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Extracting my two front teeth

Posted , 8 users are following.

r070603
r070603

Hi Everyone. I'm booked for a tooth extraction of my two front teeth on Wednesday. I've had two root canals done on the teeth which I think have gone wrong/ won't settle. I've been to a new dentist and he thinks the root canals were ok but maybe not done to the highest standard. He can't understand any other reason for my pain.

Most days I have a very dull acheing pain in the teeth which is my overriding sympt. Since December I've had three episodes of what I'd call 'shooting pain' in the teeth. The first time it was excruciating, the second was in January and was more moderate but still very painful. The third was last night and again was moderate and was a shooting pain every few minutes for about 2 hours.

I've discussed TN with my gp and she has agreed to send me for tests but she said TN is very rare and unlikely.

My question is do I go ahead with the extraction? I'd say I'm over 90% sure that I don't have TN as from reading up about nerve conditions I think it's something you definitely 'know' you've got and there is no question.

I've read about people with TN having extractions and still suffering the pain and this is very much playing on my mind that I could regret the extraction but then again it might solve all my problems since most of my pain is dull type ache pain and the shooting pains have only happened three times.

I'm not keen on postponing the extraction because my dentist is having a prolonged period of closing where they are refurbishing the practice and they will only complete emergency appointments until after Easter time so this is my chance to get the teeth out. My GP said I shouldn't expect to see the facial specialist for at least 3-4 months due to waiting times.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Tnhurtsme
    Tnhurtsme r070603

    Posted

    What the pain in the teeth feel like mine feels like needles an burning pain in my face teeth pain sucks though i would wait so you dont have missing teeth in the front just saying

  • paula76255
    paula76255 r070603

    Posted

    Hi

    Gosh, that's an awkward position to be in and I can understand why you feel you should go ahead with the procedure due to the practice closing. However....

    I've had TN for 17 years and went years being misdiagnosed. My dentist did root canal treatment even though I have healthy teeth and no problems shown by X-ray. My TN pain ranges from electric shock pain to background pain. Personally I would postpone having teeth removed unless they are the problem. TN isn't as rare as gp's think, they just don't know exactly what to look for. Maybe ask your gp to refer you to a neurologist for an urgent MRI scan and take it from there.

    Good luck!

    Paula x

  • Craftymac
    Craftymac r070603

    Posted

    Hi , 

    I would certainly hold on. I have had all my top teeth out, over a time, due to pain in the jaw area, thinking it was my teeth to blame. Four years later I have none of my own teeth but still I have the pain.

    It is so difficult to know if it's your teeth or not tht is the problem.  Instead of removing your front teeth would you consider going to have acupuncture for the pain in your face.  Ths way, it may save your teeth. 

    I have had TN on and off since 1997.  As I am getting older the pain is getting worse.  I have had acupuncture at the beginning (Medical Acupuncture and not Chinese) and it helped greatly.

     Some days the pain is unbearable I have tried most medications, due to allergies I am unable to have them, my main reasons for going down the path of acupuncture.

    The pain is on the right side, very sharp hot, and similar to electric shocks.  

    If you wish any further information please contact me through this page.

    I hope you can find something to alleviate your pain. 

     

  • Sasha8101
    Sasha8101 r070603

    Posted

    Hi there,

    I can only speak for my own experience but I'd be very careful before having any teeth extracted, particularly front teeth.

    I got really bad tooth ache at the start in a lower molar and underwent x rays and repeated visits to the dentist. I then got referred to an endodontist who did a root canal. I thought hurray, they'll be the end of that, but within hours of the anaesthetic wearing off, I was in even worse pain than before, and ended up begging the endodontist to do a root canal on the molar in front. Again, as the anaesthetic wore off I was back in the same pain as before. Actually the pain was now worse and I couldn't speak or eat. The endo was in his own words 'baffled and speechless' and said that he was worried about taking the teeth out as it might not solve the problem. That's when he referred me to a neurologist who diagnosed me with suspected TN and put me on a low dose of Tegretol.

    I've increased the dose over time and I'm no longer in anything like the pain I was in before. I'm waiting for an MRI.

    I can say that I definitely didn't know it was TN - and neither did my Harley Street endodontist or dentist - so don't take that as a given. I just wish I'd never had the root canals, as the money would have been better spent having a scan done privately and seeing a neurologist privately who was familiar with TN. But I do think, thank heaven, at least I didn't have any teeth extracted.

    Does the tooth pain respond to painkillers like nurofen etc? TN doesn't respond to standard painkillers, only drugs like Tegretol etc.

    I know it's hard to think clearly when you're in pain but I'd be looking for second opinions from those familiar with TN, before I went ahead with teeth extraction. Like I say, I could have saved myself two unnecessary root canals if only I had known.

  • wavedancer
    wavedancer r070603

    Posted

    Hi, this reply may well be too late, but I'd be tempted to say don't do it. I ended

    up having 4 teeth needlessly removed because of not being diagnosed with

    TGN. Even after the extractions the pain was still there, as bad as ever. Get

    your GPS to refer you to a neurologist who deals with TGN. Not all neurologists

    do. It is rare, but I think forums such as this show you just how many people

    are/have suffered with it so there is a lot more knowledge about it now than

    there used to be. Let us k ow how you get on.

  • Welsh_girl
    Welsh_girl r070603

    Posted

    I would hold on with teeth removal it sounds like TN to me! Some dentist don't know enough about it luckily mine did and I asked could hold off any dental work until I sorted out the TN!

    The thing is it can so feel like it's in your teeth I was convinced keep going back to my dentist to double check! Now I am completely pain free and my teeth are fine? Can't your dentist do X rays to check you have no abesses? etc?

    I also found that strong painkillers would not get rid of pain and I feel if it was teeth painkillers would work? I have been give a drug called Tegretol and eventually pain went! Good luck!

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