Tooth Abscess or 7th-Nerve Viral Infection?!

Tooth Abscess or 7th-Nerve Viral Infection?

1. Last year, one of my back molars cracked, I didn't see a dentist or do anything about it. It didn't give me problems.

2. Last week, I began to have severe pain in my face, on the same side as the cracked molar. But my gums and teeth don't hurt at all, there is no swelling or bleeding.

3. So far, my face has gone from being in complete torture, to absolutely fine. It seems to come every 15 minutes, and then goes away after like 1-2 minutes. There are odd characteristics: it only happens when I'm not moving, when I'm very still. It's localized in my cheek and jaw bone.

4. Went to my doctor today - he told me I had a virus in the seventh nerve. That it'd go away in 1-2 weeks, but there was NOTHING I could do, no anti-biotics, no pain-killers (except for Advil).

5. I'm planning on seeing a dentist soon, and I'm 100% positive he'll tell me it's a cavity/bacterial abscess of my tooth.

6. So, who's right? Thanks.

I'm a bit puzzled about your physician's diagnosis.. Cranial Nerve VII's general sensory innervation is around your ear and a bit behind your neck. These are the nerve branches of CN VII that can feel pain, and you didn't feel pain there.

CN VII's special sensory innervation is the tongue and palate (for taste), and you didn't feel any pain there.

The other CN VII innervation is motor (muscles of facial expression and various glands), and those are not sensory (does not transmit pain signals).

The sensory innervation for your face AND teeth are Cranial Nerve V, which has 3 branches: CN V1 = temporal (forehead), CN V2 = maxillary (upper jaw / middle face), CN V3 = mandibular (lower jaw / lower face). Those can sense pain on the face. This might not necessarily be caused by a cavity or abscessed tooth though-- Plenty of people have had pain along these dermatomes due to various conditions, some of which are of unknown origin such as trigeminal neuralgia, some of which are viral such as shingles.

Various meds are used to treat facial pain involving CN V, such as tegretol, amytriptyline, gabapentin, etc. And people with shingles are often prescribed viral suppresion meds such as Valtrex.

Also, regardless of the nerve causing your pain, you really should get that broken tooth treated.