Problem with pressure/numbness in front teeth....help ?

[SC1991]

A few months ago i noticed a pressure in my front teeth top and bottom, it felt like my teeth were being forced together/back and when i pressed my tongue against them or flossed it would alleviate the pressure for a moment but it would return. This feeling went away after a few days so i thought nothing of it and put it down to a sinus problem as i was having sinus trouble at the time and had read online that it could cause pressure in the teeth and so i didn't mention it at my last dental appointment. This same feeling has now come back again and its driving me mad. The teeth feel under constant pressure and i have to press my tongue against them for relief if i do not do this then the teeth start to feel numb. I would not consider this to be a pain as such however one of the top front teeth has begun to hurt when biting down.

I have recently come back to the dentist after not going for around 7-8 years due to anxiety. The dentist did not pick up on anything in my front teeth during my last exam (not 100% sure if they were seen in an x-ray i know i had an x-ray taken either side but i'm not sure whether that would pick up the front teeth or not) i do need a couple of fillings in the back teeth and a 40 minute session with the hygienist. Im going to try a schedule in another appointment asap even though i'm due back in 1 week to start with the fillings i need.

Another strange symptom is that the teeth usually feel fine after i wake up and the problem does not come up until later in the day. Which makes me wonder if i'm worrying about it to much and subconsciously pushing my tongue against my teeth and then feeling pressure after i have agitated them and they feel like they're pushing back.

Any help as to what this could be would be great as would like a heads up before going to the dentist due to my anxiety about the whole thing. The dentist did not say things were too bad considering how long i went without going and i'm really trying to make positive changes to my oral health. Im brushing minimum twice a day, flossing more and have cut out fizzy drinks and foods with lots of sugar out of my diet. Just hoping its not too late as i can afford implants nor do i think i could cope with the procedure and don't want to have to wear a denture as i'm not very old.

Thanks

 

[MattKW]

I have since been diagnosed with a form of trigeminal nerulgia. Neurologist says that is why my teeth are hurting me. Numbness and stinging in the front top four mainly and tightness in the bottom front 6 or 7 teeth. Says that is why my bite feels like it is changing due to different teeth hurting. The dentist says there is absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth so I am going with this diagnosis. He has me on a anticouvultant medicine and scheduled for a MRI of my head and spine. I feel better that at least I know what's wrong. I went a year and a half with no answers. I think I actually feel a little better.

I'm glad you feel better, but you don't have the symptoms of typical or atypical trigeminal neuralgia. It doesn't affect anterior teeth in the manner you describe. But by all means, go ahead with further investigations, just be wary of side effects associated with anticonvulsant and neuropathic medications. Sometimes they seem to be handed out as a cure-all when the diagnosis is incomplete.

 

[Robert Bailey]

I have since been diagnosed with a form of trigeminal nerulgia. Neurologist says that is why my teeth are hurting me. Numbness and stinging in the front top four mainly and tightness in the bottom front 6 or 7 teeth. Says that is why my bite feels like it is changing due to different teeth hurting. The dentist says there is absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth so I am going with this diagnosis. He has me on a anticouvultant medicine and scheduled for a MRI of my head and spine. I feel better that at least I know what's wrong. I went a year and a half with no answers. I think I actually feel a little better.

This is the first enlightening news I have heard. I intend to get an MRI now too. I looked it up, not too thrilled with the possibility of a tumor or MS. Did your doctor mention those possibilities?

 

[Busybee]

Chronic dental pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia would be a highly unlikely first symptom of MS. In the absence of other MS symptoms or a diagnosis I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Robert Bailey]

Chronic dental pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia would be a highly unlikely first symptom of MS. In the absence of other MS symptoms or a diagnosis I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks that is a relief

 

[lolzita]

I am going on 1 year. I am still in the same exact situation unfortunately.

What I thought was pressure is in fact hypersensitivity to touch just like a bruise. Clenching at night indeed doesn't help. Mouth guard doesn't help at all in my case. I did an MRI and Xrays but they can't find anything.

The sensation is driving me crazy and destroying my life causing depression. I've seen so many specialists, spent thousands on doctors and meds. I'm about to give up at this point.

I'm considering not to eat or sleep for like a week to see if it helps or not

 

[Busybee]

That's awful lolzita. Did you ever have orthodontic treatment?

 

[lolzita]

That's awful lolzita. Did you ever have orthodontic treatment?

I did but like 20 years ago...

I know exactly when all this all started and how. I was stressed and was biting my nails too much. Also excessive flossing started building up the whole thing. I stopped since. It caused trauma, to me either in the nerves or ligaments. I know it sounds crazy

 

[Busybee]

Have you ever had canker sores? I am just asking because there is a condition called post-herpetic neuralgia which can hit the trigeminal nerve. Wild guess but the shingles virus can cause chronic pain that mimics dental pain. I reckon it's pretty rare but if you have been under immense stress it could have activated the latent chicken pox virus and maybe it's hit that nerve rather than your abdomen.

 

[Y2K_o__o]

If many of us are having the same problem, can we actually start a group and apporach dental research group or univeristy to help us to diagnoise?

 

[Busybee]

It would certainly be a good idea because many patients are told that such unexplained pain is all in their head, even though the psychological condition referred in research to is extremely rare. Patients are told they have a "sensitive bite" which is in fact a very rare condition. 99.9% of dental pain and discomfort has a physical cause.

 

[Y2K_o__o]

I did but like 20 years ago...

I know exactly when all this all started and how. I was stressed and was biting my nails too much. Also excessive flossing started building up the whole thing. I stopped since. It caused trauma, to me either in the nerves or ligaments. I know it sounds crazy

Zita,

do you constantly overbite yourself ? i.e your lower teeth hit the upper front teeth?

I noticed I overbite 2-3 weeks and ever since the pain came......

 

[lolzita]

It would certainly be a good idea because many patients are told that such unexplained pain is all in their head, even though the psychological condition referred in research to is extremely rare. Patients are told they have a "sensitive bite" which is in fact a very rare condition. 99.9% of dental pain and discomfort has a physical cause.

I agree 100%, one doctor diagnosed me with Allodynia but I don't believe that. It feels 100% physical

Zita,

do you constantly overbite yourself ? i.e your lower teeth hit the upper front teeth?

I noticed I overbite 2-3 weeks and ever since the pain came......

I do have a crossbite and slight underbite that was corrected with orthodontics years ago, but my front teeth don't touch. However, I noticed that clenching with my back teeth causes the front teeth to flare up. Biting on my mouth guard with my molars also causes the front teeth to flare up in the morning.

I never had this issue before but my guess is the initial trauma + bad bite + night clenching is preventing the thing to go away

 

[Busybee]

I agree 100%, one doctor diagnosed me with Allodynia but I don't believe that. It feels 100% physical

Allodynia has a physical cause. I really do think it would make sense for dentists to qualify as doctors and then specialise. I know they study anatomy, but having a full medical degree would be helfpful.

 

[Robert Bailey]

I am going on 1 year. I am still in the same exact situation unfortunately.

What I thought was pressure is in fact hypersensitivity to touch just like a bruise. Clenching at night indeed doesn't help. Mouth guard doesn't help at all in my case. I did an MRI and Xrays but they can't find anything.

The sensation is driving me crazy and destroying my life causing depression. I've seen so many specialists, spent thousands on doctors and meds. I'm about to give up at this point.

I'm considering not to eat or sleep for like a week to see if it helps or not

Stay strong, We appear to be in this together. One of us will find a cure

 

[Y2K_o__o]

I have since been diagnosed with a form of trigeminal nerulgia. Neurologist says that is why my teeth are hurting me. Numbness and stinging in the front top four mainly and tightness in the bottom front 6 or 7 teeth. Says that is why my bite feels like it is changing due to different teeth hurting. The dentist says there is absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth so I am going with this diagnosis. He has me on a anticouvultant medicine and scheduled for a MRI of my head and spine. I feel better that at least I know what's wrong. I went a year and a half with no answers. I think I actually feel a little better.

Update for me:
- currently on my 7th week of pain.. actually pain level went down after my 5th week if I don't overbite myself too much but it is very diffcult to do due to my worn posterior teeth are so low.
- went to for a CT scan around the teeth area yesterday and the doctor says everything look.... i don't know if CT scan can see any abscess or inflammation
- doctor has suggested to take Advil Gel cap lbuprofen 400mg (3 times a day) for a week first. (currently on my 2nd day of 400mg lbuprofen, pain level actually went down) but I am not sure if the inflammation went down or the pain killer is numbing my nerve

Will keep you all posted once I stop taking 400mg lbuprofen and see if the pain persist

 

[lolzita]

Has anyone here considered this may be TMS related?

http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/An_Introduction_to_Tension_Myositis_Syndrome_(TMS)
You should consider it, if no one can find anything wrong physically

 

[Busybee]

Lolzita, the condition you posted may exist but is extremely rare. it's the sort of cop-out dentists use when they don't want to admit they don't understand why a patient is in pain.

I've had this sort of nonsense pushed in my own direction by a dentist who didn't even bother examining me. I am no longer in pain because lo and behold the pain was in fact caused by problems my teeth. It's very convenient for any medical professional to use psychological conditions as a reason for unexplained pain, but it's extremely unlikely that's a cause. Dental patients are vulnerable enough. They don't need to be made to feel the problem is all in their head.

If I hadn't gone through this myself I wouldn't have believed that dentists could sink so low. Fact is that dental diagnostic methods are crude and lack sufficient sensitivity to get to the bottom of anything but the most obvious causes of pain. I will be convinced when medical research proves that dental caries don't exist but are in our imagination - ie. that eating sweets is caused by stress and therefore decay is purely psychological! Because that's exactly the same thing.

 

[lolzita]

Busybee I’m not going to debate here the reality of mindbody disorders.

We are not talking about cavities/infection type pain but atypical odontalgia characterized by tingling, numbness and burning. If teeth look healthy and MRI/Xrays are clear there’s so much a dentist can do.

It’s not at all an “all in your head” type pain. The pain and symptoms are real. The source of the pain however isn’t physical.

All I can is that I read the Mindbody Prescription and have been making a spectacular recovery from 10 months of debilitating front teeth allodynia and other unexplained oral/facial pain. I think it’s more common than you’d expect especially with the fear of dental issues. Anyways what do people have to lose and try for a few weeks?

 

[Busybee]

Lolzita it really is very uncommon and if that is what it is then it's highly likely to be transient rather than chronic. Psychosomatic pain is very real to the sufferer, but focusing on that just because a cause isn't identified tends to pass the buck from dentist to psychiatrist. Tingling, numbness and burning can be down to a myriad of other physical factors. But if a patient has recently had a lot of dental treatment then it's 99% likely to be linked to that. Usually related to misaligned bite which can be impossible for a dentist to diagnose with articulating paper. Misaligned bite following dental work can affect the whole body. There isn't enough research in this area, but it's really difficult to form a solid body of research with so many variables. Everyone has a different bite and different musculo skeletal composition.

Yes it's good for people to explore this avenue but it's a bit like homeopathy. You can try it and see if it works for you but it's not a helpful way forward for most people with orofacial pain. The main cause of such pain is dental in origin. Dentists are not always able to help and that's why it should be made clear to patients that any dental procedure can lead to complications. So any unnecessary work should be avoided.

 

[Robert Bailey]

Update for me:
- currently on my 7th week of pain.. actually pain level went down after my 5th week if I don't overbite myself too much but it is very diffcult to do due to my worn posterior teeth are so low.
- went to for a CT scan around the teeth area yesterday and the doctor says everything look.... i don't know if CT scan can see any abscess or inflammation
- doctor has suggested to take Advil Gel cap lbuprofen 400mg (3 times a day) for a week first. (currently on my 2nd day of 400mg lbuprofen, pain level actually went down) but I am not sure if the inflammation went down or the pain killer is numbing my nerve

Will keep you all posted once I stop taking 400mg lbuprofen and see if the pain persist

Any update on your condition? My teeth are still numb