If you have sensitive or sore teeth, you might think that they are to blame. But the truth might be that the source of your tooth pain is a result of something else entirely. In fact, your teeth could be victims of a more general problem. Unfortunately, some dentists may jump to the same conclusion that the tooth is the problem, and possibly even extract the nerve with a root canal or an entire tooth before considering other possible causes for sore and sensitive teeth.
What Else Could It Be?
There are actually many possible causes for tooth pain. The mouth is actually an extremely complex place, so that the cause of pain can be far removed from the pain itself. Sometimes the tooth is suffering from decay that must be rectified with either a or a , especially if you're also suffering from chronic bad breath or . On the other hand, it's entirely possible that tooth decay is just a contributing factor, or possibly unrelated. Problems in the tooth can sometimes be felt as headaches, and tooth pain can be a sign of problems elsewhere in the jaw.
TMJS? TMD? MPD?
Actually, all these acronyms refer to the same phenomenon. Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJS), temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), and mysofacial pain dysfunction (MPD) refer to the same group of symptoms, including headaches, facial pain, and jaw pain, in addition to teeth grinding (bruxism) and sore teeth. If your sore teeth are accompanied by any of these other symptoms, you may be suffering from TMJ/TMD.
The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are where our jaw connects to our skull. They are very complicated joints, located in front of our ears at a complex intersection of muscles, bones, and nerves. They are adjacent to the throat, spine, and ears and can affect all these adjacent systems.
TMD occurs when the TMJ is stressed or out of alignment. The stress most often results from "malocclusion" or bad bite, such as an overbite or underbite. TMD might seem a local condition, but it has far-reaching effects, including migraine-like headaches; pain in the face, neck, and shoulders, and numbness or tingling in the arms in addition to sore teeth.
Get a Second Opinion
Most dentists are trained and educated to deal with the teeth, so it's not surprising they might assume teeth are responsible for dental problems. Sometimes they are right, but sometimes they are wrong. The best way to check any diagnosis is to get a second opinion. In this case, especially if your tooth pain is accompanied by any of the above symptoms of TMD, you want to seek out a dentist trained in thinking about the mouth and jaw as a unit composed of muscles, nerves, flesh, and bones. These are called neuromuscular dentists.
If your dentist tells you your tooth is to blame for your chronic pain, but the pain isn't localized or is accompanied by other pains and discomforts, get a second opinion, because the tooth might not be the root of your problem.
