today i go to the dentist to check my teeth and possible infection. i had no luck getting an earlier appointment and started feeling like the pain in my gums was subsiding a little after suffering for almost four days with excruciating pain. i used extra strength orajel that was medicated, gargled with listerine alot and used ice packs on my cheek to bring down the swelling a little with my mouth. i brush my teeth and floss alot each day so that helped a little too. the sore on my gums got smaller but then i got one on the right side of my mouth. the pain meds i take for my rsd also helped a little with my mouth pain but the throbbing pain has been horrible. what the heck happened to the "do no harm" oath drs and dentists take. having me wait for over a week to see a dentist for help with my oral pain has caused my teeth and gums to become more sore which makes it painful to eat anything and also the constant mouth pain has made my constant rsd pain flare up. i was up all night in pain and am so tired of this. thank you all for your helpful advice and caring thoughts. i will try your ideas if my pain does not subside completely and if my dentist can't help me. i am also seeing a new oral surgeon next week to talk about getting all my back teeth pulled and putting in partial dentures for me. i hate doing this but i can't take the pain and not being able to eat solid foods anymore. i still think i have an infection and hope the dentist will give me something for it. otherwise i will see my gp for that and hope he can help. hope you are all have a low to no pain day today. thanks again and will keep you posted.

You might want to reconsider Listerine, since it is alcohol based. Very drying, which could exacerbate your issues.

What did the dentist say / do for you ?
 

Hi RSD,
I just happened to see your post which by the way I'm having issues with my gums too. My CRSP is full body now but started on the left side. The left side gums is what is very painful now. I'm using Orajel to numb the area and the pain seems to subside for a day or so but I woke up in pain tonight. Did more Orajel and got online to do some work and thought I'd check in here. So I'm chiming in. Hope you find relief...

Since CRPS started my teeth have given me more problems and lots of pain. The new dentist I saw attributed some of it to clenching and grinding, the "cure" was disposable Plackers nighttime guards from the drugstore. Most people can use one guard for 3 or more weeks, so they can be cost effective if purchased on sale with a coupon.

I noticed that even during the day when I am supposedly at rest I am tense and I find myself mouth clenching. I know this behavior causes tooth and jaw pain. I wonder if it is part of being on high alert 24/7.

I have also noticed since CRPS started I have become dried out like a corn husk, this includes my eyes, nasal passages and mouth. I assume that this desiccation is contributing to my dental woes. Even though I drink plenty of water I never seem hydrated, in fact, I sometimes think the water is passing right through me and its not getting into my cells.

hi everyone. i hope you're all having a low pain day today. i just wanted to update you on my dental visit. it turns out i do have an infection in my lower tooth and also need a root canal done on that tooth. i have to wait until i am done with the antibiotics the dentist prescribed to me first which is 28 capsules of clindamcin (300 mg per capsule) to take every six hours. it seems to be helping a little but is rough on my stomach. just wanted to mention that the ice pack i said i put on my cheek to bring down swelling of tooth prior to seeing the denitist helped a little but i try to keep it to a minimum because ice is bad for rsd. especially if applied in the rsd original site. i don't want you guys using ice all the time to numb the pain and bring down swelling of rsd because it is not said to be good for rsd. i'm not a dr so please confirm that with them but just wanted to let you know. and thanks again for all of your great advice. i am doing the salt water rinses now and got the listerine with no alcohol in it now. thanks for bringing that to my attention Bio. i didn't think about the mouthwash with alchohol drying out my teeth more. thanks again for letting me know. and thanks to all of you for all of your support and great advice. you guys are awesome!

Regarding root canals...please do some research on it before getting it done. I've heard of spread after getting a root canal to the mouth and that it's not really an effective procedure anyway in the long run. I've had lots of dental issues since my RSD started. I know some people have no issues with the root canals but I personally have chosen not to risk it since my mouth is one of the few places I do not have RSD. My dentist knows that root canals are off the table and if a tooth needs it...we pull it instead.

I believe that is what holistic dentists do, pull the tooth. They don't do root canals. I had no idea how negative these are until I arrived at NT. I do have a RC with crowns and it's over 30 yrs old and haven't had an issue.

I have another RC next to a molar where filling has broken off and the dentists wanted to pull the molar and bridge with RC under it. This is going on 10 yrs and I'm saving myself from all the trauma and $$$ with a remedy I've made up with contains oil of oregano. OOO is great powerful stuff.

Could be too my dental hygeine has been pretty good in the last 20some yrs is due to taking grape seed extract for that long. Prior to that I've had a lot of dental work.

thanks Catra. i am glad you brought the root canal subject up. i thought i was the only one who had problems with them. i've had about four root canals since getting rsd and ended up getting the teeth pulled anyway because i still had pain and infections in those teeth even after the root canals were done. the problem i have now is that my oral surgeon won't pull anymore of my teeth if i have issues with them. she referred me to a facial pain specialist instead. they are not going to help my oral pain from rsd or infections. i tried telling her that's not going to help either and that pulling my teeth is the only way the pain stops but she won't listen and has told my dentist not to pull my teeth if i ask them either. (she spoke to them without my consent and then i read the hippa practice that apparently say that's ok for them to do that now. i really have issues with that too but have to deal with my teeth first.) i feel like they think i am imagining the pain and that i am crazy which is not true. they just don't get rsd at all and think that pulling my teeth causes spread of the pain and infections but that is not the case. the root canals and infections i keep getting in my gums are from rsd weakening my immune system and that is what is causing the pain and spread. i am going to see another oral surgeon who maybe can pull this tooth instead of getting the root canal. even with gas and alot of novacaine i still feel pain with a root canal alone with more infections and it is just a torturous procedure to go through with rsd. hopefully they can help me. my mouth is really hurting tonight again and the antibiotics don't seem to be helping much. my only problem is what do i do when i have no teeth left to eat with? i can't get implants because that can cause rsd spread too. not to mention it is a very expensive and time consuming procedure. i was thinking of maybe getting partials in the back of my mouth but i need to find a dentist or oral surgeon who can help me with this. it's so frustrating and having dental pain is horrible. it is making my rsd flare up really bad. i wish my oral surgeon would listen to me and help me ease my pain. i am just so tired of trying to convince some of my drs that my rsd pain is real and that i need help that may be different then what a healthy person may need. thanks again for mentioning root canals. take care and sleep well my friends and thanks for listening to me rant.
p.s. i just saw your post Caroline and wanted to thank you too for your advice. i appreciate all of your suggestions and may try them all if i can't find a dentist or oral surgeon who can help me stop this pain.

Definitely find another dentist. You should never feel forced into getting any particular treatment...they cannot just let you go with an ongoing infection and pain...that is ridiculous. I started with my current dentist a couple years ago and I made it very clear from day one that due to my RSD that root canals were off the table and they have never pressured me about it. They do sedation dentistry so when I needed 4 teeth pulled they just knocked me out and did it all at once...so much better for me and no stress. I have two bridges that cover a total of 7 teeth. It was expensive...but they did a payment plan for me with no interest and it was worth every penny.