Yes! It happens to me alot, and I just hang in there, in hopes that it will go away. Sometimes it does go away. But....I have needed a fair amount of dental work since perimenopause/menopause. It was like my lower hormones had something to do with my teeth not holding up. I sort of freak out with tooth pain, because I have a dental phobia.
About a year ago, I switched to Sensodyne, and it has helped alot. Be careful with "tartar control" toothpastes, and anything but a soft toothbrush, since those can aggravate sensitive teeth. I also discovered that using an electric toothbrush can also aggravate things.
Also...you can get alot of tooth pain and sensitivity with sinus problems.
Good luck with this. It can be a real pain!

Me too! I was told it was sinus related. That makes sense for the upper tooth (x-rays show my sinus comes pretty low). Sensodyne for 6 months didn't help... I'm not sure why pain in lower teeth would be related to my sinuses, though...

Thanks for your replies. I was wondering if it might be sinus related because I had what felt like sinus pain a week or so before the tooth pain began. What concerned me and the dentist was that the tooth pain slowly spread from being localized at that tooth (at the back) to all the way to my front teeth. The pain is completely gone now, not even any sensitivity.

The past few years I've needed more novacaine than normal. I need a second shot about halfway through the treatment because I can feel the drilling!!! ==8-O

When I had a root canal and cap put on a tooth I had serious pain around that tooth. I went to the doctor who did the root canal, and to my regular dentist and neither of them could figure out what was causing the pain. They wanted to do another root canal. I went to my elderly tooth surgeon (who pulled my wisdom teeth out with only novacain) and he told me to floss like crazy. And in two days the pain was gone. I've told this to so many people and after they've flossed like crazy their pain went away too.

Can't hurt.

Also if you check the senodyne instructions I think it mentions you shouldn't use for long periods of time.

Also when I have sinus pain, that also can't be explained, I use a solution of 2 cups boiled water, 1 tsp salt and a pinch of baking soda, cool and put a small amount into a small glass and hold up to my nose and inhale as much as possible. This rinses out your nasal cavaties. You can also use a nose dropper to fill up the cavaties (put your head back and keep filling the dropper and squirting into your nose until the solution runs out) and then drain and blow your nose. I do this sometimes 3 times a day when it's bad. I found this in a home remedies book and swear by it now. I can't take antihistamines so what's a girl to do?

Karen, it is so interesting that you should say that about your tooth following root canal surgery. The thing I forgot to mention was that I had a filling and crown put on this tooth in 2001 (I remember the date very well because they had to replace the temporary crown on 9/11... what a day!). Anyway, that tooth has been sensitive ever since and the dentist can't understand why. I have many crowns but this is the only tooth that has been sensitive ever since.

The pain went away after I started taking the antibiotic. A coincidence? I may never know. However, twice in the past week I've had a really bad toothache in that spot that flared up suddenly without any provocation. I was lying in bed and then all of a sudden that tooth or the area around it ached very badly. The pain subsided after about a minute. Aside from that, no other discomfort.

I think I will try flossing like crazy just to see what happens.

Thanks again,
Jen

Jenn,
You don't have a crown over a filling, do you? If you do, you're not supposed to.
I had a root canal done on Oct. 23 (through an existing crown). It was wonderful to not have pain any more. I chewed the heck out of that tooth for 2 months, with absolutely no pain. Now the pain has come back! I've read that root canals don't always work, and you need an apiectomy.........which is when they go in through your gum, to get to the bottom of the root, and clean the nerve out better. I hope I don't need that......but the pain is very similar to when I needed the root canal.
But I definitely have pain in other teeth alot too. It comes and goes.......which is what made me think it has to do with hormone fluctuations. I've also noticed that when I have a toothache (from needing dental work), alot of my other teeth flare up, even if they're no where near the bad tooth.
Maybe flossing really brings blood to the area....and that somehow helps.
Twice now, I've had a really sore area near a tooth, only to discover it was a popcorn hull! It only began to work it's way out, after flossing the heck out of my teeth.

Catherine, now I don't know if it is a crown over a filling but I thought it was because my dentist doesn't do root canals (he refers his patients to an oral surgeon). Maybe he had to remove so much of the tooth from drilling out the cavity that there wasn't enough left to hold a filling so he put on a crown? I don't know. I think he's a good dentist though. I think I'll ask him next time I'm there if it's a filling with a crown over it.

I think there is a connection between tooth pain and the hormone fluxuations. It seems that it's just one more thing.

Interesting about the popcorn hull. Those things can feel like they are really cutting the gum. Sometimes it takes a long time to get everything out of the teeth while flossing, which goes to show why it is so important to do every day.

Hi Jenn,
I was thinking more about flossing. I think our primitive ancestors ate things that really gave their teeth and gums a healthy workout. We eat mush. So I think flossing really stimulates the gums, and has to be good for the tooth roots too. Thanks for reminding of it's importance!

Hi Jenn

Your post sounds like me!! I figured my dentist was missing something. One tooth stopped hurting and now its another one in a different area of the mouth... ??

Hi again,
I'm noticing that I go through cycles. Since I don't have periods any more, I can't say that they follow my cycle or not.......but my teeth will hurt for about 2 weeks, then they won't for about 2 weeks, then they will, then they won't! It goes on and on like this. I've learned to not call the dentist right away, because in many cases, it goes away.

Do you grind your teeth at night?

There is a thing called "pulpitis" where you just get inflamed. So the tooth's tissue swelling and inflammation make pressure hence the pain. I started to have some of
this and noticed that before a tooth was going to require a root canal (or worse), I would have these short periods of pain, then it would go away.

Sometimes you can get pulpitis by just grinding on a tooth. Treatment of mega doses of ibuprofen brings down the swelling. I did 600 mg and more daily for about 8 days when I was really in pain. The pain went away but returned two months later in which case, I got scared and had a root canal done on it. It turned out that it had not reached any infection stage but it was very inflamed. (I saw no need to deal with lots of pain so felt I made the proper decision).

But in less painful scenarios, with just a few days of something nagging, probably is caused from grinding. Invest in a night guard. There is no better solution.

Pain that comes and goes could well be bruxing. Un-conscious clenching of the jaws. It causes a lot of discomfort and the feeling something is wrong with a tooth.
Massaging of the joint by the ear helps relieve the tension -sometimes.

I'm 64, female and soooo upset! In Oct I broke the upper back tooth on right in half. Finally, in Nov., 10, I went to dentist, got it capped. 1-2 wks. Pain continued immediately.........so, this past Tues., March 2nd, got my first root canal. Still have the same pain! Was put on anti-inflam.meds plus Amoxcillian 875 plus Loritab 5mg. for pain. Nothing works!!! The dentist said he got all 3 canals, removed the root! X-ray didn't even show that I needed a root canal but dentist said, 'you have pain, got to need r.canal.' The x-ray also did not show an abcess. Today is March 5th, absolute no better. Dentist called in another antibiotic, ClindamycinHCL 150 mg capsule - took my first 2 capsules today.........I am so nervous and scared as to what's going on!!! I put a tiny piece of baked fish on the right side, barely chewed it and it hurts so bad! He said the 3 roots that go into the gum can be a major job to pull because one of the roots is twisted backward and will be major pulling it out......I'm at a loss as to what to do. I'm going to give my new antibiotics approx. 5 days to see if I get some relief. Suggestions anyone??? ;0(

i've been experiencing alot of abcesses for awhile.
dentist pulled one tooth, and now i'm going for
full scrapings from the hygienist. results; more pain than
before and continuing abcesses. had half of my mouth deep scraped, no help.Now the side i was chewing on hurts for
some reason. gonna see a PERIONDONTIST. I'M MENOPAUSAL.
THE LAST DENTIST THAT GAVE ME A CONSULT SAID" YOUR TEETH
ARE GARBAGE,IF YOU WANT ME TO WORK ON YOU, I'M GONNA PULL
ALL YOUR TEETH, AND PUT IMPLANTS IN INSTEAD." I'M NOT GONNA
LOSE ALL MY NATURAL TEETH FOR POSSIBLE IMPLANTS.
BESIDES IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.
I THINK IT'S STRESS AND GENETICS. THOSE THINGS CAN'T BE CHANGED. STILL MISERABLE. TOOTH PAIN KEEPS MOVING.