Teeth Anxiety

[louise0501]

Hello

i had one of my wisdom teeth out at the start of jan as it got infected and when i had the x-ray done back in jan they told me that both my upper wisdom teeth are growing in the wrong place but just to ignore them unless they bother me but ever since then i have been freaking out and i constantly worry they will get infected and because of where they are growing they won't be able to take them out easily.

i have recently been getting some pain on one side of my face and jaw. could it be a tooth problem? could it be infected? im really freaking out can anyone relate to this?

please reply ASAP

Love Louise XXXXXX

[kellikbock]

My husband has two teeth that showed up on an xray, as well. The dentist wasn't sure if they'd ever grow in or not.
Does anything over the counter meds reduce your pain?

[kellikbock]

I forgot to ask, do you have any problems with TMJ? If you are stressed, you could be grinding your teeth at night or clenching them & that could cause pain in your jaw and teeth.

[louise0501]

well i am pretty stressed out at the moment so i could be clenching which i tend to do when im anxious

[MoonlightFire]

Hi Louise,
I can totally relate. I had a badly infected wisdom tooth about 5 years ago which had to be removed. When the dentists xrayed my mouth they found that the remaining wisdom teeth were underneath the surface growing in the wrong direction but I was told to ignore unless I got any pain or swelling. Since then one of the teeth has grown through in the right place with no problems but now it looks like the other two may be starting to grow through.

I've had some pain in my jaw and I can feel there is a lump shaped like a tooth up behind my upper molar. I've been getting worried about it but it seems to be calming down now. It got really sore one night but hasnt flaired up since. I'm going to go and see the dentist in the next few weeks so she can check. I'm not looking forward to it, I am really intolerant of anything going on in my mouth and get very anxious about going to the dentist :(

If it causes you any pain go and see your dentist but wisdom tooth infections tend to be really painful, you would know if you had one. When I had mine my face swelled up!

Moonlight xx

[debs71]

Hi louise0501!

Gee, your story is mine as far as the teeth go!

A couple of years ago I needed a broken, decayed wisdom tooth pulled and, like you, x rays showed that my 2 lower wisdom teeth were facing sideways into the other teeth rather than upwards like a normal tooth does. My dentist told me that it was a tricky scenario as they are much harder to clean due to the lack of space because of the way they were sitting and the abnormal positioning, so advised me to buy a waterpik (which is basically a little electric water jet that does the job of flossing) as it gets right into the back teeth and cleans them out of debris/food etc. He emphasised that it was keeping them as clean as possible that was the key otherwise they would be a real bugger to get out if they decayed!! That scared the heck out of me, so I am totally sympathising with you hun. I did indeed get a waterpik and it is still, thank God, doing the trick and so far, no probs.

Your jaw pain could be a number of things. TMJ as kellickbock suggested, which might be exacerbated if you are feeling tense and anxious about all this and clenching your teeth, sometimes even unawares. Also, if you have had a cold/sinus probs you can get an ache down your cheeks and side of the face. You don't mention any swelling which is a good sign as any infection will make your the area red, painful and swollen. The other thing is, it may be a very simple dental issue, not related to the wisdoms. My suspicion though is that it could be stress related. The body is a funny old thing when we are anxious about something, and the tension builds up. (been there, done that, got the t-shirt, lol!)

I know it's easy to say, but I would just play it by ear for now and try to not think about the worst possible scenario. Take some tabs for the pain ,see if that has an effect and try to distract yourself from dwelling on it.

My advice would also be just keep on top of looking after your teeth (I'd recommend that waterpik thing!) as that is a huge part of winning the wisdom tooth battle and as long as you are doing that too, you are doing all you can!!!

Let us know how you get on.xxxx:hugs: