The ordeal started about three years ago when I had a tooth capped. The tooth is the first molar on the lower right side. It first started as an annoying feeling that made me feel as though something was always caught in my teeth. My teeth in that area also felt "loose" and still do. These annoyances gradually evolved into pain over a few months. For the past two years I have had chronic, consistent pain in the area.
I have now been two my dentist about six times concerning this and he has found nothing. I have had the cap removed which did nothing. I have seen the periodontist once and the route canal doctor several times and am still seeing him. I have been to the Dent neurological institute in Buffalo who said that it is not Tic-Do Laru and possibly not a nerve issue. I went to another neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic who also believes in is not nerve based. This was mainly because there is sensitivity in the gums near the site where the cap was done. I have also been to the facial pain clinic at the University of Buffalo, in the dental school, who prescribed Capsaicin applied with mold for several hours a day. I have seen a compounding pharmacist who prescribed and cream that provided little relief from the pain. Acupuncture provided very little relief from the pain. The cap was removed and a temporary put on with no help. I am intolerant of carbamazepine.
I also saw a pain management specialist at the Cleveland Clinic who tried a nerve block that had no effect. Lyrica helps some with the pain but causes tremendous weight gain. I was then referred to the dental practice in Cleveland Clinic. She found what she thought was a dead nerve in my lower front teeth and an infection in the area that may have spread near the site of the original cap. I had a route canal done on the tooth about 5 weeks ago and have two courses of anti biotic. This has not helped. In fact the pain has spread. It usually is in the area from the original site toward the chin. I can now feel some pain in the left side also. The pain almost always intensifies after eating.
A couple of other things: I almost always have a bad taste in my mouth and I grab at my chin allot.
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Next I saw a dentist who specializes in oral facial pain who thinks it is a severe form of TMJ. I had $2500 mouth guard made and was trained to relax my jaw. This didn't seem to help at all. We tried Prednisone for two weeks which had no effect. He also put me on Nortriptyline (tri-cyclic antidepressant) for about a month with no effect. I use a "bed buddy" rice filled bag once or twice a day heated up in the microwave. This helps some. I have also noticed that my speech seems to be effected (slightly slurred).
The pain is still constant. I have also had several headaches.