Dentures are starting to look good ...

[Pixelated]

I've got two problematic teeth, and one has decided to escalate the situation. Just touching the tooth now brings on twinges.

Last time I had similar symptoms, the solution turned out to be a root canal.

Going in Monday to find out what's what.

[Teefies2]

Sorry for your pain

I recently had an issue where I thought it was 2 teeth (next to each other) that were going to be needing root canals or worse. I finally went to the dentist after 3 nights of unbearable pain to the point where I was straight out putting ice cubes on those teeth and the gum to numb the pain. Dentist took Xrays, and it turned out I had fractured one tooth (how? I don't know) laterally, so that the fracture was causing the fractured tooth to "lean into" the 2nd tooth. He showed me how to push the fractured tooth away from the other tooth and voila! the pain went away. Still nothing I can do for it, other than pull it, but at least it doesn't hurt anymore.

I guess what I'm saying is that it might not be as bad as you think. Hopefully root canal won't be required ... I don't know your age or your situation, but for me, at my age, these teeth have had a "good life" and if it gets that unbearable again, I'll have it pulled rather than go through another root canal. That is worse pain than having my kids (which I did without drugs BTW)!!! Also keep in mind that your dentist makes more money with a root canal than an extraction so factor that into your decision.

[Pixelated]

I did get to my dentist, Teefies2, and the odd thing was, the tooth that was bothering me the most showed ... nothing. Not in a surface exam and not even on the X-ray. The dentist warned me that if an infection is starting, it might take a while before anything is actually visible (via exam or X-ray). It was at its absolute worst last Friday; I wasn't sure how I'd get through the weekend.

Then I woke up Saturday ... and the deep ache was almost gone. Sunday, even more almost gone. By Monday it was hard to believe there was a problem at all, hence the dentist's diagnosis.

So instead today I went in to fix up the other tooth, whose problem was all too obvious: a large chunk of the actual tooth had, quite some time ago, cracked and then slid gently into oblivion -- think of an iceberg calving . So that one's taken care of. Now we just wait and see how the other one does.

[Food Lady]

I've had that! Just a couple of months ago lots of discomfort and irritation and they found nothing at all. They x-rayed it and everything. I really think my neck was affecting those nerves in there.

[Pixelated]

Hmmm ... neck problems ... that never occurred to me .... Last time I had neck problems was many years ago and visits to physio fixed it. Wouldn't it be something if it was sneaking back ...

[Blue Ginger]

If you think it might be an infection next time, do a warm salt water swish and swirl a few times a day. It won't help with the pain, but it may just get you through the time before you get into your dentist. And potentially shorten the time on antibiotics.

My baby teeth were chalky teeth. They were weak and brittle. Only two baby molars actually fell out, the rest had to be pulled after being nursed with fillings until the adult ones started growing. One of them split length ways and was only held in place by a filling. This had to stay for a few weeks because we needed the massive infection to heal before pulling it and the next one out. The one behind it turned out to be hollow with only an outer shell. 2 loads of antibiotics later, it finally cleared. The dentist didn't want to wait any longer and said he wouldn't have waited at all if he knew the other tooth was hollow.

Thank fuck my adult teeth aren't chalky too. Most of mum's siblings have false teeth because their adult teeth were chalky as well. Only 2 fillings now, one in a tooth and one between 2 teeth where a crack formed due to pressure from wisdom teeth trying to come through sideways.

[Food Lady]

Hmmm ... neck problems ... that never occurred to me .... Last time I had neck problems was many years ago and visits to physio fixed it. Wouldn't it be something if it was sneaking back ...

Can you get an x-ray? If there's good reason for it insurance will cover, at least in my experience. Things change over time so whenever I have gone into the ER they have asked me when was the last time I had one done and if it's been a while they do it so they have a baseline. I can do traction and whatnot but the bones don't really move to where they're supposed to be so the discs will continue to degenerate. Well, I hope I can keep them fairly stable for most of my life but they won't get better. I have all kinds of things like hurty teeth, feeling like there's a hair on my face, cervicogenic headaches, pins and needles sensations in my hands (partially due to carpal tunnel but sometimes related to my neck), etc.

[Pixelated]

Thing is, I am having NO neck problems at the moment, so I'm not sure about an X-ray. Also (any male readers who wish to do so can look away at this point) I just went in today for my annual mammogram. I'm done with medical machinery that buzzes and beeps for quite some time to come.