Need Help Dental question

[anonymouse77]

I hope you don't mind me asking this here. I believe my fairly quick tooth decay I have now is due to a few years long addiction to nicotine lozenges plus a more recent (year or two) use of Lyrica medication so I post here for help. Plus I don't have anywhere much else to ask.

I'm 47 (for reference) and went to a dentist a few weeks ago and had xrays as I had obvious cavities. I only had my first fillings late last year so had good teeth my whole life (been told that and knew myself) until the last few years. I counted how many teeth the quote said and it was around 15 so almost a mouth-full of fillings so quite a few over several visits.

I had my fourth (and second last) appointment over a week ago and my next this coming week which is meant to be my last lot of fillings and involves some deeper ones on the bottom row.

In between the last appointment and now I have developed some symptoms of swollen gums near the roof of my mouth that I can visibly see and feel plus it's tender. It's kind of radiating and surrounding the front two top teeth so I believe it's coming from there as that's where there's some other unpleasant symptoms like pain and just not feeling right. I also had like a zapping (like a pulse but could tell it was nerve) in the roof of the mouth earlier which I mentioned to the dentist at last visit and he said he hoped it would settle down.

This was in the same area as the swelling is now happening and I can kind of tell the issue is coming from where I said. Sorry if I repeat myself. There were some other things like I had an experience where there was extreme pain to where I jerked my head away in one session which made me wonder if he reached the nerve and has damaged it. I am scared about what has happened and I won't be getting my final treatment of fillings if this doesn't improve and I come away with a feeling of I am worse off than before I got all these fillings and regret them if this doesn't improve. Worse comes to worse I lose the tooth which may have happened if I didn't get the fillings I realise. Does anyone know much about dental stuff?

Thank you for reading if you have got this far.

 

[kris66]

How many fillings were you getting at a time? I have had pain after getting a filling that lasts for over a week before it settles down. But if it continues after 2 weeks or gets worse you need to call the dentist.

Sometimes it's as simple as they need to grind the filling down slightly. I think what happened when you jerked your head away is from not having the nerve numb enough, painful but not permanent damage.

When I was having pain my dentist advised me to rinse with hot salt water several times a day. If an infection is starting the hot salt water will draw the toxins out.

 

[anonymouse77]

How many fillings were you getting at a time? I have had pain after getting a filling that lasts for over a week before it settles down. But if it continues after 2 weeks or gets worse you need to call the dentist.

Sometimes it's as simple as they need to grind the filling down slightly. I think what happened when you jerked your head away is from not having the nerve numb enough, painful but not permanent damage.

When I was having pain my dentist advised me to rinse with hot salt water several times a day. If an infection is starting the hot salt water will draw the toxins out.

Thank you for your reply and good information. I believe it was about 3 fillings a time as it was meant to be over 4 visits but he took more time doing some so it was extended to a fifth visit which is the one coming this week. He did a good job in that the ones that are fine I can barely tell there's a filling. But maybe something did go wrong as mistakes can happen.

 

[anonymouse77]

I am happy to report the redness and swelling has slowly lessened. I did return to the dentist on Wednesday as I had an appointment and wanted to put it on the record there in case it got worse again. It was starting to be less swollen that day also. I flossed when I first noticed this problem and before I went to the dentist. He asked if I had flossed and I said yes. He said I had food stuck there and tried floss to remove it but it didn't so he used a pik think and it released. I felt it come out. It was right between the two front teeth where the worst swelling was so I think it was that. I think because they were where the fillings were (also others) and it is right between there and probably the fillings felt a bit less sensitive than my normal teeth did I couldn't feel it as much to get it out.

 

[kris66]

I'm glad it's better. You may find floss picks are easier to use than dental floss. They are usually found by the toothpaste. They make several different kinds.