A Dental Visit and CVS Pharmacy

Over thirty years ago I had TMJ surgery, so anytime I go to the dentist - even for a routine cleaning - my jaw joints hurt. Ever since then, I have to wear a splint at night to protect the teeth and the joint. Grinding does not help either! Last week I woke up with a jolt... Somehow the grinding and the splint got in each others' way, and something happened. The next morning I woke up with swelling on that side of the face, and what felt like I might need a root canal. So I nursed it for a week, taking aspirin, and waiting for the pain to worsen, and the hot and cold sensations to begin. Having been seven days with a weekend coming, I decided to finally get it checked at the dentist. They took a couple X-rays, but nothing was visible. She did the grinding and pressure check, and nothing was really sensitive. She cleaned out the trouble area and blew the cold air, but everything seemed "ok." It still feels like something is festering, and I am very careful when I eat. She sent me home with a prescription for a muscle relaxant for a seven day period to help allay the grinding and relax my face so as to reduce the grinding. Of course, all our meds are through medco, but I needed to pick this one up. We drove our way to CVS in Alexandria in rush hour traffic. I don't know which is worse...the tooth pain or the rush hour traffic. Today I feel a little out of sorts. I am super sensitive to any medication, so this one probably is no different. Did it help the pain? Perhaps a little. It didn't get worse.  I can still tell there is something not quite right. Let's hope it keeps getting better.