One day, about a week and a half before our trip to Japan in October, my gum started to hurt every time I flossed down one of my molars. It didn't hurt when I ate or pressed down on the tooth, only when I flossed.
Art was concerned because he didn't want me to have any gum disease or infection or cavity or anything else happen while away on a trip. He insisted that I call the dentist and ask for an appointment. So I did.
"Does it hurt when you bite down?" the receptionist asked.
"No," I answered.
"Is there any bleeding when you floss?"
"No," I answered again.
"Are the gums swollen?"
"Ummm.... no, I don't think so."
So it went but she said I should come in and have the dentist look at it.
Dr. Chun is great! I really like her. I'd just been to see her for my 6 month check up last month. I told her it hurt when I flossed between the second the third molars from the back of the mouth. The X-rays didn't show a problem.
She asked me if I ate popcorn before my gum started to hurt. I told her I'd had quite a bit of popcorn. She said a lot of people who ate popcorn come in because the kernel shell gets trapped between the teeth and gums.
I told her Art had me rinsing with Listerine. She said salt water would be better and that the Listerine wouldn't help.
She also gave me a prescription for antibiotics to have during my trip just in case I start getting an infection then.
If it continued hurting in the next few days she suggested I come in and have her use a powerful water spray into the area between my teeth and gum to flush out anything that might be trapped there.
She then tried applying something cold to my teeth and asked if I could feel it. She held it against the two bothersome teeth and I could barely feel it. Then she held it against another tooth and I said I could feel it better there. She laughed and said that's the tooth that had the root canal and I don't have any nerves there so I shouldn't have felt anything.
Ahhh well...
Meanwhile, I substituted the Listerine with a cup of salt water rinse instead.
Funny thing... after 5 days of flossing pain, that evening after the dental visit there wasn't any pain at all.
Dr. Chun must have the magic touch.
Art was concerned because he didn't want me to have any gum disease or infection or cavity or anything else happen while away on a trip. He insisted that I call the dentist and ask for an appointment. So I did.
"Does it hurt when you bite down?" the receptionist asked.
"No," I answered.
"Is there any bleeding when you floss?"
"No," I answered again.
"Are the gums swollen?"
"Ummm.... no, I don't think so."
So it went but she said I should come in and have the dentist look at it.
Dr. Chun is great! I really like her. I'd just been to see her for my 6 month check up last month. I told her it hurt when I flossed between the second the third molars from the back of the mouth. The X-rays didn't show a problem.
I told her Art had me rinsing with Listerine. She said salt water would be better and that the Listerine wouldn't help.
She also gave me a prescription for antibiotics to have during my trip just in case I start getting an infection then.
If it continued hurting in the next few days she suggested I come in and have her use a powerful water spray into the area between my teeth and gum to flush out anything that might be trapped there.
She then tried applying something cold to my teeth and asked if I could feel it. She held it against the two bothersome teeth and I could barely feel it. Then she held it against another tooth and I said I could feel it better there. She laughed and said that's the tooth that had the root canal and I don't have any nerves there so I shouldn't have felt anything.
Ahhh well...
Meanwhile, I substituted the Listerine with a cup of salt water rinse instead.
Funny thing... after 5 days of flossing pain, that evening after the dental visit there wasn't any pain at all.
Dr. Chun must have the magic touch.
A dentist with a "magic touch" is important to all of us.
ReplyDeleteI've had a popcorn kernel stuck in there before. Glad it got better all by itself. Bet that's what it was, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteVery puzzling, glad the pain went away.
ReplyDeleteyou are lucky...root canal are no fun!
ReplyDeletefirst I've heard of the salt water
ReplyDeleteI find that I get periodic pains and sensitivities but nothing seems to linger for too long.
ReplyDeleteI love that. I have just that pain too.
ReplyDeleteDental problems can be frustrating as they nag and can be hard to diagnose,
ReplyDelete.
That salt will kill any bacteria! We do that all the time!
ReplyDeleteI've done that popcorn kernel thing. Time and salt water is often the best cure.
ReplyDeleteIllnesses and injuries always improve after we talk to our doctor or dentist!! Darn, wish I knew why that was.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased the pain went away ...
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
I've had that issue many times with popcorn kernels. Glad it self-resolved!
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ReplyDeleteI was once a dental assistant and a soft bristled brush and flossing were things the dentist always recommended.
ReplyDeleteGood result - simple and all better! Hurray!
ReplyDeleteAll fixed and one less thing to worry about when you traveled.
ReplyDeleteThe UNKNOWN always is scary and can cause such pain and can make us imagine things are worse than they really are. That's how it is with me, anyway. So glad your dentist gave you practical advice and calmed you down, Kay (and Art).
ReplyDeleteI'm also a firm believer in warm salt water gargle for sore throat or gum pain. Mrs. Hubbard and Mrs. Hyatt taught me that years ago.
Glad
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