IS IT TOOTHACHE?

[LINDA SLOAN]

I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on this for me.....

I suffered a dull aching pain for about 4 weeks before going to the dentist - I kept putting it off as I couldn't be certain just WHERE the pain was coming from. Could be my jaw, tooth, could be upper or lower. It didn't go away and I eventually went to the dentist the Friday before we went on holiday as I was afraid it would get out of control. An xray revealed nothing amiss but I indicated it felt highly likely it was coming from a tooth which had a very deep filling, so she decided best to remove the filling and commence root canal dressing. When the filling was removed it revealed no further decay or root damage. I had a temporary dressing inserted and am awaiting further dressing.

Could this be anything to do with fibromyalgia pains?

Has anyone else experienced similar?

[Kimberly Walker (& Donald)]

YES! I ABSOLUTELY THINK IT COULD!

Linda....this is very interesting and I think it is good you are considering further what may be causing your discomfort. I am curious as to whether the "very deep filling" was filled with MERCURY or not. You can research the controversy over such fillings (they are the SILVER ones) and the thought behind TOXICITY. HOW TO: MERCURY FILLINGS, linked here, is an article that I am familiar with, but you can find much more by putting something like "the DANGERS of MERCURY TOOTH FILLINGS" or "Amalgam" (which is another name for it) into a SEARCH ENGINE. I would be very curious to what you think about this and how it may be effecting your health if you have these kind of fillings.

I have a friend who was ill all the time - just felt YUKKI - like she had the FLU often. After all kinds of testing ETC. she came to believe that she had MERCURY TOXICITY. She had the fillings removed and filled with a safer type filling and began to feel better almost immediately. She still has some illness...but she doesn't feel like she has the FLU anymore. And she isn't in bed all the time. So.....????? I don't know Linda. I think if I were you I'd be checking into this.

PAIN CAN BE OUR FRIEND SOMETIMES - IT TELLS US WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG SO TAHT WE CAN GET IT FIXED =) PRAISE THE LORD!!

[LINDA SLOAN]

Thank you so much for taking up this discussion Kimberly. I go back to the dentist on Thursday morning but am still at a loss to identify exactly where the pain is coming from - although it is nowhere near as constant as it was. I have googled around a little about it and I did notice on a US site somewhere of a kit you can buy to test for mercury toxicity - will see if they are available UK - I know they looked pretty inexpensive.
SO INTERESTING TO HEAR OF YOUR FREIND!
You know, I had read about fibro and toxin links before - and I bought some of those detox food pads (detox while you sleep) - the 'gunge' in the mornings should be clearing after 5-6 days......I did them for 3 weeks with very little reduction....I don't know if it's just that I'm just a sucker for good marketing????? (which I know I am)

Will let you know how it goes - would be interested if anyone else knows anything on this. Thanks again.

[Kimberly Walker (& Donald)]

Welllll.....maybe you're a little tiny bit of a sucker ~giggle~ Not so sure about those "foot pads" I've read of them before too - but I wasn't convinced that it was the way to get DETOXED. (there are som "FORUM DISCUSSIONS" on LW about some good ways to DETOX and/or CLEANSE - put it in the search box up there in the right hand corner here and it should lead you there) The only way I know of to remove mercury if it is letting into your bloodstream via tooth fillings is to REMOVE THE MERCURY FILLINGS. I can ask my friend, Sherri, more about it if you are interested. My spiritual mom also had all her mercury fillings removed. She was soooo sick before she did. I never removed my mercury fillings....but then I don't have any more of my natural teeth so maybe I have indeed done it =) the hard way!

What we eat has much to do with how we feel when we have FM. (well I believe it has a lot to do with how ALL people feel - but those of us with FM are even more sensitive) SUGAR is a huge perpetrator of pain. Caffiene is another. ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS - particurally ASPERTAME is very, very bad for all people, but they have found it to be a major trigger in FM patients. I RE-posted/ or created a LINK for all of the OUR BODY HIS TEMPLE discussions in the FORUM. There is a lot of really good info in there about GOOD DIET and FM. Maybe this will be of some help for you as you journey on towards better health.

I DO want to hear about how your appointment goes! So please do post here about it. If I could hug your tooth I would! Here's some HUGS for your neck anyhow!

[LINDA SLOAN]

LOL.....Ok Kimberly - if it keeps you happy I got another one I can send you! (giggles)

[Patti G.]

Hi Linda,
Sorry to hear about your toothache. It might be mercury as Kimberly said. We may never know the full extent of the effects of mercury fillings. I think its probably good to get all the metal out of our mouths as much as possible. I have been getting my mercury fillings replaced slowly over the years as much as allowed by our insurance.

Another possibility is deep muscle pain or referred pain from the jaw muscles somewhere. Some people get a deep muscle pain with Fibromyalgia that is intermittent and could be located anywhere on the body. I don't officially have a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia but I have a lot of the symptoms. I get these small but intense pain spots frequently in various places and have had some in my jaw before. The last few months I've been having severe pain in my hip off and on and finally went for a check-up to see if it was arthritis but it turned out not to be arthritis. There is no problem with the joint so it must be deep in the muscle around the joint so I have been doing deep pressure massage with a foam roller that is helping and sometimes use ice to relieve the pain. Anyway, I sure hope your pain clears up soon. I'm sure its not fun.

Love and prayers,
Patti

[Barb Wilkinson]

Hi Linda,
I agree with Patti and Kimberly, both have good ideas on what it could be. I just wanted to add that if it is more jaw pain, it could also be TMJ. I've read that those with fibro often deal with TMJ as well, I do. I'm no expert in this area but I do know that the jaw pain from that can travel so that you have jaw pain or headaches. I get the headaches and the jaw pain and have been to the dentist, thinking I have a toothache and they can't find anything wrong. Turns out it's just the tmj flaring again. Anyway, just wanted to add my 2 cents for what it's worth...:) Hope you feel better soon and can find out what it is, I'd be interested to know as well.

Hugs,
Barb

[Jan Lyn Lewis]

Linda,

Just wanted to confirm that I also had many "emergency" trips to the dentist for this sort of complaint in my younger years with fibro. I'm not sure which frightened me the most--the thought of a root canal or problem or the bill! After being examined and x-rays nothing would come of it. I do believe it was pain related to fibro at the time. Now I have a bit further pain with the sjogren's due to the glands. At any rate, I think all these things like fibro, tmj and mercury are possibilities. I just hope and pray you feel better soon!

Love,
Jan Lyn

[LINDA SLOAN]

Thank you all for your interest, helpful input and suggestions on this.
I had my followup dental appointment today - further freezing (you know the sort, you come away with HALF your face frozen and your nose and chin feel like rubber) - root canal cleansed or rinsed or something like that (I seem to have difficulty hearing when I'm flat on my back, my mouth is W I D E open, there are 2 hands, 1 drill and 1 aspirator inside of it), and temporary dressing.

I go back in two weeks again for the actual final treatment / filling....and I have requested that I do not have a mercury filling which is no problem. You know, I was always aware of this particular filling having a definite metallic taste....????

I did ask her to check dates of treatment for me - seems this tooth was first filled in 2004 with a replacement filling in Sept 2008. My fibro was diagnosed in 2007 so I really can't figure if this links in anywhere. I have been connecting the fibro all along to a shoulder injury and 2 surgeries with 12 months (hysterectomy followed by shoulder decompression). You know, the last 10-12 days I have had more energy than I have had in a long long time. In the past I have had little 'windows' of relief so it could be I'm just enjoying one of those periods -I get on a high when they happen and get taken quite by surprise when I get flung back into the darkness again!

Whichever way it works out - I know God has His purposes.

[LINDA SLOAN]

Uuuugggghhhh!!!!!

Thank you all for your comments on this 'tooth' problem - still just feeling at rather a loss about hte whole thing. I did have three appointments and had root canal treatment - completed just 2 weeks ago.....and did have an alternative to mercury for the filling material (composite). The pain in my tooth has not settled, in fact has got progressively worse and yesterday and today I'm feeling a bit despairing of it all.

I'm not knowing now....do I persevere and assume it may be fibro linked or do I return to the dentist for investigation on the teeth either side????

[Barb Wilkinson]

I'm so sorry for your pain, Linda! I really understand as much of the time my whole mouth aches (I have LOTS of dental issues). I don't know what to tell you about if it could be fibro linked or other teeth. Did the dentist say anything about any other problem teeth next to or close to the one that you had the root canal in? If that were the case, of course, I'd say to continue investigating but I'm just not sure.

I can tell you that I'm currently reading a book that is quite fascinating regarding this whole subject. It's called "The Fibromyalgia Dental Handbook: A Practical Guide To Maintaining Peak Dental Health" and the author is Flora Parsa Stay, DDS. It's really interesting, though I've only just started it so can't tell you a whole lot about it but the title pretty much says it all. :)

I'll be praying for you, Linda. I know how frustrating mouth/tooth pain can be and it seems to affect everything.