Tooth and Jaw pain

Oh, Baseball - I'm really sorry to hear you're having to have a tooth extracted. ****** teeth! - I'm in my 60s and was told by my dental hygienist that my many years of 'healthy eating' of a diet containing fruit has thinned my enamel due to the acid content of the fruit...you just can't win!

About 17 years ago I lost a tooth due to wanting to do what I thought was best for my health...I decided to go to a so called 'alternative' dentist who was fully qualified but was into using less chemicals as I thought this might be better for my longed for recovery from Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia (this was before I knew about TMS). The tooth in question had become sensitive and I suspected that it might have a crack in it, but no cracking had shown up on an X-ray that a previous dentist had taken. There was, however, actually a crack in said tooth and via that crack, bacteria got in and was brewing an infection, but my new 'alternative' dentist was loathe to prescribe me antibiotics in case it wasn't necessary. Unfortunately, just as you're experiencing, the infection suddenly took hold with a vengeance and I had to have the tooth extracted. It's like with your story - you think you're doing good for yourself and it turns out to be bad!

I have to say I think that it would be hard for you to damage your teeth with the kind of toothbrush that I put the link to in my posting above. The brush head has loads more 'bristles' than an ordinary manual toothbrush, but those 'bristles' are far from bristly - they're made out of a far softer material.

I looked into Hydrogen Peroxide for tooth whitening to remove some staining on my teeth a little while back. Apparently, there are conflicting studies on the subject of whether it damages teeth. If you were to decide to use HP, some studies suggest that it's better to use a low % of it for a short amount of time and repeat at well spaced intervals as necessary to achieve the desired result, rather than using a higher % all in one go and/or leaving your teeth in contact with HP for a longer amount of time. I read that HP is indeed good for infections but I guess you would have to be careful about what concentration you use and how often you use it for treating gum, mouth and throat infections with respect of not damaging your teeth. Nothing's ever simple, is it?!

Good luck for tomorrow. You must be feeling pretty rough atm - I hope you'll feel better soon. (I remember with my infected tooth, I felt so much better within 24 hours of the extraction.)

 

Ooops. I have done this too.

I am missing a few, thus the implants I have scheduled. This might fall into the "nocebo" category, but when I moved to the states from Europe when I was young they were like "Oh..you're gonna have problems later with your molars". Apparently the 'good idea' in those days was when kids had a cavity to take out a LOT of tooth and 'strengthen' it with filling stuff. They thought that was good for our health.

The last one that I lost literally just 'died' in my mouth. In fact, the surgeon was shocked that I hadn't been in a lot of pain as the nerve had died....like a tree in place. It might be the only case since I have read Sarno where I have 'toughened up' too much, as I tend to disregard any discomfort. HIM- "Had your teeth been sensitive?". Me-" I can't really recall. I don't pay attention to THOSE feelings very much" (LOL)

I did look up Louise Hay's take on "Teeth" and "Jaws". Anger... wanting revenge. When I noticed this most recent tooth, I was definitely THERE over some bad sportsmanship in a ball game. Coincidence??

I know that teeth are generally associated with aging and fear of mortality....thus those dreams when all of your teeth fall out. I have been writing about it in the mornings. When some 30 year old strikes me out with a fastball, I can feel my ego going "nooooooo". Awareness of the ego hasn't been complete freedom from it. Yet.

I am just grateful that we live in a time where they can do more than carve you some wooden teeth. It ain't cheap. There goes the money for the truck I wanted. But at least I can still eat chicken....

I was only using it for short periods of time when I first had issues. I don't mind dying ugly.... I just don't want to drag it out too long.

I have become the velveteen rabbit.

peace

 

TMJ pain moves around and usually has nothing to do with dental issues. Good self care can help better differentiate the two, and usually tooth issues that need extraction like an infection can be spotted by an honest dentist. They're pretty helpful with explaining tips for dental hygiene. TMS isn't a substitute for routine checkups and good habits.

 

Thank you for the recommendation I use an "extra soft" toothbrush at the moment which seems fine for my needs

 

There's also special toothpastes for sensitive teeth

 

I didn't know you aren't supposed to use Hydrogen Peroxide? Is that new? I always thought it was a good idea for infections.[/QUOTE]


Yes, I believe hydrogen peroxide IS good for rinsing for an infection. What I did is get paranoid about my mouth infection and subsequently gargle/ swish with the hydrogen peroxide for quite a long time. It's my hypothesis that somehow it caused the sensitivity but to be honest, that may just be tms looking for an external cause type thing.

 

Thank you I have a toothpaste and just got a mouthwash too

 

I’m in the UK and that was, unfortunately, seemingly the policy here too as the fillings of my childhood were pretty enormous and I wasn’t a kid who didn’t brush and floss my teeth.

The other thing they used to do was to extract healthy molars to make space in overcrowded jaws (the dental hospital removed 4 of my healthy pre-molars when I was in my teens) but nowadays they apparently ‘stretch’ the jaws instead (presumably by means of braces or such like) and don’t remove any teeth if they can help it.

That happened to my Dad, except he was eating something very soft when his dead molar just fell out – no sensitivity or pain leading up to it that he could recall and no pain when it fell out or afterwards. He’s pretty tough like you, so I think he has the perfect attitude to not ever suffer with TMS.

It's so hard to tell when teeth and jaw pain are TMS. I know, about 10 years ago, I wasted a lot of time and money trying to find what was causing me some molar sensitivity, when the dentist kept telling me there was nothing he could find that was wrong. It was TMS then because it eventually disappeared.

But despite that, it’s very encouraging to know that you nevertheless don’t have any TMS pain.

That reminds me of a film I greatly enjoyed starring Anne Bancroft (called “84 Charing Cross Road”)…Bancroft’s character is a New Yorker who wants to come to England to visit the workers in a second hand book shop who supplied her with hard-to-get-hold-of antique books to read during the second world war years, but then she has to have some serious dental work done and can’t afford the dentistry and the trip. She does finally make it to England though…so here’s to you eventually getting a new truck, as well as getting some nice, new implant gnashers!

 

I also had lots of sensitivity from gargling with Hydrogen peroxide. Please be careful of using a solution that is too strong. Have you tried warm salt water?