Nueralgia or Dental Problem
 

I'm 33 years old and started having a problem 1 year ago. It's pretty long and drawn out. However, 1 year and 2 months later. I have a stange taste in my teeth between #28-29 and I know something is still going on. I'm just not sure what or who to turn to since the Dentist says everything looks good.

November
•11-24 - Woke up with shooting pain into my right ear with pain along gum-line between teeth #29-#31.
•11-25 – Went to dentist and she referred me to an Endodontist for a possible root canal on tooth #30 or #31 (she said there was some decay under the filling of #30 and a large filling in #31 close to the nerve).

December
•12-1 – Went to the Endodontist for a consultation and she felt #31 needed the root canal because it had a large filling very close to the nerve and a small crack.
•12-3 - Root Canal procedure was done on #31.
•12-9 – Still had pain in the root canalled tooth, and pain along the gum-line between #29-#31 and when I pressed on tooth #29.
•12-28 – Went to Urgent Care because the pain was so bad. I was given a Z-pak and Ultram.
•12-29 – The pain went away in neck/ear but the pain persisted in tooth with a bad taste in my mouth.

January
•Still in pain in #31, ear, teeth and jaw area.
•Went to a Neurologist for an MRI of the brain to rule out nerve issue. MRI was normal.
•My childhood dentist sent for a third opinion and he said there was a vertical crack in tooth #31 and it needed to be extracted.

February
• 2-5 – I was referred for an extraction. The tooth was removed.
•The pain was resolved. Then a new pain started; I had a dry socket. Tooth was packed to help dry socket pain.
•The pain in #29 and #30 and jaw still remained and the gum felt sore when I pressed on the teeth I feel pain. Dr. prescribed another medrol pak.

March
•A new pain started after the dry socket, burning, and continued to have pain in the ear and jaw. The oral surgeon was baffled and told me to see another Neurologist. He didn’t see anything on the panoramic x-ray.
•There was a burning pain in and around the extraction site and still into the ear.

April
•I was referred to a Neuro Surgeon for a possible cervical spine issue. I had a MRI scan of my cervical spine and it was normal.
•He referred me to Neurologist who did a CT scan of my neck, head and said it was normal.
•This Dr. put me on 1800 mg. of Gabapentin, I’ve been taking this since April 9, 2009.
•Went back to childhood dentist and he referred me to a gum specialist. The gum specialist said the gums looked swollen but nothing too bad and put me on Clindamycin.

July
•Since I’ve been on the Gabapentin the excruciating pain has gone away. However, I have a salty taste in my mouth and I’m not sure if this is from another tooth (tooth #30 has a cavity under the filling) and an odd taste/feeling along the inside gum line of #28-30. Mainly between 28-29.

August
•Right jaw bone scan done and came back normal.
Off the Gabapentin now for 5 months.

November 09
•Teeth cleaning. All teeth look great according to my Dentist accept for small cavity in tooth #7.


Questions:
Is this a low grade infection somewhere? Even thought bloodwork all came back fine.
Does this sound Neuralgia related?
Are they missing something – The Dentist that is?
Who could I go to for help?
Does it sound like a cavitation?
:confused::confused::confused:

I see you posted in the dental forum which is what I was going to suggest .
wonder if any of the doctors mentioned or thought of t.n. ??
you have seen a few different types of docs and dentists. I wish I could have an answer but i honestly dont know .
keep us updated .I am sure as the days pass the answers will come. I only have a strange taste in my mouth because of the steel plates and leads I have. others have an odd taste from meds they are on. so I really dont know.
Low pain to you. keep searching the answers will come.
PEACE
BMW

Thank you for responding
 

I talked to my Neurologist yesterday and he feels it's atypical trigeminal neuralgia. I asked him if the dentists could be missing something and he feels since I saw numerous dentists, endodontists etc. that they have not missed anything. He took me off the Gabapentin and since I did so well on that but still have a weird taste and sensation along the gumline an as need medication he recommended is Ultram. Do you know anything about this drug?

Thanks.

Hi Adimaria! You sound so much like me. My pain started after a root canal and then the tooth being extracted. I had some different sensations on the right side of my face and scalp (creepy crawly, stabbing , burning,) from time to time, affecting my eye and ear. I was really bothered on cold or windy days. I would get terrible ear pain after being out in the cold. I went for my regular cleaning appt, and the dentist told me that he thought I needed a root canal. (Right upper molar, not sure what #)..Had the root canal because we were close to losing our dental insurance. As soon at the anesthetic wore off, I had odd sensations in the root canaled tooth. I put up with the boring pain, creepy crawly, stabbing, burning pain for a year, went to the same dentist three different times during this year to be told by the dentist that I had a sinus infection. Took antibiotics all three times and nothing helped. I finally had this tooth pulled (it seemed to me at the time that the pressure and pain I was experiencing would be relieved if the tooth was pulled)..The pressure seemed to leave after the tooth was removed only to be left with the most uncomfortable pain I have ever felt three days later. That was 7 years ago. I have been diagnosed with TN and have tried many combinations of meds. I am currently on Lyrica and Tramadol for my pain and Elavil to help me sleep. Tramadol and Ultram are similar (I believe) and I find it takes the edge off so that I can function. I have continuous pain, that never leaves. This past summer I had my last upper right molar removed, it had a vertical crack and I thought that it may be th cause of this unrelenting pain. The new dentist I went to tried to talk me into getting a bridge, he wanted try to save the cracked molar. I had the filling replaced, only to have the tooth fixed but still lots of pain. Had the tooth removed, a week later, some bone chips removed, and now I have all my upper right molars removed and still extreme pain. I too thought that the dentist was missing an infection, I went to an oral surgeon and he also said TN. I hate that I have this disorder and still don't want to accept it. But for now, it is what it is. I hope you get relief from your pain...Mar

Thanks for Responding
 

I'm just confused as to why I have a terrible taste in between #28-29. Same side as the pain etc. I wonder if a NICO lesion caused this neuralgia from my wisdom tooth #32 taken out when I was a teen. It's frustrating b/c the neuro tells me I don't have typical TN symtoms. I guess I'm still searching b/c nothing has been determined black and white for me. It's still grey. This terrible taste on that side of my teeth...it bothers me all day along with slight pain into ear and along jawline. I appreciate your post.

Thanks,
adimaria

We're all with you. I don't think ANY of us has a textbook TN case except the case that wrote the textbook.

I know I don't have the EXACT symptoms that match the Wiki entry

Thanks
 

I appreciate that. It's calming to hear that not everyone follows the textbook symptoms. It still bothers me soooo much about this terrible taste in my mouth along those teeth. Everyone I talk to says they never experienced that with TN or ATN. Anyhow, I do wonder if it has anything to do with the extraction in my teens. I also agree about Xanax. It does help.

Any other advice you can give?

I don't have a taste but I have a constant dull "feeling" in my bottom lower teeth.

I have one tooth to the right of my vampire tooth (don't know tooth #s....) that I can wiggle and make sensation.

All teeth (ALL!!) have been X-ray'd and the problem area has been x-ray'd 3 times. No issues on x-ray....

How much xanax do you take per day? Just curious

1 or 2 a day. It really helps a lot.

Now 1 or 2 a day. It helps A lot!!!![/QUOTE]