NeuroTalk Support Groups - Newbie With Dental Dilemma & Pain

Hi There!

I'm hoping someone can help me make some sense of what's been going on with pain I've continued to have in my two last bottom right molars. 30 & 31.

I apologize for the length of this post in advance and will try to stick just to the facts but need to begin by confessing I have extreme dentophobia. I've seen a dentist three times in the last 20 years. Please don't judge. I come by it very honestly and had some horrible things happen to me as a child at the hands of a dentist. It goes way beyond a fear of needles or gagging even pain. I'm doing the best I can.

I lost a filling from tooth #30 about two years ago. Due to terrible past experiences I didn't see a dentist right away. It had been about 10 years since my last appointment. Anyway, the tooth became abcessed and hideously painful so I finally went to a dentist and was sent from his office with antibiotics to an endodontist for a root canal which I had done about 8 weeks ago.

Though the severe pain got worse before it got better, in about a week it had gone from a 10 to a 5. The constant throbbing that I've had all along, unfortunately, has remained.

A little over 2 weeks ago I had the crown placed and mentioned the continued throbbing at two appointments for debridement and the day of crowning.
The dentist presumed it was because the temp RCT filling was too high and because I was afraid of the drill had not gone and had my bite adjusted. He proceeded to place the crown.

Since the crown appointment I notice I can sometimes stop the throbbing by biting down or keeping my jaw closed otherwise it continues and is now driving me CRAZY. It hurts. It annoys. It worries me.

Last week, I started to lose pieces of filling from #31, directly behind it. Now I'm getting "zingers" from that tooth when I eat AND "zingers" (quick, sharp, sudden pain when chewing food) from # 2 molar on the bottom left! I am worried my bite may be off and causing damage to other teeth in addition to this throbbing from crowned tooth. I also clench my teeth day and night which doesn't help.

Having a lifelong fear of dentistry makes it very difficult to even just call a dentist's office... but I did. I was surprised that they didn't want to see me and check my bite or look at the tooth losing filling pieces or take an xray or make sure the crown was fitting properly. Instead they called in a prescription for ibuprofen to treat inflammation and said to call them back when I finish the bottle in 10 days.

I have been VERY uncomfortable since June. Now I'm uncomfortable and worried about the pain and condition of another two teeth. Maybe it is just inflammation but I wonder if I should insist to be seen sooner by a dentist? Call the endodontist who did the RCT? Just take the medicine and see if it helps? I know ibuprofen won't keep pieces of a broken filling from falling out!

I got the feeling my dentist did not have the patience to deal with a terrified patient that was 100% conscious and 0% sedated despite 4 doses of halcion (though his assistant handled me extremely well and was my hero by the end of the appointment). I don't mean to but I know I make their jobs harder and my appointments take a little longer because they need to go a little slower. I can't help it. If I wasn't in pain now I'd be gone for another 10 years...but I am and I need help. I need to get these teeth handled and have LOTS more work to be done on the other side that will never happen if this throbbing doesn't get resolved.

What should I do? I'm grateful for any helpful suggestions. Thank you for your time and consideration.