Needs Advices for 18 & 19 (X-rays attached)
 

Hi Bryanna

This is Grace again seeking advices. This time is for Tooth #18 and #19.

I started having some pain from #18 at the beginning of May. At that time I was having a bad infection with Tooth #14 so I overlooked the situation at #18.

The attached are two recent X-rays for #18 and 19 (with 18 on th right). Is #18 or #19 infected? Both teeth had amalgam filled in 1998. Very obvious cracklines. The dentist said that the mercury filling are still in good shape. I don't eat on this side but grind teeth during sleep. It feels like a nerve pain.

I still have sinus symptoms I got from Tooth #14. ENT doctors says it takes time to get the sinus to recover (I hope). I’ve taken 4 courses of different antibiotics so far for #14 (infected at the beginning of May, then root canal treatments, then sinus infection, finally tooth extracted at the beginning of July). I am so tired and weak now…

Thanks a lot for your help,

Grace

Hi Grace,

Thanks for posting the xrays!

I remember you mentioning pain with #18 back in May. Has it gotten worse?

The fillings do not appear to be deep in either tooth. A bit larger in #18 than #19. On these xrays tooth #18 has a very large pulpal chamber. This is the area in the middle of the tooth below the filling where the top of the roots come together. This could be normal or it could indicate an inflamed pulp which would feel like nerve pain.

You said you grind your teeth at night. Do you wear a night guard?

Is the pain worse in the am or does it get worse as the day goes on? Is there anything that makes it feel better... like hot or cold temperatures.. pressure... medication???

Did your dentist do a cold test on this tooth? Did he have you bite down on a bite stick to check for fractures?

Bryanna

Thanks
 

sorry Bryanna I was experiencing some internet problems and couldn't follow up immediately.

I could figure out any particular correlation to the pain. Sometimes it is like nerve, sometimes it is like gum.... I started wearing night guard recently.
I recently have a lot of pains here and there from the teeth all over my month.


I still feel some pain from time to time from the extraction site (#14) after a month. Is that normal?
Thanks alot,
Grace

Hi Grace,

Anytime a person has a bruxism habit, their teeth tend to hurt... even the gums. The reason is because every tooth is held in the bone by a periodontal ligament... this ligament acts like a rubber band allowing the teeth to have some flexibility as we chew and it also is a source of nutrition for the teeth. However, when you grind or clench your teeth you are actually rocking your teeth back and forth which causes trauma to the ligament and it becomes inflamed. As a result the teeth and gums can be sore or achey or you could even have various areas of sharp or shooting pain. If the habit is not controlled and/or the teeth are not adequately protected by a proper fitting night guard, then the ligaments will become wide as they pull away from the root of the tooth. Pocketing and bone loss will eventually occur between the tooth and the gum where bacteria can become trapped. This habit can also irritate the pulp of the tooth and cause the tooth to die.

The night guard acts as a cushion and takes the brunt force off of the teeth, gums, and ligaments.

Yes, it is normal to have some twinges of pain in an extraction site for several weeks post op the removal of the tooth.

Bryanna

Thank you
 

Thanks a lot