Don't know what is causing pain- my tooth, or TMJ? (teeth, molar)

[LusterLeaf]

I am getting very frustrated because I have pain that no one can really tell me where it's coming from. Over two weeks ago my dentist filled a cavity in my lower back molar and a little bit on the tooth next to it. Both had old fillings on them. These fillings must have triggered something because I started to get pain in the area and radiating down my jaw to my chin, also sometimes feel like it goes to my upper molar. I went back to the dentist's office that did the filling, she took an X-ray, said she didn't know why I was in pain because although the back molar filling was deep, it is not affecting a nerve. Gave me antibiotics and prescription ibuprofen. I went to another dentist a few days later for a second look, he said the same thing about the x-rays and tried adjusting my bite a bit. Still in pain, I went to an endodontist a few days later. He said the same thing about the x-rays, looked at my molar with a microscope, had me bite down on something which was not painful. Said that it didn't seem like I needed a root canal right now, and to come back in a month if I was still in pain. In the meantime I have been taking advil and tylenol pretty much around the clock to keep the pain at bay. I will say that I do have sensitivity to anything I eat that is cold.

The only other thing I can think of is maybe if this filling triggered TMJ pain- I know I probably have this because I do tend to clench my teeth at night and I know my bite is off. I sleep with an over the counter night guard but sometimes end up taking it out because it's uncomfortable.

Any suggestions on what may be happening or where to go next?

[Parnassia]

An OTC nightguard may not be fitted exactly to your bite or your jaw or could be too large. Impossible for them to be that precise. If it's uncomfortable, it's not doing what it should. A prescribed guard may be the best solution...it won't be uncomfortable after using it regularly. I think you've described this before, right? Maybe you need to wear a guard more of the day for a while....it takes time for those muscles to retrain themselves, for your bite to adjust itself, for the grinding habit to stop. An OTC guard probably can't be worn easily except at night either.

[JrzDefector]

I would not go to TMJ just yet. I thought I had TMJ and it turned out I was just grinding my teeth at night like crazy. It caused me a lot of seemingly random pain during my waking hours. I got one of those nightguards, but the dog destroyed it after a couple weeks. Because he was a total bastard.

However, just recognizing the fact that I was so stressed that I was grinding my teeth at night kind of helped me deal with the problem. I became more mindful of my stress levels and the little tricks I could use to put my brain at ease. I haven't had a problem since.

TMJ is a pretty drastic issue - I'd exhaust all the other possibilities first before assuming that.