You may remember back in May, I went to the dentist because of a "toothache." He eventually told me I needed a root canal. When I went to get the root canal done (on 3rd July), the dentist discovered that neither of the teeth I was supposed to have a root-canal performed on were problematic. Both teeth, he said, were perfectly healthy.
OK....this past week, the teeth were "hurting" again. Every time I brushed my teeth, I could feel pain in that area. So, back to the dentist I went, yesterday. As soon his mirror instrument touched my cheek, I felt pain. He looked at me, puzzled, and asked me if I was feeling pain in my cheek. He touched my teeth and gums with his finger. No pain. But, I had pain in my cheeck. He shakes his head and says, "Ethel, you don't have teeth problems. You have a salivary gland problem." I've never heard of such a thing, have you?
He told me to go home and suck on three lemon-heads (the candy). But, when my coworker googled it, she found out that some people actually had problems AFTER sucking on the lemon heads. Instead, folks recommended that I suck on actual lemons. The tartness of the lemon is supposed to make me develop and excrete a ton of saliva, thus releasing the "block." My dentist said this was going to be painful. I was supposd to take 400 mg of Ibuprofen and some Tylenol with codeine. He said that once the block was released, I was going to feel excruciating pain.
I sucked on two lemons last night. I didn't feel any difference, except for the fact that sucking on lemons is an awful, awful, awful thing. So, now, I'm wondering if I *do* have a blocked salivary gland. The dentist said that if it doesn't get itself unblocked, and I continue to have pain, I'll have to go to an oral surgeon to get it unblocked. I just want to cry at this point.
