Mysterious oral/facial pain

Posted , 5 users are following.

I have been experiencing off-and-on minor pain for the last two years following some dental work.  Please be patient as I don't remember time spans for everything - given the time length.  I'm going to try and be pretty thorough, so sorry for the long read.

I had three fillings done at once (12,13,15), and shortly after I had an increase to sensitivity to cold beverages and bite sensitivity.  I talked to the dentist who performed the fillings (not my normal dentist) and some problems with overhangs (my floss kept breaking) and the sensitivity.  We agreed to wait for a few more weeks(?) to see if the sensitivity subsides.  The dentist corrected some overhangs.  A few weeks later, I had another filling and done by my normal dentist and talked to him about the sensitivity.  He looked at some x-rays and checked my bite, and saw nothing out of normal.

Sometime between several visits to my dentist over the next couple months from my first set of fillings, I started to experience "tingling" on my tongue and some irritation on the left of my top palate.  Sometimes, I'll feel a "clamping" like pressure on my tongue.  The palate irritation will normally be a precursor to a constant, dull pressure on my top palate near the back left and sometimes the slowly migrate to the right.  Sometimes, it'll slowly taper off in discomfort from the left and sometimes, the entire back half of my palate is "aches".  Sometimes, I would also get facial pressure among my cheekbone, forehead, and orbital area, but mostly only on the left.  I do not know if I aggravate the palate pain through clenching due to the anxiety of the irritation and frustration.  However, I do know that even when I make a concerted effort not to clench, I still have orofacial pain.  I haven't experienced any pain directly from my teeth during these episodes.  Each episode may last as little as a week to as much as one month or longer.  The downtime can last up to months or as little as a few hours.

I've seen two dentists, two periodontists, and one endodontist about this, and had the following prescriptions, tests and appliances (mostly in order) 

   X-rays

   Percussion tapping

   Bite check for fractured crown

   Medrol (or maybe some other anti-inflammatory)

   Thin mouth guard

   Peridex

   Prednisone

   Nystatin 

   Strict diet for Burning Mouth Syndrome (2 weeks?)

   More/Stronger Prednisone

   Longer strict diet for BMS (1 month?)

   Valtrex

   More Xrays

   CT Scan

   Cold Test

   

I understand that see you have no pictures of my current health that you can not determine the problem.  I'm just trying to solicit whom I should go to next: a neurologist?  I'm tempted to talk to the last periodontist to see if the anti-viral works again.

Notes:

   I do not have pain from minor touch to the face and scalp.

   I have not had any swelling, blisters or foul taste.

   My teeth still have cold sensitivity, but that pain dissipates quickly (less than several seconds)

   The pain does not keep me up at night nor interrupts my sleep.

   I do have neurofibromatosis.

   Pain does not appear to respond to ibuprofen.

   At its worst, the pressure pain is probably similar to a headache.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Posted

    Hello painandnogain

    It sounds like your neurofibromatosis might be causing you the problem. It's all to do with the nerves in in our mouths have the time. Unless it is to do with the bone in the jaw. I suppose you could see a Neuro surgeon for a second opinion..

    Have you seen a maxil dentist surgeon ?

    Not sure if you have or not. That's quite a list!

    But it doesn't help having your nerve condition, and Also having to have so much dental treatment in your mouth. I'm the same since I've had a crown done and I'm wearing a top night guard too. I still get achey irritations like I did yesterday in my top left cheek. As we get older our teeth change so much not to mention the discolouration and receeding gums!

    Not good. Unless one has so much money to have a cosmetic job done on their teeth!

    And dentist told me that weakens the enamel anyway. You can't win.🙁

    But don't suffer have you even been to your GP? Maybe they can refer you somewhere else too? Just a thought.

    Anyway all the best liz😀

  • Posted

    You say you had fillings on 3 teeth prior to your tmj issues. Those 3 fillings may be the culprit.

    The fact that your fillings were shaved down doesn't complete the picture. But the TIMING at which the teeth touch Down may also be relevant.

    Have you looked into Disclusion Time Reduction?

    This method measures precisely the timing at which your teeth touch together.

    Do your own research with this by searching YouTube videos of DTR Disclusion time reduction. You were not meant to live in discomfort.

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