Tothache

After a year, I’m having severe tooth pain again.

A piece of my tooth broke off almost weeks ago, so I had to make a dentist appointment. I’ve always been afraid of going to the dentist because the pain afterward was usually so bad.



Three days later, I suddenly got tooth pain during the night—but not in the broken tooth, rather in other teeth. Shortly after that, I went to the dentist because I already had the appointment to fix the broken tooth.



Well, as expected, I now have quite strong pain again in different teeth. Even the tooth that was repaired is not calm yet—it hurts when I eat, when there’s pressure, and with hot and cold. The dentist drilled very close to the nerve, and it may take time to get better.



It’s now been 12 days. It has improved a little, but the pain is still there. Since then, many of my teeth hurt again, both upper and lower. Sometimes there’s a sharp stabbing pain in the nerves.



Unfortunately, I still have several treatments ahead of me, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to get through them if my nervous system is already reacting like this again. I’m so afraid of the pain that even radiates to my ear.



I know it went away before, but I don’t know how—it just disappeared, and I only had mild pain occasionally after that.



But what can I do now? I don’t want this pain, and I can’t go through more dental treatments if everything flares up like this.

 

Tooth pain sucks, facial pain sucks, I’ve been there, at times I’m still there, it’s life altering.

it sounds like a mix of true physical pain and TMS and now they’re both feeding off each other.

the unfortunate reality is, is that there isn’t much that anyone on this forum can do. You’re already TMS aware, you’ve been through this before. It’s a question of whether you are able to take the steps to mitigate the fear and detach from the pain, which I know is tough we use our face for everything. When it hurts to eat or drink something it’s so frustrating. At least for me there’s an element of regret and resentment regarding my teeth, why didn’t I take better care of them, why didnt my parents stay more on top of me when I was a kid and help enforce better habits etc, but they didn’t know what they didn’t know.

Even if these are true physical issues this degree of panic and fear is not helping, and is just going to turn true physical acute pain into chronic pain. You need to figure out ways to lessen the fear. I don’t know the extent of what your life looks like or what your thought processes are, but you need to take an honest look at how you’re living. Maybe a different dentist is wise, maybe anesthesia during the procedures or meds beforehand will lessen the pain and anxiety spiral during the procedures/visits.

this isn’t a simple fix, this fear and dysfunction sounds like it goes back quite a ways.

I wish you the best, I truly understand the difficulty of what you’re going though.

 

Thank you very much for your reply. I actually know that it is TMS, because the pain is always in different places, and so many teeth can’t all be damaged. However, I have a great fear of the pain—that it will keep getting worse and that I won’t be able to get rid of it. It sounds crazy, I know, but I can’t regulate my fear or look at the pain with curiosity.


And I’m not afraid of the dental treatment itself—my pain always starts afterward. Unfortunately, it’s really difficult.

 

Yep it is difficult. You’re going to really have to sit with yourself and question whether you’re willing to make the mental shifts necessary to address this. I understand the allure of the fear and panic and projecting that into some doomed future. But it’s going to be a self fulfilled prophecy. You’re going to be the thing that keeps the pain going.

 

don’t know what I should do. Should I lose the fear, ignore the pain, or look at it with curiosity?

How are you today? Have you gotten rid of the pain?

 

ignoring doesn’t work and that shouldn’t be your goal. Lessening fear is what you should aim for.

no I’m not pain free, but I’m infinitely better than I was a year ago. Like you I obsess too much about the physical so I’m not even giving my body a real fair shake at recovery. And I’ve still seen progress of my facial pain despite that obsession.

 

I’m very glad that you’re feeling better.

What exactly helped you with that? Not being afraid of the pain anymore? Or looking at it with curiosity?

It’s so hard.

I think it’s worse for me than it was back then. Back then I didn’t have constant pain, but now it’s like a persistent pain that’s always there—sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker.

 

The Structured Educational Program will guide you through the steps of working towards exploring and breaking your fears. It is full of helpful exercises.