Tooth pain for husband, 3 weeks post surgery

[Chrystal]

Hello and merry Christmas to all! My husband is nearly 4 weeks post surgery for BAV, Ascxending aortic aneurysm and is having tooth pain. He started having it maybe a couple of weeks after. He started wearing his mouth guard at night and that helped a bit. He also has used an ice pack a couple of times and that seems to help alot. He's not having any swelling. He says it feels like the pain is at the bottom of the tooth, in the gum area, and in the jaw area somewhat. I know he will likely need to see the dentist, but I was wondering if anyone has had this problem. He has had good blood pressure numbers. He's also to see the surgeon for the first time Monday. Thanks for your help!

 

[dick0236]

I would imagine that his problem is dental and the recent heart surgery does not play a part, but since he will see his surgeon Monday, ask his opinion. Doctors have always encouraged me to keep my teeth/gums healthy to prevent infections that could compromise my heart health.

 

[Jkm7]

My surgeon was very firm about my not seeing a dentist for any reason for six months post op valve replacement. He required a full dental check pre surgery to be certain there was no infection in my mouth. I've read here many surgeons say the same thing.

It would be a good idea to discuss this with the surgeon when you see him next week.
Best wishes.

 

[jake]

Tooth pain post surgery

Tooth pain post surgery

Christal:

I know this all too well. I would strongly advise you to seek out a dentist who specializes in TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction). I have written on this before and hopefully, you will find this helpful.

After surgery, (this last December 3rd) I was having enough pain and stress that unconsciously, particularly at night when I was sleeping, I was clinching and grinding my teeth causing incredible pain in the area where my teeth were meeting my gum line and in my jaw and jaw joint. It felt like my teeth were coming loose or something! I felt like I was going to lose my mind after a while it was so bad. After a few days when I got home, the pain had traveled to my cheek, into my sinus area and even as high as my eyes and started to touch off migraine headaches.

Before surgery, I used to wear a device called a bite splint. I was advised to discontinue using it just before surgery and did not think about it until I was back home and started experiencing tooth pain again.

Before surgery, my bite splint fit so well that I could slip it on and off my lower teeth with simple tongue pressure. Once I was post-op and got back home and decided to put it back in again, my teeth, particularly my back teeth on my lower jaw were so stressed from the clinching and grinding that I could barely get my bite splint back on. After a few days of getting it back on, my tooth, jaw facial and eye pain and headaches simply went away.

There are a lot of dentists who advertise that they deal with TMJ, but if you decide to investigate this, make sure you select someone who specializes in TMJ disorders. Keep in mind that over the counter bite splints are so generic that they seldom do anything other than protect the enamel on the teeth at night and can actually make a bad situation worse by jacking your teeth out of natural alignment.

There is seldom any dental work involved, thus its something he can do post surgery. It’s mostly a matter of having a jaw study done where they check the mesh of the jaw by making a plastic mold. Than they make an appliance that snaps onto the bottom or top or both rows of teeth to re-align the jaw to make the jaw joint happy. Of course, I would involve the surgeon in any decision like this so soon after surgery if you do move forward. With me, there was no grinding, or scraping of the teeth or anything.

I wish you both the best on this and hope you will find the info helpful. Merry Christmas!

 

[drivetopless]

I agree with Jake.
I wear a mouth guard for nighttime clenching/grinding of the teeth.

If I don't wear the guard, after a few nights the teeth in the back get really sore and achy and sensitive to cold.

I would think your hubby's dentist could fit him for one. It's not really an invasive dental prodcedure. They just put some molding putty in your mouth and take an impression. You could ask the surgeon. I will warn you that the custom fit guards can be expensive, though. They are totally worth it.



Sinus problems also sometimes make my teeth sore.

 

[kfay]

Crystal, I think the standard is no dental work for 6 months after surgery which is why they want to know that you have dental clearance going in. Obviously, if an emergency arises, it has to be taken care of. I had a crown break off a couple months post op which turned into me needing a root canal, so instead of just the regular dose of antibiotics, they had me take a longer course (can't remember how long now, between 10-14 days worth). I was fine and it was no big deal. Get him to the dentist to get it taken care of though.


Kim

 

[ALCapshaw2]

In addition to all of the above, the possibility of an abscess (and possible root canal) also came to mind.

Be sure to mention this tooth pain to his Heart Surgeon (and maybe even Cardio and PCP).

Fingers crossed that it's 'just' TMJ.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Chrystal]

Thank you all for the replies! I showed them to him and we will discuss the problem with his surgeon today. He did have a custom made mouth guard once, but quickly bit thru it! He uses one you can buy from walmart now. He still has the pain every couple of days. Hopefully it's a TMJ/sinus problem.

 

[tobagotwo]

For six months after the type of surgery that your husband had (aorta involved), there is a heightened risk of infectious endocarditis (until the endothelium, or "inner skin" has fully regrown). This can destroy the new valve and can be very dangerous for him.

Because of this, my personal opinion is that your husband should be checked by a dentist immediately, to rule out any infection. If he has an infection, he must work with the cardiologist and the dentist to arrange for prophylactic antibiotics and get it taken care of as quickly as possible. No dental work for three or six months means no casual dental work, like cleanings. Anything that might be infected should be treated with great caution and concern. Infections, especially those with teeth or sinuses, should not be allowed to linger in someone who has just received a new valve.

If he does have an infection in his tooth or gums, the doctor should run a blood culture after it's been taken care of to ensure that it didn't hang around in the valve.

Hopefully, he doesn't have an infection. Then he has pain to deal with, but it's not life-threatening.

Best wishes,