Tooth pain, but only in one tooth

[Denise]

I got my third adjustment last Monday and I just regained the ability to chew through solids without pain about two days ago. But, I've now developed severe sensitivity and pain in a single tooth, on my lower teeth on the side. I've never had this before. I can't drink water, I can't touch it with a toothbrush, I can't floss, I can't even use mouthwash, because whenever anything touches that tooth the pain is so bad it brings tears to my eyes. Has anyone ever experienced localized tooth pain during their treatment? I keep trying to call my ortho, but I'm continually being put on hold forever (the joy of calling an office on a Monday morning). Thanks for any help you can give!

[Sunny]

Wow that sounds nasty Denise. I think you should give your ortho a call and ask if it sounds ok with him.

Hopefully this is due to that tooth doing a lot of moving and not yet being happy about it. I recommend you brush with a toothpaste for sensitivity, like sensodyne ... and they also have a mouthwash.

Good luck and I hope it goes away fast!

[Denise]

Thanks Sunny. I ended up going in yesterday at noon and the doctor felt around and said most likely it was caused by my grinding teeth or something at night. My top tooth was hitting my lower bracket and was causing that sensitivity. So he put more "bumpers" in, one each on my back teeth, so now when I bite down my front teeth can't touch my lower brackets. I can tell it's working already because this morning when brushing it only hurt a little, and wasn't the tear-jerking sharp pain that it was yesterday.

[stCx86]

I had a similar situation like that...it was because my tooth was moving and when I applied pressure to that tooth, the pain was excruciating...I guess it's because the tooth is moving to a new position and the gum is becoming very sensitive.

[Bunny]

Hi Denise. I asked exactly the same question recently. My Ortho said it was due to movement, I know the pain you are in, using mouthwash or drinking hot/cold fluids is a nightmare. I have been using a toothpaste for sensitive teeth and I havent seen any changes yet but fingers crossed. Apparently its all normal in the world of teeth movement.

xx

[Sunny]

Great you saw your ortho, as teeth knocking brackets/other teeth, can cause a lot more problem than we think. It's easy to always blame movement for discomfort, but sometimes it can be other things, so we do need to keep an open mind ... especially when the pain is bad.

Good luck and here's to that pain going totally!

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

Sounds like that tooth was in hyperocclusion, meaning it was hitting something in the other arch before any of the other teeth. Instead of having the pressure of your bite distributed across all of your teeth, it was only on that one, causing it to become sensitive. The same thing can happen with fillings and crowns that are left too high.

It is always a good idea to verify that there are no cavities, or items lodged into the gums as well. Good luck!