I'm pretty sure that the teeth pain is from sinus, ear issues.

I am the sinus infection queen, so I often get sinus-related tooth pain. But the sensitivity to cold is not a normal sinus-related tooth thing for me. Plus it started after the fillings, so it seems like it's an Eeek! Denistry! thing.

Steph, have you tried sensitive teeth toothpaste and/or fluoride rinses?

Teeth ARE expensive! And I need to set up new dentist appointments, I've decided I don't like my current dentist, but that means arranging a new one. Urgh.

The good news is, my power is back on, much earlier than they first said! Some kind of transformer blew (three blasts, quite loud) just as I was leaving the house at 4:30, and I checked a local newsblog an hour later that said power would be back at 11pm. Eep! But I came home and lo and behold, electricity! t hugs laptop Never leave me again, electricity!

Steph, have you tried sensitive teeth toothpaste and/or fluoride rinses?

You know, I haven't. It didn't even occur to me, because my mind immediately jumped to ROOT CANAL OH NOES.

Hmmm. I still need the checkup on Friday, but the sensitive teeth toothpaste is something I should look into.

I am the sinus infection queen, so I often get sinus-related tooth pain. But the sensitivity to cold is not a normal sinus-related tooth thing for me. Plus it started after the fillings, so it seems like it's an Eeek! Denistry! thing.

I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to argue with you about your tooth pain, just trying to reassure myself with my big dentist fear.

I had fears of a root canal, because I kept having pain in one tooth when I bit down (not always, but frequently). At my last checkup the dentist said "yes, there's a crack in it, you'll need a crown, $500!" and I put it off for a while...and then the filling in that tooth fell out. And I had them fix it...and lo and behold, no more pain! Hrmph.

I do second the sensitive toothpaste thing, that has helped me in the past.

As my mother keeps saying, "It's hell to get old." When was the surgery, Nora?

Well, the original knee replacement was in May 2010, and he wasn't able to really recover, so he went back under a couple weeks ago- the 9th I think. They found pretty bad infection, cleaned it out, sewed him up and started some hardcore antibiotics. He was in the hospital for a few days, and then when it was time to move to rehab, Medicare wouldn't cover the cost of an ambulance- if he could sit up, he could get himself there. While trying to get him in the car, that's when it started bleeding. Got patched up, was at rehab for a couple days, the bleeding wouldn't stop.

Back to the hospital, back in surgery to see what's going on. Still bleeding. With added disorientation.

I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to argue with you about your tooth pain, just trying to reassure myself with my big dentist fear.

Oh, I wasn't yelling at you -- and I'm sorry if I came across that way; I was just rambling more about my own teeths and their annoying funky groove.

I think sinus tooth pain is definitely recognizable (as distinct from tooth pain caused by other things), and if you're having other sinus issues at the same time, the tooth pain is almost surely from the sinus pressure. It sucks, but fortunately drugs can knock it out.

Pain, illness and being in a strange place can all increase disorientation. I'm so sorry he's having all these problems.

The sinus infection that would not die (because it was MRSA) made my teeth and jaw hurt when the sinuses were not obviously involved.

Steph, at least in my experience, the need-a-root-canal symptoms were extreme pain due to heat (spontaneous crying, whee ) cold was the only thing that made it better (I went out and bought a teething ring, seriously, and only slept by packing my mouth with ice.) I do have cold sensitivity normally. My dentist has taken to painting over my "hot spots" (really, cold spots) with something that over many cleanings, has made the spots less sensitive. And I do use a sensitive-teeth paste, for many years now.

But even if you do need a root-canal, OMG, I thought mine was the Best Thing EVAH. Instant pain relief!

And I bet I can beat you all with dentist-avoidance: a decade. In which molars were falling apart and the only thing that got me in was it hurt too damned much. Two gold crowns, one which then needed the root canal, plus a double nonmetal crown, and god knows how many fillings. But I've been pronounced good for over 2 years now. And I schedule my next visit at every cleaning, to avoid starting up the cycle again. Thing is? Dentist thinks I would have needed most of this work anyway, even if I'd been seeing a dentist regularly. Just might've avoided the fillings.