weird feelings in my teeth!

January 16, 2012 2:56 PM

My two bottom front teeth has been feeling a little funny since last Wednesday. They feel tight or crowded, kind of like how I felt back when I had braces on. they also kind of feel like the teeth were impacted recently, which they weren't. They don't hurt-- if I had to pinpoint, I would say the feeling came from between the two teeth. when I bite they don't hurt more. But the tight feeling is quite noticeable, and certainly not very comfortable. They've gotten a bit better in the past five days. What could cause this? Also, I just knocked my upper front tooth on my computer screen 3 minutes ago. It hurt a little bit/ can feel the shock for about 30 seconds, and then it's back to normal. There was no bleeding and I couldn't see any fractures and it wasn't loose. Should I have a dentist look at it anyway? I am worried that it might die later. I've been very worried about my teeth, and at this point I don't know how much to freak out about things that goes on in my mouth!

1. I've had a lot of dental problems when I was younger. About 10 days ago I had a molar pulled out. It received a root canal 10 years ago, and the root had since become infected and the infection spread to the next door tooth, causing me to lose another tooth.

2. Last Wednesday I had a dental cleaning and check-up, and requested that the dentist do a really thorough exam because I want to make sure I catch little problems early. She caught two very tiny cavities and filled them. She did say that I had more plaque on my lower front teeth (the ones feeling funny since the day before the appointment) but didn't say I have a cavity there.

3. I have had gingivitis before, and it felt differently from how my front teeth are feeling.

4. all of my wisdom teeth are out long ago

posted by atetrachordofthree to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

In your mouth where everything is close together, it's possible to get what's called "referred pain," that is, pain that manifests somewhere other than the decayed/injured/infected spot. This happened to me.

However it's also possible that your earlier dental problems are just making you paraoid. :)

If you are really concerned, go to another dentist for a second opinion.
posted by mai at 3:04 PM on January 16, 2012

I did once have a tooth die months after an impact. I don't know whether, if I had gone in shortly after it happened, there would have been anything the dentist could have done. When we took our toddler son in when the same thing happened to him, the dentist basically said the only way to know was to wait and see. But you might call the dentist and ask if you should come in, just to be on the safe side.

When I have had that tight feeling, it usually means there is something stuck between the teeth. The fact that you had a cleaning since the feeling started argues against this, since presumably the hygienist would have cleaned the space between those teeth. But it might be worth a little flossing, just to see.
posted by not that girl at 3:12 PM on January 16, 2012

Response by poster: I have been flossing that area extra well, and I usually floss twice a day anyway (see: paranoia about teeth :) )

I guess part of my worry is that this is a new dental clinic that I went to. They have really awesome equipment and the dentist was really nice. That said, I don't have any experiences with them, and am worried that they might misdiagnose. That's unlike, right? The dentist took a full-mouth x-ray and checked pretty closely it seems.
posted by atetrachordofthree at 3:22 PM on January 16, 2012

Go see a Dental Hygienist. Cheaper than a Dentist and they can refer you on if there is a problem.

Also, try a non-alcohol-based mouthwash. Savocol is a brand in Australia. Could be a minor gum infection from a small nick or cut from eating.
posted by dantodd at 3:28 PM on January 16, 2012

I think you're just sore from the cleaning, especially if there was extra gunk over there. Go easy on the flossing -- maybe stick to once a day for a few days -- and see if it goes away.
posted by palliser at 4:02 PM on January 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

I just got a cleaning this week and one of the things my hygienist said is that if they've been scraping off plaque, your gums might be a little loose for a bit before they tighten up against your teeth again. Eating things like apples and popcorn [and I'm sure other stuff] could get in there and get stuck. She recommended I be careful when eating things like that and make sure to brush and floss gently for a few days.
posted by jessamyn at 4:33 PM on January 16, 2012

The feeling you are having in your lower front teeth is common, especially after a cleaning. You probably had a bit of calculus (tartar) or plaque buildup between them before the cleaning and then once that was removed there was a space, and now that space has closed, making them feel tighter. Teeth tend to move toward the midline over time, a phenomenon called mesial drift (it's why lower teeth get crowded as we age, just exaggeration of any overlapping or rotation present in the 4 lower front teeth).
If you just had a tooth extracted it would be fine to have your mouth looked at as a follow-up. make an appointment for that and ask your other questions then.
posted by OHenryPacey at 5:07 PM on January 16, 2012

Just to offer another perspective, I get a similar feeling in my front teeth from time to time (not quite pain, but an odd stiff feeling), but it's never amounted to any problems. I usually put it down to grinding my teeth at night or somesuch.
posted by missix at 5:22 PM on January 16, 2012