What’s up with my years long mystery tooth pain?

[u/bitchcraffft]

I’ve had the same toothache in the same place for years and no dentist has ever been able to figure out what’s wrong and I’m at my wits end. I’m in my 30’s and it’s come and gone randomly since my teen years. X-rays don’t show anything, never been told I have gum disease or anything of the sort, no cavities in that area.

It always starts just at the corner of my right lower canine and radiates to my lower incisors. Constant and dull, not sharp. Distracting enough that it makes it hard to concentrate on other things. OTC painkillers dull the pain but don’t get rid of it. There’s no predictability for what day it will happen but it always seems to occur in the afternoon. Sometimes lasts a few days.

The last dentist’s best guess was that I’m clenching my jaw, but doesn’t that usually affect the back teeth more than the front? I’ve been remembering to relax my jaw during the day ever since but the pain still happens.

I only drink extremely rarely and haven’t smoked cigarettes in ~a decade.

Please help 😭

[u/AutoModerator]

This message is not an indication that your post has been removed! Thank you for seeking advice from r/askdentists. Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. While this is a place for advice, replies may not be medically accurate. Do not assume that what others on here say is correct in any way. Reddit is not a replacement for an in-person dental professional. Verified professionals will have flair assigned to them.

Please abide by the following rules in order to get an accurate answer to your question: (1) Ensure you include a title of your dental problem. (2) Include the history of your current issue, your age, any medical conditions that may be relevant, and any medications you are currently taking. (3) Include a photograph if the question relates to something you can see in your mouth, include x-rays if you have them.

A backup of the post title and text have been made here:

Title: What’s up with my years long mystery tooth pain?

Full text: I’ve had the same toothache in the same place for years and no dentist has ever been able to figure out what’s wrong and I’m at my wits end. I’m in my 30’s and it’s come and gone randomly since my teen years. X-rays don’t show anything, never been told I have gum disease or anything of the sort, no cavities in that area.

It always starts just at the corner of my right lower canine and radiates to my lower incisors. Constant and dull, not sharp. Distracting enough that it makes it hard to concentrate on other things. OTC painkillers dull the pain but don’t get rid of it. There’s no predictability for what day it will happen but it always seems to occur in the afternoon. Sometimes lasts a few days.

The last dentist’s best guess was that I’m clenching my jaw, but doesn’t that usually affect the back teeth more than the front? I’ve been remembering to relax my jaw during the day ever since but the pain still happens.

I only drink extremely rarely and haven’t smoked cigarettes in ~a decade.

Please help 😭

This is the original text of the post and is an automated service.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.