Just curious, but was you on any Oxycontin or something similar for you back? I had back surgery earlier this year and am now having a lot of dental work and I was told that was part of the reason.
I've been on all kinds of meds from the last 14 surgeries. I was on Oxycontin after I just had my back fused, (from the front abdomen area, and from the back side), and then after being able to go home in a walker, I sat down and all the hardware popped out and the whole fusion broke.. That hurt like hell!
I lost so much blood that I don't remember much, but I woke up in a recovery room and had to have it all refused including another level. They had me on that then. But, the dentist and doctors are pretty sure that when I got that staph infection in my spine during surgery #3 I think, and the heavy anti-biotics for 1 year, killed off a lot of the "good bacteria". It's caused a mess in my whole body. My Testosterone dropped off the charts, my vitamin D was pretty much non-exsistant.
But the pain from the surgeries has been so bad at times, that I have woke up clenching, and have broke a tooth in half.. I have no lower teeth anymore, other than the front, and the top middle is actually fake (it broke in half upon waking up just before that pic. There is some bonding on it now so I didn't cut myself)
The only thing I know about any pain med and dental issues, is that it causes dry mouth, so if you are taking something like that, be sure to get some sugarfree gum to make you salivate.
Sorry to hear about your back. Back issues suck, and mind is very hard to stabalize.. I have a bag of hardware that has been broke or removed in my drawer.. Make sure you have a good surgeon also!