Disgusting pic warning.. but what has happened to my tooth?!

[TheAvidLemonSheep]

Apologies in advance!!
I can’t get an emergency dental appointment until the morning but I am absolutely terrifying myself. I’m getting pain and numbness on my one of my top back teeth, on the left side.

I’ve taken a picture and omg has my tooth cracked?! What on earth is this?! I am absolutely terrified 😭

Some things terrify people
Teeth are my thing. I broke one and had a panic attack over it. I don't know why, just anything to do with teeth
Same as some people panic over operations or broken bones etc
Spinal surgery? Fine. Broken tooth? Not fine

If the fracture has gone to the root then it is almost impossible to save a tooth. I know this because one of my rear molars cracked last month and 3 different dentists all told me the same thing. I had to have a surgical extraction. I hope OP's tooth can be saved.

Are you as nasty to people in real life or just when you're safely behind a keyboard? Dental phobias are extremely common.

I have a needle phobia and have just had to have a lot of work done on a couple of teeth. I'm an adult and I was terrified. Luckily I have a lovely dentist who was very patient I got through it. Comments like yours just make things worse.

Same here. I had to have the crown replaced about 10 years ago and occasionally it gets sensitive but it's fine apart from that. I've just had a new crown on the tooth below it and may need root canal treatment on that in the future and the only reason I'd be hesitant is dental anaesthetic doesn't work very well on me so I'd probably need to be sedated for it.

I googled to find out what health problems root canals might cause but couldn't find anything that looked reputable.

Yes. I will always tell an adult to get a grip when they need to!

I take it you don't suffer from any fears or phobias otherwise you'd know it's not that simple 🙄. Telling me to 'get a grip' over my fear of needles would make no difference whatsoever.

I take your point (no pun or trigger intended) and I apologise.

I have TMJ, broke several teeth. Just have a filling for most of them. Broke my wisdom 4 times! So that's coming out next week.

Not sure why your scared though?

It will be fine. Best case is a filling. Worst case a crown. It's probably painful because the nerve is exposed. Don't eat on that side, have soft food. Do salt water rinses and take a painkiller. Try not to worry. The bill is the worst part!

Good point!

Honestly nothing to worry about!

Whoever LOLLYGAGGLE is (my guess is....a dentist!!) gave you a right dressing down fgs! 😏 😂

Your teeth look fine (re photo) if you're an adult & have only had one filling! Don't panic, you're gonna be okay!
As OP suggest painkillers tonight, & you'll be seen tomorrow where you'll be told what the problem is & how they can fix it!
Goodluck! x
PS: cracking photo

I could be , there is no way of telling on line , but on that photo not only is there the tooth with a large amount of decay there is decay , which may or may not need filling , in at least one other tooth as well. Two teeth in a small area with decay means a good look is needed at the other teeth as well , but most particularly diet needs looking at .

@Lollygaggle where are you seeing other decay? That white mark? Just interested as I've been examining my own teeth for signs of decay and it can be kind of hard to know what to look for. I know only a dentist and x-ray can tell for sure but I'd like to be prepared :)

Where the lighter bit is arrowed. It may be very early decay that is reversible, it may need filling , only x rays can tell.

@Lollygaggle cheeky piggybacking on here but could I ask a dental question?

Go ahead I will answer if I can.

One of my back teeth cracked and half of it fell out when I was 50- around 5 years ago. Totally out of the blue, I panicked too!
cant remember alot of pain, saw the dentist ( have since left that one, hideous man) he filled with a temp filling then a “normal” one NHS cost, the filling fell out less than a month later!
Since then i’ve left it, my new dentist checks it at every check up, says about a filling/crown-no thanks
Apparently the old style fillings, 70’s 80’s stay ridged(?) and as your teeth get old/move (?) the fillings cause cracks etc.
Obviously if its painful then it needs to be sorted but my tooth is at the back and who’s looking at me anyhow? You disappear when you’re 50! -which is great, lovely quiet life !

My dentist is struggling!

Lower teeth. Wisdom tooth filled, noted close to nerve but no issues prior, tooth next to it fine on x ray, tooth next to that had decay under a v v old filling
Filling redone and decay removed as I had pain somewhere around those 3 teeth

Agonising ear/jaw/tooth pain, doctor suspected ear infection and antibiotics helped

Still have throbbing mild pain somewhere around those three teeth which randomly appears in other teeth too

Dentist says well wisdom tooth is mostly filling, the one next to it looks fine and the other one had the filling replaced!

Massive cavity which has collapsed and one in the tooth behind it too.

Pain from wisdom teeth commonly is referred to other areas and can be confused with ear pain and can feel as if other teeth.

If filling was close to nerve the nerve can die off and start an abcess. The antibiotics would suppress the abcess for a while and then the pain starts up again.

If all else fails you go to dentist when you have the pain and if the pain goes when you are numbed up you know it is tooth related. Then if still can’t tell which tooth it is you chose the most likely candidate first (the wisdom tooth) and see if that helps. If the wisdom tooth is abcessed then it would need to come out.

Thank you
It was bad enough I was about to ring him and ask him to remove all 3 teeth!
But my front teeth keep sort of zinging and pain everywhere really
I sleep in a lower mouthguard every night, and use duraphat at night and sensodyne in the morning
I had the xray thing that goes around your head

@Lollygaggle thanks, that's where I assumed you meant since I read cavities can be either black, white or brown. Hope you can get it sorted quickly OP and come back and update us!

Really!