How do you know the difference between a genuine tooth problem and TN? I want to go to the dentist, even though I'm afraid, but not if it's not really my tooth... Advice?
I am a fortunate one, Marcy.
Age 16, 1st visit to a Dentist - 1 cavity, see also; parental neglect;) The only teeth I am missing are my wisdom, [Insert Joke] and they came out in the hospital when I was 28, my jaw was aching.
It isn't that at 55, I don't have a mouth full of fillings, some of which have been redone, and a crown,...but, when I reference my "toothache" - it's more like that St. Pauli Beer commercial, 'You never forget your first TN!'
About 5:43PM January, 15, 2007...bob
Oh, something I contemplate every day. My doctor says that unless it’s oozing puss or something shows up on an x-ray, no dental work. But I always wonder should I go to the Endodontist and get the cold test, but I don’t because I’m trying to be a good patient. And it’s hard.
Thinking it is my teeth is part of my personal denial cycle. A tooth or set of teeth will bother me (often feeling loose, liek they will fall out...but they aren't really that way), and I will say, oh it's my teeth! I shoudl go to teh dentist! Then within an hour...teh pain is elsewhere. For me, I know it's not my teeth because I will do hot/cold tests for sensitivity and dental check-ups for xrays.
Better safe than sorry, but be aware that if it doesn't show up as a cavity, you may be going down the path of unecessary detal work. :(
MarcyHutt,
My advise to you is to be a strong advocate for your dental health.
I think it is very important to get a health check on your teeth anytime they hurt you. Sometimes a crack tooth can be a problem and it often missed on a x-rays. If you have pain that can not be explained ask for the cold test and a dye test for crack teeth. I had several dentists miss a crack tooth and I suffered for several months before it was finally found and fixed. During that dark period of time everybody thought it was my TN, yet it was not. So it better to be safe then sorry…
Kim
Thank you to all of you for your suggestions and help. It sounds like if the tooth is sensitive to cold (which it is) then it is likely the tooth that's really bothering me? I last saw the dentist right before my TN diagnosis, so they aren't aware of it yet. I've been going there for many years, and I really like the clinic - so I hope they have experience with it.
Thank you again zentn, Alicia, crystlv and Bob!
When you make an appointment, I'd be sure to let them know of your condition ahead of time and ask if your dentist is experienced with facial pain patients. Also, be very careful and take all your meds leading up to your appointment so that you don't risk break through pain-nnot that it can be controlled sometimes. I wish you the best of luck and hope that this little bugger is taken care of and your pain is eased!
Marcy, it's not necessarily just if the tooth is sensitive to cold or not. There is what is called "cold allodynia", which means nothing is wrong with your tooth except it's oversensitive to cold. However I'm not sure how that applies when getting an Endodontic cold test, because they aren't testing to make sure the cold bothers you, they're testing to see how long it takes for the cold to go away.
It's definitely worth getting checked out, just be careful before getting any work done.
Oh jeesh. Lol. I’m calling the dentist today. =) Thanks guys!