Bryanna,

I have never heard of anything like this. I wish to ask if you are aware of anything like this.

My brother aged 35 went to see a dentist on 11th February,2014. He had a composite filling on his upper left sixth premolar which had broken. He visited the dentist .The dentist said it was a deep cavity but said there was still small space till the infection reached the pulp. Actually while drilling she hit the pulp nerve. She filled the deep cavity with GIC filling very tightly(I suppose). My brother complained of pain after 4-5 days. He went to the dentist again.She said,the pain would go away slowly. He waited for a month but the pain did not go away. He again went to the dentist.She said is the
pain unbearable ? He said No. So she said it is not required to remove it. He then kept filling for 3 months.

The pain passed into the back of the head (occipital nerves) and became severe. Finally he said I can no longer take this. He asked the dentist to remove it.She removed it. While extraction ,my brother said,he had a shock like sensation.

After removal,my brother had severe burning pain where the tooth existed and above it which went into the superior alveolar nerve . This pain was constant and unbearable. My brother visited an orofacial pain specialist in Mumbai. She took his history and diagnosed it as Trigeminal Deafferentation pain. She said the Central Nervous system is involved in this type of pain.

The pain specialist said this pain may abate or may last for a lifetime.My brother refused to get a nerve block done last year.He said he wanted to wait and try other methods. He also fears getting a nerve block. He also did not take a stent and a mixture of Lidocaine based anaesthetics to be applied topically which the pain specialist provided.

He has been trying some B vitamins (B6,B12,folic acid,myoinositol,L carnitine,Benfotiamine) for the last one year to see if nerve pain goes away. He has tried Pregabalin, Gabapentin, Amitriptyline - even antidepressant duloxetine but no effect. The pain has reduced but is still there. He is bearing it. I advised him to go to the pain specialist and get her Lidocaine based paste to be applied topically inside the stent.

My brother complaints the dentist has destroyed his life. He says he wants to jump in front of a train and end his life and pain once and for all.

From what I have gotten off the internet, applying Lidocaine seems to be the only solution. But again the pain is inside in the nerve and the pallette has bone ,so Lidocaine cannot reach there,if at all in small amounts.

Are nerve blocks successful ? I have heard there are serious complications if not done properly including something called as ANAESTHESIA DOLOROSA which is painful numbness though very rare .

Bryanna, What is your advice on this ? The pain is burning pain which is felt in the superior alveolar nerve. My brother is extremely restless.


Regards,
Amit.