This past weekend I had horrible pain radiating from the left upper side of my mouth. We're talking pain that made me feel like someone had punched me - hard - over and over. Throbbing pain that made eating something I did not want to do.
Thinking I either had a cavity (which I've only ever had two and they were found at routine cleanings and never bothered me) or an abcess in need of a root canal (of which I've had several but not since childhood and those were due to a bicycle accident) I stopped in at the dentist office this morning (after taking care of things at Kelton's school for Teacher Appreciation Week). They had an emergency spot open at 1pm. Good enough - I'll just go home, pop some more Tylenol, pay bills, take Kaylen to gymnastics and then return for the appointment.
When I arrived home I discovered that Dakota's mom had left a message asking for me to call her because she had a question for me so while talking with her, I decided to ask if she might be available to stay with Kaylen while I went to the dentist. She said she could (which was so, so great!). I would have taken Kaylen with me because well - she goes everywhere with me but since I had the opportunity, I took it. :)
We rushed home after gymnastics and as soon as Grandma arrived I took off for the dentist. $50 co-pay, an x-ray and lots of poking and prodding later I was deemed in good dental health! The guess on what is happening and causing pain is that it is sinus pressure from the cold I am getting over. I know it's not a "true infection" but the dentist is thinking the pressure from drainage is irritating the nerves and sending pain signals to make it feel like it's my teeth.
Well I am certainly NOT going to look a gift horse in the mouth! No shots! No fillings! No root canals! YIPPIE!!!!!!! (sidenote: I am more than a bit dentist-phobic which stems, I'm sure, from the hours upon hours spent in dental chairs in my youth.)
But there is still this business of the pain to deal with. The dentist recommended doing nasal rinses for a few days to see if that doesn't help. I wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea but I was even less thrilled with the pain so decided it would be worth the money and time to see if it helps.
I stopped by a drugstore and picked up a Netti-Pot kit and can I just say? Not as gross as I feared AND it seems to be helping! Within about 20 minutes of the first use I felt less pain and could actually bite down without wanting to scream. I did it again at the end of the day with the same results; reduced pain. Not "gone pain" but less.
WooooHoooooo!!!
Hopefully this will end this because really.....? It hasn't been fun at all.
4 comments:
I'm going to the dentist today because of terrible pain on my upper left side. I've had it the past couple of weeks and figured it was due to the sinus problems i was having due to allergies. Now my sinuses are clear and the pain is still horrible, especially if liquid or food gets to that side of my mouth. I'm thinking I lost an old filling -- but i can't feel anything with my tongue. I wonder if the dentist will find anything wrong in my mouth :-) Hopefully it will be the same solution as yours. Oh, and I did use the Netti pot last week with my sinuses, not sure how much it helped...but maybe.
I heard those netti pot really work...I will have to try it because I has such BAD sinus.....
Casey, here's hoping your sinus pain has much improved. I'm a Neti user, too, and have had some success with it, reducing allergy discomfort and mitigating the symptoms of a head cold. I hope it worked for you. Weird practice, isn't it? (note; do not tell friends over dinner...)
He he. You said Netti-pot :) Those make me laugh. Glad it worked! So where are you off to for vacation? I haven't talked to you forever.
Have fun!
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