Hello,
I've had a dental bridge on my lower left side (one adult molar never grew in and then one of abutment teeth cracked) for just over 7 years now. Lately (really for the last year) on and off, I've been having pain that feels like it's coming from under the bridge.
I went to the dentist last week, and they said the bridge looks fine and isn't loose (he even grabbed it with a tool to see if it would come off). The x-rays didn't reveal any issues, but they couldn't see all of the teeth due to the metal inside the bridge. I really just feel like the pain is coming from the bridge. Is it worth it to ask for the bridge to be removed to see if the abutment teeth are healthy or have decayed under there?
Or does anyone have any other suggestions? It's not a constant pain, but it is nearly every day now.
I've also had jaw, ear, eye, neck, and chest pain on the left side as well, which has led me to wonder about TMJ also. My doctor suggested maybe I had TMJ dysfunction. The dentist said there was no evidence of grinding or clenching, and he wasn't sure about TMJ, but said it was possible. Is it worth going to a TMJ specialist?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I've had a dental bridge on my lower left side (one adult molar never grew in and then one of abutment teeth cracked) for just over 7 years now. Lately (really for the last year) on and off, I've been having pain that feels like it's coming from under the bridge.
I went to the dentist last week, and they said the bridge looks fine and isn't loose (he even grabbed it with a tool to see if it would come off). The x-rays didn't reveal any issues, but they couldn't see all of the teeth due to the metal inside the bridge. I really just feel like the pain is coming from the bridge. Is it worth it to ask for the bridge to be removed to see if the abutment teeth are healthy or have decayed under there?
Or does anyone have any other suggestions? It's not a constant pain, but it is nearly every day now.
I've also had jaw, ear, eye, neck, and chest pain on the left side as well, which has led me to wonder about TMJ also. My doctor suggested maybe I had TMJ dysfunction. The dentist said there was no evidence of grinding or clenching, and he wasn't sure about TMJ, but said it was possible. Is it worth going to a TMJ specialist?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!