To ask about TMJD tooth pain

[bumblenbean]

Sorry I know it’s not really an AIBU but posting for traffic as am desperate! Input from any dentists around would be much appreciated or others’ experiences of similar!

Started having dull intermittent toothache on the top right side a week or so ago. Hard to identify which tooth as it’s quite a deep/ generalised ache. The top wisdom tooth on that side has been impacted for years and the tooth in front also has a big root canal in, so thought it might be that.

The pain then started migrating around - so i now have it top left as well, and sometimes on bottom teeth too.🙄 I know pain can be referred but not usually from side to side surely! It seems to be getting more frequent / intense and is now there most of the time, mostly top back right or left .

Still worst on the top right but as I say various other teeth also hurt sometimes- it’s completely random.

It’s a dull ache rather than sharp or shooting. No tooth is painful to the touch or sensitive to hot and cold. No sinus pain or anything and no obvious triggers.

Managed to get a dentist appointment on Thursday and she took X-ray of top right side - said no obvious issues eg abscess or cavity- and said most likely it is jaw pain / TMJD. She advised doing jaw exercises, warm compresses and taking ibuprofen. Am doing all this but no improvement.

I’m just not convinced it’s TMJD. No other symptoms other than tooth pain, aside from a minor click on right side which I’ve had forever. It doesn’t feel like it’s coming from the jaw joint though appreciate it could be. I don’t think I grind my teeth at night but admittedly I’m pretty stressed / anxious so could be clenching etc unconsciously.

Any dentists with thoughts what else this could be or if it is indeed likely to be TMJ related? Anyone had similar / resolved it?

Am feeling pretty miserable and it’s compounded by not knowing what’s causing it or how to improve it. Am having images of having this forever (melodramatic, me?!) and am starting to wonder if I’m going mad 😬

TIA for any help!

Well I have one tooth that has become hideously over sensitive and my jaw is so tense it feels like it has been punched. I am coming out of covid and am now on antibiotics.

@bumblenbean what helped

I have TMJ and clicking. They are not related issues. TMJ can cause dull tooth pain. I experience it randomly and every time my dentist (God bless him) does x-ray and full examination. Once he even referred me to the Sheffield dental hospital. It's just TMJ. I've had this on off for 20 years now. I have a Michigan splint and Botox injections for pain. You can have a surgery if it's completely debilitating but the success rate is not high. My dentists advised me against it. Hope this helps. Good luck 🤞 My third dentist has now created another mouth guard for me to reduce clicking. Lucky me 😂

@bumblenbean I know it's an older post but just wondering how long this lasted for you .? I might be going through something similar . Seems like it will never improve . Did you take anti inflammatories for a while to fix it ?

@mummy23121 did yours go away

@BigButtons you better now

@Deedoono it didn’t go away, I’m scheduled to get impacted wisdom tooth taken to see if that helps, do you have wisdom teeth, mite that be the issue?

@mummy23121 yes it made it worse removing them

@Thefrenchconnection1 did you get headaches with it too and jaw ache

@mummy23121 have you tried a night guard and where do you get your pain

@mummy23121 dud it help

Just to add to this old thread, mine turned out to be an infected wisdom tooth, which I've since had removed and no more pain.

@BusterGonad whixh one was it Lower back molar

Yes, right lower back wisdom, growing on an angle, half erupted, the bit under the gum was rotten and infected. Caused pain on and off for a few years until it was obvious. I can't believe how the pain can affect my face and not the tooth for so long.

@BusterGonad insane right Did they see it in X-ray

Yes, at this point I could see black between the 2 teeth, but still the pain wasn't really localised to the tooth. I am amazed at how long I thought it was ear ache (I'm prone to ear infections), I used a hot water bottle and would rest my ear on it in bed, and then when the pain got worse I honestly thought It was TMJ. To think it was the tooth all along.

I went to the dentist and there was a big black ball of puss. I put it off for a few weeks as I was traveling, that was a big mistake because at that point it was aching like traditional tooth ache and food would lodge in it, sending huge waves of pain through my body. I took antibiotics for a bit and when it eventually came out it was quick and easy, and didn't smell to good!

What surprised me was that it would ache for a few days then dissappear for a few months, then come back, this happened over a year or so. I thought it would be a constant ache until removed.

@BusterGonad how Long did you have it before you went Dentist was it months or years

It was on and off for maybe 2 years. Like I say, it did feel very much like an ear infection, I think I maybe took antibiotics a few times, then it'll go silent for a few months. I eventually knew it was the tooth as the pain became more localised and I could visually see the black hole. But the pain radiated to the upper jaw and the neck and ear. It wasn't like usual tooth ache at all, and at the end when it was very rotten (last few weeks) it was obviously the tooth infection due to food getting stuck causing pain when eating, and strong pain in the actual tooth area.

@BusterGonad i had an opgx last week and the max facial said nothing even 2 years ago they said nothing which annoyed me

@BusterGonad bloody teeth glad you had it out ! Did you take amoxicillin

Yes amoxicillin. It's all fine now, and actually getting it removed was so much less painful than I expected. It smelt a bit grim so the infection was a bit bad.

Mine wasn't picked up in a previous visit, but it must have been rotten at that point as I remember thinking the pain couldn't be teeth pain and was obviously ear pain, so it backed up my ear infection theory.