Tooth Hurts Part 2

[davejonesbkk]

Last month I posted about having a pain sometimes when I was chewing food in a tooth on my bottom left hand side, well like I said I went to see one dentist who did a free check up and couldnt see anything wrong. So next I went to see another one this time a bit more 'up market' it still only cost 60 baht for a check up but he did an xray too and guess what...couldnt see anything!! He also gave the tooth that hurts a good poke but I couldnt feel anything...he then said that I only had 28 teeth and not 32 and asked when I had my wisdom teeth removed but I have no recollection of this happening, Im 27 so I should remember right? He then showed me a diagram of wisdom teeth where the gums have grown over them and pushed them down I seriously doubt I have this because the pain is more towards the front -middle...anyway he said he couldnt see any poroblem so I left and Im eating now and I just got a HUGE pain there when I bit into my sandwich....

I have no idea whats going on

[Mobi]

PM Taxexile,

He's the expert.

[Tolley]

There is a thing called referred pain so the problem may not be where the pain is.

Took two dentists to find the problem.

Had this problem earlier in the year and it meant root canal therapy....hope you are not so unlucky.

[Mobi]

Dental Hospital, Soi 49, Sukhumvit is the best dental establishment I've found anywhere in the world.

Not cheap, but the cream of Thailand's dentists, who all speak good English and won't rip you off.

[davejonesbkk]

Mobi- how much for a check up there?

[taxexile]

PM Taxexile,

He's the expert.

thanks mobi , but modesty , , prevents me from agreeing with you.

regarding your wisdom teeth , a full mouth x-ray will reveal whether you have wisdom teeth or not , and whether they have erupted partially , fully or not at all.

if you are missing 4 teeth , then it is possible that either you never developed wisdom teeth in the first place , or that you had 4 premolar teeth removed for orthodontic reasons when you were younger ( age 13-17).

regarding the pain on chewing , if it is a short sharp pain that subsides within a few seconds then it sounds like you have a crack in a tooth , when you chew using that tooth , the pressure on the cracked tooth causes a short sharp pain as the two sides of the crack are being forced apart , these sort of cracks are often invisible , but a dentist might be able to see it using magnifying optics and using a special light that will show it up. they are notoriously hard to diagnose. cracks rarely show up on x-rays , if there is a filling in the tooth then removal of the filling might reveal the crack or some decay under the filling that didnt show up on the x-ray.

try chewing (gently) on a peanut in front of a mirror , placing the nut on each successive tooth until you feel the pain , that might help you identify the tooth with the problem. an x-ray of that tooth might reveal a cyst or abscess under the tooth (at the tip of the root), if there is no pathology at the root tip then my money would be on a cracked tooth.

let us know what is eventually found , as this problem is unlikely to go away untreated. eventually the tooth or a part of it will break away.

the only other cause could be sensitivity due to gum recession , then you would get short sharp pains when drinking cold drinks or eating very sweet or acidic food or fruit. rubbing a toothpick along the gumline of an affected tooth will elicit the same pain usually. chewing (pressure) would not normally cause a response from a tooth affected by gum recession.

if the tooth is in any way loose due to periodontal disease , then chewing might also cause pain .

as mobi suggested , the dental hospital on sukhumvit 49 is the place to go.

[Mobi]

Mobi- how much for a check up there?

From what I recall, there is no charge for an examination and diagnosis.

Invariably treatment will follow, (unless you decline to proceed), and they will tell you how much the treatment will be.

The best thing is to call them on 02 260 5000, and check it out.

[davejonesbkk]

Ok thanks everyone, I will give that dentists a try after New Year.

From what taxexile has described I think I have a crack in a tooth as they are the exact same symptoms.

[moldy]

Ok thanks everyone, I will give that dentists a try after New Year.

From what taxexile has described I think I have a crack in a tooth as they are the exact same symptoms.

Could just be that one part of the tooth is raised a little and you are suffering from pain that comes from too much pressure. Our bite changes from dentistry, and sometimes when other teeth get ground down a little or suffer a crack. Also maybe, you are making matters worse by overusing it now you've come conscious of it. Try chewing on the other side for a couple of days. We exert an incredible pressure on our teeth. It may be you need to let up a little.

[harleyclarkey]

Ok thanks everyone, I will give that dentists a try after New Year.

From what taxexile has described I think I have a crack in a tooth as they are the exact same symptoms.

Could just be that one part of the tooth is raised a little and you are suffering from pain that comes from too much pressure. Our bite changes from dentistry, and sometimes when other teeth get ground down a little or suffer a crack. Also maybe, you are making matters worse by overusing it now you've come conscious of it. Try chewing on the other side for a couple of days. We exert an incredible pressure on our teeth. It may be you need to let up a little.

Nice one Moldy...yep it could well be a raised bit of a tooth. This takes all of the pressure...and it can be emormous...of the bite and causes pain in the tooth, gum and jaw. You can get a piece of coloured film, put it between your teeth and gring back and forth. This will show any high spots on the tooth. You can actually file it down with a file...only recommended for the strong hearted!!

I was lucky in Phuket in finding an honest dentist! I went in for a crown replacement and an expensive inplant. I came out with my old crown replaced and a new crown. Totla saving?? About 50k Baht. He could easily have done what I wanted but he reckoned on these other procedures. I have a caveat though....he will know in 6 months if the new crown has any rot behind.