@jewel8888 Thank you . you give me hope that this head pain will end.When I went to the dentist I told him that a had a toothache, but I couldn't figure out which one it was.he examined all of the lower teeth on that side and when he got to the wisdom tooth and just tapped on it and attempted to move it a bit, the tooth pain became centered in that tooth. It is still aching and it is difficult to brush it. I told him about the head pain and he didnt promise that it would stop, but he told me that the nerve from that particular tooth (lower wisdom)can cause pain in the neck and head.I’m worried about having anything done. Dental work usually makes me ill, causing a flare of sjogren’s. While seeing my previous dentist,I have also gotten pneumonia immediately following an aggressive cleaning. The doctor was puzzled by it.He said my lungs were filling up with fluid and there were some sort of particles in them. There was some discussion about it and they decided that it was likely from the cleaning. I was in “guarded condition” for several days in the hospital. They used both antibiotics and steroids to help me..I have a new dentist now, since my dentist retired.I didn’t blame him, but the hygienist was very rough and obviously careless with suction. I am not telling this story to complain, I am telling it so that others will be aware that simple procedures can be problematic for us and to keep all options in mind if you become ill right after having something done.And to make sure techs know about your problems.

@gemmax

I have had similar headaches and they were related to dental problems. The teeth causing the headaches were always abcessed, so work on them released the infected tissue and fluids in to my system. My dentists Always prescribed antibiotics for 2 weeks before opening up the infected tooth/gum. Ask your dentist to do that. I'm surprised your dentist didn't do that automatically.

Since our move to our current home in southern California, I have a new dentist. Last week he began work on 3 teeth, 2 that need crowns, and 1 with an inlay. He refilled an old filling the week before. He used a dental block made of plastic that I rested my jaw on (great help for my TMJ) while he worked on the teeth for 3 hours with two 10 minute breaks. The plastic instrument prevented all tooth and any tissue particles or fluid from going down my throat and being swallowed. The dental assistant used the "vacuum" as well. This was new to me, and it was highly effective. After all his work and the long time in the chair I have had no headache or jaw or face aches or pains afterwards! He's expensive and I have no insurance, but it is worth it because I avoid other problems that can cause additional expense. I return next week for the final crowns and inlay to be placed.

I recommend talking with your dentist about prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental care, and ask about the dental shield and jaw rest that mine used. I don't know what it's called technically. I also recommend keeping your teeth cleaned and examined on a regular basis. I go every 6 months for a cleaning. I had been putting off this work for a year because of the expense (close to $4,000 total). I finally decided to go for it before things got infected. Dental infections can cause a multitude of other problems in our bodies, especially heart problems. So, I highly recommend taking care of your teeth! BTW, I used my noise canceling earphones and my own music on my cell phone to help me relax and pass the time. Hand signals worked for communication.

Good luck with your dental visit @gemmax
Gail
Volunteer Mentor

Your headaches can be from eyes also I have glaucoma and when my pressure is high I get headaches so beside teeth this can cause headaches To bad you can't have the tooth extracted if it pained just to touch it ,

@.gailb Thank you for the great post and your encouragement.You are afine example of a person who cares enough about others to take time to help. I have gotten my teeth in fairly good shape, but as you mentioned, it is really expensive. I had an appointment for Friday to begin the crown process on the wisdom tooth I mentioned, but they called us at 9:30 this morning and asked us if we could come in right then...they had had a cancellation.. So of course i went. They did the first part of the work and got the temporary crown on. So far so good. Although i am very tired, I don't have that awful pain since i got home. I am so thankful for the relief.

@lioness Thank you for the reminder. It is time for me to see the eye doc. I too have glaucoma. I’m going to schedule that appointment tomorrow. Be blessed!

@gemmax glad you found the problem and it helped and the reminder for your eyes

@gemmax
I'm so glad you have had your tooth worked on and that you feel better! Thanks for your kind words as well. I'm curious about why you are having a crown put on a wisdom tooth? I had all my wisdom teeth pulled in my 20s. They were growing sideways. My dentist at the time said we really don't need the wisdom teeth. That's why I'm wondering why you're having the expense of a crown, rather than having the tooth extracted?

By the way, you are a very compassionate communicator. Your posts are beautiful.

Gail
Volunteer Mentor

@gemmex I totally agree with gailb

@gail when I was young I lost several molars when I had severe anemia and a thyroid disorder. The dentist offered either option, but I dont have a lot of chewing surface left that is from my real teeth. My wisdom teeth are not impacted as is the case with many people . You are right about not needing them, unless you have my problems. Also, removing it would likely have caused a flare of Sjogren’s and muscle inflammation making my symptoms worse and even forcing me to bed., even with antibiotics. any sort of “wound” such as a surgery or invasive tests make me sicker. Thank you for your concern. Sometime it is difficult to figure out th best thing to do. I do hope that I can be helpful to others. Gem

@gemmax I have severe TMJ which caused severe headaches for 2 years. Yes, figuring out the best thing to do is difficult. My ache went waaaay beyond an ache. The first OD claiming to a TMJ specialist made things worse. I was reluctant to try again. This time I did more research. My current DDS recommended another specialist after doing what he could to get my gums healthy as the other DDS and his staff were not cleaning my teeth properly. I paid the first one a lot of money and assuage myself by saying, "he and his staff did the best they knew how".
I had no abscessed teeth-it was my bite and the fact that my right mandibular joint was completely out of socket due to mistakes of the 1st OD calling himself a specialist. As yet there are no special requirements for any dentist claiming to be such...Beware.
Now with a qualified hygienist my gums are completely healed. The 2nd specialist is a specialist. Some mistakes that have been made were costly as insurance will not pay for this kind of thing. Dentures for me are not an option. I did lose 4 teeth due to the ignorance of the other specialist. I do wonder how some self-claimed specialists sleep at night.
I realize TMJ may not be the cause of head pain (more than an ache in my case) for many.
Mayhap this comment can help someone