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Question:
Upper Jaw Tooth-type Pain: I have had a toothache type pain in the upper right side of my jaw for about 2 months.
The gum is sore between two root-canaled teeth. After 3 weeks, I also started having headaches; I felt weak, sleepy and tired. The pain and other symptoms often disappear in the night.
My Dentist did teeth deep cleaning. I went to an endodonist and he excluded that the pain comes from those teeth and the gum. He said that grinding could be the reason.
Now I use mouth guard bought in a store, but I'm having mixed results. ...Visitor from IL
Answer:
I'm sorry to hear that you have been experiencing pain for several months. If the pain started after dental treatment it is most likely a fractured root or an occlusal problem (bite). Even if your "bite" feels normal when you close your teeth together you can still have excursive interferences.
These occur when the newly restored teeth touch differently when your jaw moves in various directions. In some cases the interferences are so slight that they are almost imperceptible. If you where to take your index finger and lightly tap on your forehead for ten or twelve hours you would have an amazing headache. The same thing happens when your teeth hit improperly all day long.
When you wear your nightguard the teeth are not allowed to touch and the pain subsides over time. There are several ways to determine if there are excursive interferences. TecScan, a technology we use in our office, has a wafer that the patient bites on and it displays the position and intensity of the patient's bite on the computer screen. When you grind back and forth it displays what is happening in real time.
Editorial Staff
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