shooting pain from drinking

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#1 Post by **ljgatens** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:24 am

I am 48 years old and have had upper braces for 4 months. My incisors have been sensitive during this period - the prospect of eating a sandwich is a couple years off! However, for a couple days I've had shooting pain in one incisor whenever I take a drink. The pain seems to radiate up into my jaw where this tooth sits and lasts for ~30 seconds or longer after the water passes over the tooth. I'm dealing with this by drinking warm water and through a straw. Still, a little contact of water with tooth results in this shooting pain. Is this still just typical pain associated with my teeth moving - granted my upper incisors will probably travel the farthest during this procedure. I do have an appointment in 2 days and will ask about it, but have not had pain like this in the 4 months that I've had braces.

#2 Post by **Jewles** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:19 pm

I had this pain for 4-6 weeks. It was hell!
I started using tooth paste for sensitive teeth and only used warm water (even when brushing my teeth!). Mine became sensitive to the point where I couldnt open the freezer door because the cold air that hit my face was too painful.
It does go away you just have to be a bit patient

#3 Post by **avy** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 2:55 pm

I had this same problem in one of my incisors. It hurt so much I went to the dentist because I thought I had a cavity! My dentist told me what was happening though...
The braces pull your teeth out of the gums slightly revealing teeth that have never seen the light of day. Because the incisors come out the most they tend to get very sensitive, expecially to cold. I got some gum mousse to help with sensitivity which helps alot... but I have also found that after about 5 weeks it has died down to almost nothing. I still get a slight tingle which feels weird more than anything now so maybe give it a little while and it should settle.

#4 Post by **sauerkraut** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:33 pm

An absolute godsend for sensitive teeth is fluoride! My gums are in rather poor shape which has left my teeth exposed and sensitive, especially to cold, but special toothpaste and plenty of fluroide certainly help.

My dentist and/or ortho apply a (rather vile-tasting) fluoride varnish at many of my appointments, and I am also supposed to apply a fluoride gel twice a week (from the pharmacist -- it's called Elmex gel where I live but probably something else in the US). That and good quality "sensitive" fluoride toothpaste used regularly and consistently and it does improve. (Although you are absolutely right to check there's no other underlying problem first, of course!)

#5 Post by **kilikena311** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:18 pm

I'd definitely check in with my dentist if I were you. It sounds like the pain is pretty severe after 4 months and doesn't seem like something you should have to deal with. I have been using Sensodyne toothpaste since I got braced because my two front teeth have always been somewhat sensitive to cold and I knew they would be doing IPR down the road. Anytime they spray the cold water or air on my teeth it usually would hurt pretty bad. This last round of IPR he did quite a bit on my two front teeth, making them narrower and I had little or no pain from the actual IPR, cold water or air spraying. Now it's just the pain from the powerchains to close the small spaces.

#6 Post by **Rachel B** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:37 pm

Don't worry I've had one tooth that has reacted like that at two separate junctures of my treatment. I know it's horrible but it will subside.
Rach