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Thursday, April 8, 2021

It’s Like Pulling Teeth


My dental appointment is today. My dentist will reevaluate this problem tooth and decide if it should be pulled. I don’t believe there is any other course of action that can be done. While I would prefer to keep all of my natural teeth, with this tooth becoming abscessed at least three separate times, I do not believe it is going to improve. If there is a crack in the tooth like he believes, then it cannot be fixed at this point and will have to be pulled. I dread this ordeal, but I hope it will cause these headaches to either cease or improve considerably.

These non-migraine/different headache pains started when this tooth trouble started back in November. For nearly six months, no treatment has helped. My dentist and my neurologist believe that it is likely this tooth is aggravating my trigeminal nerve and causing all of this pain. All of this began six weeks into my first Botox treatment. The Botox should have lasted twelve weeks, but this tooth became abscessed, and I have been unable to get rid of the pain since then. I hope that once this tooth is gone and the pressure on the trigeminal nerve is relieved, these headaches will go away, and the Botox will continue to be an effective treatment against my migraines.

Have you ever hit your funny bone (the ulnar nerve in your elbow)? If you have, then you know how painful it is, and it is unlike any other pain. Well, there is an equivalent. The headaches I have been experiencing, when at their worst, feel very similar to the pain that comes from hitting your funny bone, except that it doesn’t radiate from my elbow through my arm but radiates throughout the right side of my face, which can last hours or days. These headaches are not always that painful. Sometimes, it just a dull ache or throbbing sensation; those days are my good days. Pain medicine almost never helps, so I am ready for this ordeal to be over and done. 

Just pull the damn tooth. If he does, then I will probably either spend the day on the couch or in my bed watching Star Trek. If I’m still recovering on Friday, I may just laze around and watch the original Star Wars trilogy. I have a feeling this is going to be a sci-fi weekend since that is often what helps soothe me.


UPDATE: Apparently, it’s not “like pulling teeth,” at least not today. My dentist can't pull the tooth because of all the work done on the tooth. The visible part of the tooth is basically filling at this point, and it would likely break off leaving the roots. He said that the roots themselves are very long, and one is even curved, which adds further complications. He basically said that if he pulled the tooth, it would likely be a long, difficult, and painful procedure, but an oral surgeon will have no problem. I have to call this afternoon to get an appointment with an oral surgeon. He said it is unlikely I will get an appointment next week, and it will probably be a few weeks. He is calling in another prescription of doxycycline for me so I will have it on hand if the infection flares up again. He said he did not want me in pain over a weekend and not be able to do anything. Because the tooth wasn't pulled, I am going to work today from home. There is no point in taking a sick day today because I will need it for the oral surgery. I am very disappointed. I wanted this tooth gone today; I am so tired of this pain. However, I understand his reasoning. He showed me the x-ray of the tooth and explained exactly what the problems were. I guess it will just be a few more weeks of pain caused by this tooth.

15 comments:

  1. I've had a couple of teeth pulled. With anesthesia, it hasn't been painful. Post-op soreness hasn't been too bad either. Maybe some of it has to do with my threshold for pain.

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  2. My partner had to have the same dental procedure so I understand how much is involved and hope the appointment goes smoothly and you can have the issue treated.

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  3. Thanks naturgesetz and BosGuy. As you can see from the update I just added to the post, he did not pull the tooth. It's going to be a few more weeks as I wait for an appointment with an oral surgeon.

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  4. Hi Joe ,
    sorry to hear my former profession is not able to accommodate you sooner . Hopefully you will be seen without too much delay .

    " Art"

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  5. Art, when I call the oral surgeon, I plan to make sure they know that the tooth is causing pressure on the trigeminal nerve and therefore causing constant pain. Hopefully, telling them this will get me in as soon as possible.

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  6. I hope you get some relief soon, Joe. Tooth aches alone are bad enough. My husband has heart problems and has to take a blood thinner since his many procedures. He has had the same tooth abscess three times in the last year and they cannot do anything about it, other than temporary relief through antibiotics when it flares up, because he cannot stop taking his blood thinner.

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  7. Joe, what a bummer for you. But, from what the dentist told you, he was wise to refrain from trying to pull the tooth even if it means further pain. Hoping you get an appointment with the oral surgeon promptly, Roderick

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  8. Definitely a disappointment not to have it taken care of today, but at least there is the prospect of releif in the near future. Hang in there.

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  9. Roderick and naturgesetz, it does not look like it will be promptly or the near future. The first appointment with the oral surgeon is July 20, and even then it will only be for a consultation. It could be several more months for the actual surgery. My mood is not in a good place right now. This is very depressing. I called my dentist, and I am waiting to hear back from him for any advice. This is getting more and more complicated.

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  10. Oh! Joe! That's just terrible - illustrative of the bottlenecks that exist in health care. Basically, in certain health areas, there are simply insufficient trained specialists to meet the needs and nothing is done (given the rejection of a national health scheme) to remedy the lack. I AM SO SORRY FOR YOU. Roderick

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  11. Best of luck with that tooth...Dental work can be treacherous...Now when the oral surgon calls and sets an appointment we can make a plea for hot chair side assistance to hold your hand...A preference card will be forthcoming...

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  12. Yikes!

    Dentists vary in their skill levels. You might want to ask your dentist if there is another dentist who does more extractions in tricky cases. You might also ask around among friends and acquaintances about experiences havinf teeth pulled.

    I needed to have my wisdom teeth taken out because they were coming in with curved roots and pushing against the molars. My regular dentist handled it without a hitch. But he was also a lecturer at a dental school and had done published research. After he retired, one of my back molars broke and my dentist at the time had no trouble pulling out the pieces. When he retired, he sold the practice to someone who calls it "Aesthetic Family Dentistry." My level of confidence in her is not nearly as high as in the other two.

    That said, it sounds as if your dentist knows what is needed and is aware of possible pitfalls, which is a confidence builder. Maybe s/he can talk to the oral surgeon and explain the urgency of the situation in a way that will get you an earlier appointment. I hope so.

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  13. The oral surgeon will probably charge ten times as much as your dentist to pull this tooth. I hope it's not close to the front.

    Did you look into an implant as a replacement? Probably quite expensive.

    Good luck

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  14. RB, it's one of my back teeth, so it won't be visible. I know this will be expensive, and I am hoping my insurance will pay the bulk of it. I talked to my dentist about a replacement, but they won't be able to put in an implant or anything else for at least four months after the tooth's removal. At that point, I should be in a new year of insurance plan, and that will help with the costs. My current dental insurance has a maximum they pay each year. I found this out when I had my last root canal and crown. I went well over my maximum that year. I suspect I will still go over my maximum this year unless part of this will fall under my medical insurance.

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