Strange Dental Pain Only when drink alcohol

aonoco

Hoping someone can shed some light on this

About 18 months ago I started to notice a pain around my wisdom tooth area when i drank alcohol, does not make a difference what alcohol it is, beer, wine, spirits, over the months the pain has got stronger again only when i drink. As the months progress the pain gets stronger and stronger but will usually receed after about 60 mins and two neurofen- will still notice the pain for about 24 hours after drinking. did try non alcoholic beer and no pain.

very nervous patient (thank you child hood dentist) and did the usual ignore it and take pain killers, plucked up courage to go to the dentist and she believed was an infection, took the tablets and still problem persists. Xray on the tooth showed up no problems. I had the tooth beside the wisdom tooth removed about 24 months ago with no problems and gum healed perfectly.

The dentist did comment that the gum around the wisdom tooth was receeded and quite loose, to the point she could move it up and down. My thoughts are i need to get wisdom tooth removed but willing to try anything else before this.

As mentioned very nervous patient so if getting tooth removed is the only option , i am willing to fork out for surgery with sediation and am insured with level 2 hibernian. (last tooth got out took 3 visits and 3 hours on the last visit to remove)

Any insight anyone, seems like a strange one, if tooth pulling is only option any recommendations for surgeon that you can claim back full amount with hibernian level 2, when i called they did not seem to have a list

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Interesting, alochol has high osmotic pressure and could be stimulating the nerve (inticing movement of water through the dentine tubules) of a tooth that has some decay. Decay does not show up on some x-ray so hard to say. Do sweet, cold, hot things set it off?

aonoco

Thanks for the revert, any thoughts are so appreciated

Cold/Hot and sweet drinks not really, the odd slightest tingle but no more than any senistive tooth.

When drink alcohol that is when a pain comes, not a tingle but a trobbing pain which increases with intensity and then decreases with pain killers and over period of 1 hour

the pressure you mention is interesting, the pain is a sort of pressure with throbbing

davo10

aonoco do you feel pain in neck area at same time?

aonoco

Thanks for the revert davo1

No pain in the neck- pain is limited to the upper gum area, close to the sinus, trobbing.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Ok so from what I can gather its a upper tooth next to a recient extraction site?

I would be thinking:
1. Tooth decay senistive to alochol (need filling).
2. Some form of sinus problem ???
3. Something non dental (not to do with teeth).

I have to say I am a bit stumpped as I have not heard of this speciic problem before. Anyone else any thoughts. End Endodontist may have the answers, ResIpsa where are you ?????

Loggy

Lennon Echoing Graveyard wrote: »

Interesting, alochol has high osmotic pressure and could be stimulating the nerve (inticing movement of water through the dentine tubules) of a tooth that has some decay. Decay does not show up on some x-ray so hard to say. Do sweet, cold, hot things set it off?

That's along the lines of what I was thinking ...

ballsymchugh

aonoco wrote: »

The dentist did comment that the gum around the wisdom tooth was receeded and quite loose, to the point she could move it up and down.

what could she move up and down?? the tooth itself or just the gum??

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Hummmm OAF ????? If the tooth is really loose it will be a 30 second job to get it out, upper wisdon teeth are usually the easiest teeth in the head to remove, seriously 60 minute episodes of pain is no joke, get it sorted.

ballsymchugh

agreed with fitz, upper wisdom teeth are very easy to take out. would an OAF not at least show on an x-ray? i'm thinking perio, just can't figure out why just alcohol.
do you smoke? if you do, have you had a crap time smoking recently?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Alcohol tracking up a perio lesion (grade 3 mobile must be some lesion) onto the sinus membrane and stinging it for a period???? I am really guessing wildly here. Would be interesting if mouthwash had the same effect. Is this a case of hear hooves and thinks zebras?

ballsymchugh

this was bugging me today, i remembered a patient who had the exact same problem a few years ago (sorry, really only remembered it this morning) but endo made no difference. the tooth ended up being extracted, as i'd sent him to the local oral surgeon for a gawk too, and there was nothing conclusive found there.

nedward

The vasodilatory effect of alcohol leading to increased accumulation of inflammatory mediators in sensitised area following healing after extraction? Just guessing here

aonoco

thank you everyone for your replies and thoughts, seems like a strange one alright

Going to see a dental surgeon tomorrow and more than likely will get the tooth out. Tooth itself is not loose, the gum around it is receeded and loose.

Hopefully extraction will work, if not back to square one or being a pioneer i think.

Will let you know how it goes

ballsymchugh

right, rang my old place to see what the story was with the patient who complained of this a few years ago. i ended up referring him to max-fax who suggested extraction but this didn't have any benefit, and after subsequent referrals, they put him on gabapentin 300mg. they hadn't a clue, but were happy to have relieved the pain and not cause any side effects. the next option would have been sinus exam with CT scans, but it wasn't warranted.
sorry, but it's a strange one!

aonoco

Many thanks for making the call

Met with surgeon today, have to get both wisdom teeth out on my left side and he is confident this will sort the problem out, there is no room for the two teeth and both have slight infections and trapping food. Here is hoping it works so surgery on 11th January. Will keep you all posted on 18th January when i will try my first glass of wine in a long time

New Years resolution, any hint of a dental pain straight to the dentist and do not put it off

The hospital used an xray machine you bite into and the machine rotates around your head giving a really good x ray, very impressive