing. If you are not comfortable with the answers and the meds do not help seek out another opinion till someone hears you. No one knows what this is like until they have lived it. Here on this website we all know the frustration you go thru to get to the “one”. The one who will ask you what can I do to make this better, someone with knowledge but with a soul for compassion. Dont give up we are here to listen and there are alot of resources and people with the right info to guide you. Try Red Lawhern, amazing man, toms of knowledge that can help you and if cannot will find someone that can. God bless and hang in there Wes
My Best
Joanne

27

Wes, you need to take some time to really read about the nervous system and the brain to really understand why and how it has nothing to do with your actual tooth. Maybe buy an anatomy book or check one out at the library. Since i was finishing up my degree in biologu and working towards applying for med school it was a little easier for me to understand some of these things that seem so weird and counterintuitive. Even woth my educational background it can get confusing when my surgeon starts explaining tnings to me. The nervous system is a beautiful thing and you should really get to know how a normally functioning teigeminal nerve works in order to learn more about how and why yours doesnt work. Make sense? im sure Half Price Books has text books theyve bought back from stefenta like me or you could find somethjng less texhnical on amazon.com.
Also, ask your doctor to try you on tegretol or neurontin either instead of or in addition to the amitryptaline. You have to stop being so stubborn about insisting its a tooth if you ever want to get any real relief. I’m serious here, the longer you cling to the idea that the problem is in your tooth, the longer you are going to suffer. You have had countless people tell you this on here and you need to start listening to them instead if being stubborn!
I hope you can find the relief you are looking for. Try another neurologist. I saw three before I found the right one. None of my scans showed anything was wrong, but when my surgeon got in there it was a big ole mess. A LOT of people have totally normal scans but are still diagnosed with TN based off of their symptoms and their reaction to tegretol. Go see the specialist!

28

Thank you Joanne for all the information, it seems we have similar stories.

If I think back to about the year 2000, I was suffering tremendous pain for about 2/4 weeks at a time on left side of face, but it would just go away and not bother me again for months months later, even upto a year. This kept happening until finally I went and saw an emergency dentist on a Sunday morning in 2003, he actually opened up his surgery especially for me, he found I had a large cavity in lower rear #7 molar + infection. This was treated and eventually I had the tooth root canaled, I had no more pain after this, the pain never came back........ ???????

But 5 years later (2008) the root canaled tooth broke, it had to be extracted which was by a different Dentist and this was when all the pain started long term.

After the 1st extraction of the 1st failed root canal #7 molar, the pain would always be on leftside at point 1,2 & 3 nerve's. The pain would be at its worst on point 2 & 3 all along my teeth and was slightly less painful at point 1 (front forehead). One year later the pain shifted sides and went to all point 1,2 & 3 nerve's again, this time it was far worst, point 1 nerve (front forehead) was unbearable pain. This is where I tried Tegretol and Amitriptyline and this only made me feel worst, so I just lived with the pain and to this day I don't know how I done it. Just taking over the counter pain killers and having several extractions got me through the past 5 years, as said before having less teeth has helped somewhat lol, but its totally unacceptable for us sufferers of TN to loose several healthy teeth only to find the pain is still present.

At present I am suffering from leftside again at point 1,2 & 3 nerves but point 1 is less painful. The pain is more at point 2 and will regularly effect point 3 at same time (top and bottom teeth). I have always said that the pain is never on both sides at same time, but I have suffered pain on both sides at one point. It happened for about 2 days and I could feel the pain move all across my face like pins and needles, it was like someone was flicking a switch on and off controlling the pain on both sides. I explained this to my dentist and she said that the pain cannot cross, I told her again and she looked at me like I was crazy.............. needless to say I think she now believes me especially now she has seen me in so much pain on different visits.

Thanks again for listening, it really does help.

Kind Regards Westley

29

Yes I hear you HCal, you sound like my Dentist lol.

I am slowly coming around to the idea that the pain I am suffering from is phantom tooth pain, but at the same time it doesn't help when my Dentsist also says I suffer from extreme tooth sensitivity, that what really confuse's me.

The neurologist I saw told me its stress, I told my Dentist this and she also said YES! stress can cause Neuralgic pain.

The Maxi Facial specialist I saw said its most probably TN and said they wouldn't really want to do anything at this stage because nothing showed up on my CT scan, said just keep taking the Amitriptyline.

The trouble with Amitriptyline and Tegretol is, I cant get on with it, it makes me feel worst, my GP said we can try Tegretol again and see....................... trouble is I am most probably what is known as a awkward patient. lol

It seems I have come to understand the pain I suffer from is now part of me, it seems it is now the norm. I really don't like taking any type of medication except regular over the counter pain killers. The help and support from the UK NHS regarding TN seems to not exist, its like I'm stuck fighting the pain with no medical support and stuck fighting with myself regarding the medication that I'm afraid of.

Kind Regards

Wes

HCal said:

Wes, you need to take some time to really read about the nervous system and the brain to really understand why and how it has nothing to do with your actual tooth. Maybe buy an anatomy book or check one out at the library. Since i was finishing up my degree in biologu and working towards applying for med school it was a little easier for me to understand some of these things that seem so weird and counterintuitive. Even woth my educational background it can get confusing when my surgeon starts explaining tnings to me. The nervous system is a beautiful thing and you should really get to know how a normally functioning teigeminal nerve works in order to learn more about how and why yours doesnt work. Make sense? im sure Half Price Books has text books theyve bought back from stefenta like me or you could find somethjng less texhnical on amazon.com.
Also, ask your doctor to try you on tegretol or neurontin either instead of or in addition to the amitryptaline. You have to stop being so stubborn about insisting its a tooth if you ever want to get any real relief. I'm serious here, the longer you cling to the idea that the problem is in your tooth, the longer you are going to suffer. You have had countless people tell you this on here and you need to start listening to them instead if being stubborn!
I hope you can find the relief you are looking for. Try another neurologist. I saw three before I found the right one. None of my scans showed anything was wrong, but when my surgeon got in there it was a big ole mess. A LOT of people have totally normal scans but are still diagnosed with TN based off of their symptoms and their reaction to tegretol. Go see the specialist!
30

Dear Wes,

you mentioned nothing showed up on scan, alot of times it does not I was told they do films such as MRI to rule out othr things for example tumors and other problems. Because it does not show up does not mean TN does not exist. There are more updated MRI's such as Fiesta 3 D which wil pick up trigeminal nerve compressions. The films I have learned thru extensive back history are only as good as the doctor looking at them. Did you recieve my message on contact in your country moderator "Jackie" and trying the TN Assocoiation in the UK" for info on surgeons available in your are or close by to Dorset where you live. Hope I have been some help Wes. Keep us posted , know you are not crazy its just one of those disorders that has at one time caused us to chase our tails. God Bless

My Best