Vowel Lady,

Okay, so now more of the story unfolds. I say that because when it comes to dentistry, there is usually more to the "original" story as the story gets told. Which is fine, but as you stated, all of the facts need to be considered and I urge you to read my reply very carefully.

I will re post from your thread and reply in bold type.

<<Tooth number 30 had an onlay. I do not recall exactly why. I suspect a filling. The onlay fell off. I had no pain at all. Not even with hot or cold foods.>>

AN ONLAY IS PUT ON A TOOTH WHEN THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL TOOTH STRUCTURE MISSING. MISSING EITHER DUE TO DECAY, FRACTURE, OR A PREVIOUSLY LARGE FILLING. SO AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, TOOTH #30 HAD ALREADY BEEN COMPROMISED AND WAS NOT IN THE HEALTHIEST STATE PRIOR TO THE ESCAPADE OF DENTISTRY THAT ENSUED.

NOW READ THIS CAREFULLY... THE FACT THAT YOU HAD NO PAIN AT ALL, NOT EVEN TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY WHEN THAT ORIGINAL ONLAY CAME OFF INDICATES THAT THE NERVES WERE SOMEWHAT NON VITAL. WHY? BECAUSE THE ENAMEL, REMEMBER I MENTIONED THAT PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE OVER THE DELICATE PORTION OF THE TOOTH, HAD BEEN REMOVED TO PREPARE THIS TOOTH FOR THE ORIGINAL ONLAY. WITHOUT THAT ENAMEL, A HEALTHY, LIVE TOOTH WOULD BE SENSITIVE TO COLD AIR, COLD TEMPERATURE FOODS AND EVEN YOUR TOOTHBRUSH CROSSING OVER IT WOULD CAUSE SENSITIVITY. TO SUM IT UP, TOOTH #30 WAS NOT REAL HEALTHY AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT BECAUSE IT HAD NOT CAUSED YOU ANY PAIN....UNTIL.... IT WAS DRILLED INTO AGAIN. DRILLING INTO A PARTIALLY NON VITAL TOOTH CAN AND MOST OFTEN WILL SET OFF A CHAIN REACTION OF EVENTS ONE OF WHICH IS ACUTE PAIN. WHY? BECAUSE THE NERVES WERE ALREADY TURNING NECROTIC AND THE VIBRATION OF THE DRILL ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WENT ON ONLY EXACERBATED THE PROBLEM THAT WAS ALREADY PRESENT.

SO JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU ARE BLAMING YOUR NEURALGIA ON DENTAL TREATMENT BECAUSE AND I QUOTE YOU " I WENT INTO THE DENTAL OFFICE WITH NO PAIN AND CAME OUT IN PAIN". DOES THE SITUATION LOOK A BIT DIFFERENT TO YOU NOW?

<<However, since we were going to be in another city, I went to the new dentist and asked if they would replace the onlay. They said inlays were not done any more and insisted on doing a crown.>>

WAS IT AN ONLAY OR AN INLAY? ONLAYS COVER AT LEAST ONE CUSP OF THE TOOTH WHEREAS INLAYS DO NOT. EITHER ONE CAN END UP BEING A CROWN AT A LATER DATE IF THERE IS RECURRENT DECAY IN THE TOOTH AND/OR A PIECE OF THE TOOTH HAS BROKEN OFF.

<<The young dentist didn't do injections...I noticed this oddity from day one. She had the owner do all injections. (Just a side note)>>

THIS IS STRANGE AND THE ONLY TIME I HAVE SEEN THIS TAKE PLACE IS WHEN THE ATTENDING DENTIST GENERALLY HAS DIFFICULTY GETTING ADEQUATE ANESTHESIA SO ANOTHER DENTIST WILL DO THE INJECTION. I HAVE ALSO SEEN IT DONE WHEN A SPECIAL INJECTION IS NECESSARY TO GET PROFOUND ANESTHESIA AND NOT ALL DENTISTS ARE COMFORTABLE DOING THAT INJECTION.

<<Excessive problems occurred with the crown, excessive drilling, tapping...soreness started. Permanent crown broke. Then removed.>>

THIS DESCRIPTION INDICATES THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH HEALTHY TOOTH STRUCTURE TO PUT A CROWN ON PROPERLY. WHETHER THIS WAS DUE TO THE ORIGINAL DRILLING FOR THE INLAY/ONLAY... OR THIS DENTIST OVER PREPARED THE TOOTH .... OR THE DECAY CAUSED ADDITIONAL LOSS OF TOOTH STRUCTURE LEAVING NOT MUCH TO WORK WITH, ONLY THOSE WORKING ON THIS TOOTH WOULD KNOW THAT ANSWER.

<<The owner (shot lady) said she had to put in a post (but may have used the word pin). She gave me many, many shots for this procedure and I was very numb. When the numbness wore off, I had some pain and oddly, I got a fever. I reported the pain and a low grade fever and she said the pain was normal and the fever was not in relation to dental work.>>

AS I SAID, A POST IS ONLY PLACED IN RC TEETH. SOME DENTISTS CALL PINS POSTS... SO MAYBE THAT IS WHAT SHE SAID. AN XRAY OF THIS PROCEDURE WOULD TELL YOU IF IT WAS A POST OR A PIN.
IT IS COMMON FOR THE PATIENT TO HAVE PAIN, EVEN INFLAMMATION AFTER A PIN IS PLACED BECAUSE IT IS IRRITATING TO THE TOOTH AND IF IT IS PLACED NEAR A NERVE, IT IS EVEN MORE IRRITATING. IN YOUR CASE, I AM GOING TO ASSUME BASED ON YOUR DESCRIPTION THAT THE NERVES IN THIS TOOTH WERE ALREADY COMPROMISED AND THE DRILLING AND THE PIN SET THAT CHAIN OF REACTIONS OFF BIG TIME. COULD YOU DEVELOP A FEVER FROM HAVING DENTAL WORK....... ABSOLUTELY. SOME PEOPLE DEVELOP A LOW GRADE FEVER AFTER HAVING MOST OF THEIR DENTAL WORK AS IT IS THE BODY'S REACTION TO BEING VIOLATED AND TRAUMATIZED. DOES IT MEAN THERE IS AN INFECTION, NOT NECESSARILY.

<<Later, she removed the temp.>>

SO THE PAIN AND FEVER SUBSIDED AND YOU WENT ON FOR A WEEK OR LONGER UNTIL THE PERMANENT CROWN CAME IN, CORRECT?

<<Crown she put on and I almost fainted. Worst pain I have ever had in my life.>>

THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT SHE DID NOT ANESTHETIZE THE AREA BEFORE TRYING ON OR CEMENTING THE CROWN ON. THE INTERIOR OF THE CROWN IS MOST LIKELY METAL WHICH IS INCREDIBLY COLD. THE CEMENT IS ALSO VERY COLD. PLACING EITHER OF THEM OVER AN AREA OF A SOMEWHAT VITAL OR INFLAMED TOOTH WOULD CAUSE PAIN. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS MYSELF. SOME DENTISTS ROUTINELY NUMB THE PATIENT FOR ALL CROWN INSERTIONS, OTHERS DON'T.

<< I got shot up big time with a nutso amount of novocaine as I was near screaming.>>

I ASSUME THIS WAS AFTER SHE EITHER TRIED THE CROWN ON OR AFTER SHE HAD ALREADY CEMENTED IT. DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH ONE?

<<Saw OS, who is also a medical doctor. He said the dentists injured my nerve. So has every other doctor I have seen.>>

THE OS SAID INJURED YOUR NERVE HOW? WITH EXCESSIVE DRILLING OR WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE PIN? YOUR PHYSICIANS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE DENTAL TREATMENT THAT TOOK PLACE OTHER THAN YOUR DESCRIPTION. SO TO HEAR YOUR STORY AND NOT KNOW ANY DIFFERENT OF COURSE SOMEONE IS GOING TO THINK....THE DENTIST INJURED THE NERVE. CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?

<<<<One dentist I saw recommended a rc. this guy almost fainted himself when he discovered the post. That was another very bad experience. They all were.>>

AGAIN THIS DENTIST COULD HAVE SAID THE WORD POST AND MEANT PIN, BUT UNLESS YOU CAN PRODUCE AN XRAY OF THIS TOOTH WITH A POST IN IT, I HAVE TO SAY IT WAS A PIN. WITH THAT SAID, THIS DENTIST MAY HAVE BEEN UPSET ABOUT THE PLACEMENT OF THE PIN AND JUST DID NOT EXPRESS THAT EXACT THING TO YOU SO AS TO NOT MAKE THE OTHER DENTIST LOOK BAD.

<<I still think my dentists were horrible. Will peruse your response for any other questions....and consider your additional information.>>

I THINK YOU'VE HAD SOME CRAPPY DENTISTRY BASED ON YOUR DESCRIPTION AND MY EXPERIENCE... BUT DID THE WORK ON #30 CAUSE NEURALGIA? THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU HAVE SAID, THAT I HAVE READ TO INDICATE THAT IT DID.

<<I hope they don't permanently hurt someone again. Bryanna, I actually woke up this morning in tears, not just from pain, but in fear that they would hurt someone as they have hurt me.>>

VOWEL LADY... LOUSY DENTISTS GO ON TO HAVE VERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES. WHY? BECAUSE THEIR WORK AND SKILLS ARE NOT QUESTIONED. THE AVERAGE PERSON HAS NO CLUE WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON AND AS HUMANS WE CLING TO OUR DENTISTS AND DOCTORS TO BE TRUTHFUL, INFORMATIVE AND GUIDE US IN A HEALTHY DIRECTION.

I have shed countless tears and suffered much anguish over what I have witnessed and partaken in during my dental career. I did not start out being adamantly against root canal therapy nor did I think to question the authority of my employers. But it became clear that I repetitively witnessed the same horrific nonsense over and over again. The going along with it for the sake of keeping my job became no longer possible for me to do. I sought to be educated by holistic, integrated, biological dentists who no longer practice old school dentistry. My knowledge and professional experience on quality and healthy dental care has grown tremendously and has led me to what I believe in today.

I am not here to force you to believe anything. I am here to listen to your story and shed some light on the incidentals that none of your dentists or physicians have informed you about.

Let me know if anything I have said brings some light to the situation or makes you wonder if there is more to the problem than what occurred with tooth #30.

Bryanna