Hi Kat. I swear, when your mouth hurts, everyting hurts! If you don’t mind sharing a little more, I’d like to ask you a few more questions about what you’re experiencing. I’ve had a long career in dentistry as a certified dental assistant. I’m not dentist but I’m willing to try to help you get to the root of the problem.

Can you tell me a little more about the type of pain you’re feeling in your tongue? Is it pulling as though the tongue isn’t free to move? Or sharp pains in the tongue when talking or chewing?
Do you feel that you’re biting your tongue while talking and chewing? Are you nicking your tongue and cheeks? Or is this primarily felt inside your tongue with no visible biting.

You mentioned your dentist adjusting the bite. Were the areas trimmed marking as high spots on the articulating paper your dentist used to check the bite?

You recenlty saw an orthodontist. What was determined? Are your teeth out of alignment? Did they take study models or use imagining to check the accuracy of your bite when closed.

I’m wondering about trying mouthguards. Not the large, athletic guards you make at home. In this case, the guards would be clear, thin plastic much like the Invisalign trays used in that form of orthodontia or some custom night guards. You could try them at night to see if it makes any difference in how your mouth feels. Your dentist would be the person to ask.

Have you been checked for possible TMJ (temporal mandibular joint) issues. Usually they don’t involve the tongue but anything is possible. If this is more muscular than say, biting your tongue, there might be some merit in trying a massage therapist who specializes in myofacial release. There are practioners who specialize in that area and will do a massage to loosen tension in the mouth.

Since you’ve been suffering from this for 20 years, can you pinpoint when the discomfort began? Did anything change in your life? More stress, anxiety, health issues? How about wisdom tooth removal or any other type of oral surgery?