Root canal - need advice if you`ve had one

[figleaf]

I had a root canal and root filling last Tuesday. The tempory filling that the Dentist had given a week prior to that had cure all pain I had been feeling but the real permanent filling from last Tue has given me lots of pain.
After 2 days of maxing out on Paracetamol and Ibuprofen I went back to se the dentist. He said the pain was normal and gave me 1 strip of anti inflamatories to help settle it down. That was Thursday, its now the early hrs of Sunday night and Im still in great pain. Ive used up his tabs and am back to maxing out on Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. I`m also using Bonjela on my gum and ice.

My question is can anyone give me an idea of how long this pain should last based on their own experience or that of someone they know?

[almostanangel]

i am not an expert but i have had root canal and do not remember being in pain.to be honest but then my dentist is amazing so im lucky ,i really think what you should do is phone another dentist and say i hope you dont mind me calling .[dont mention your name or your dentist] but i had rootcanal on ......[ ] and it is really hurting is this normal? sorry to any dentists out there if this is bad advice but it is all i could think of,,hope you feel better soon..hun..it may not be your tooth though prob your jaw and gums where he put pulled your mouth about.

[Ameriscot2005]

I had a painful root canal where the filling material was (deliberately) pushed beyond the apex of the root. I had one like that (deliberately so) and I think it was sore for a while - several days to a week? That was 15 years ago now and I've never had any trouble with it since.

[FIMAC1]

Figleaf

I had one done and did not have any pain afterwards, I would go back if it is the same on Tuesday

[elsmommy]

I used to be a dental nurse. The pain should settle down after a day or 2. If its gone on this long I should think the dentist has either not filled it down to the bottom or gone too far.
I'd definatly go back. If he says theres nothing wrong ask for a second opinion.

[KBear]

I've had two - no pain after either time - I thought they removed the nerve so therefore no pain? Not an expert though.

I would call the dentist NOW, if no one's there, there should be a number for out of hours emergencies. I would not suffer like this. You might even get to see a different dentist for second opinion. Howl down the phone if you have to. No pain like it. My sympathies. (Or maybe call your local A&E to see if they have an emergency dentist at the hosp).

[expatinscotland]

i had no pain, either. the tooth should be dead. i had a little pain when the permanent crown went on, but it only lasted a day or two when i bit on it. i've had this crown in for years with no trouble.

go back!

[figleaf]

I rang the surgery but the recorded message that gives the emergency number is not on. The internet gave the number for a sisiter practice in Winchester so I rang their out of hours number and their dentist has left a message for my dentist on his home machine and mobile.

I didint think it was normal to have this level of throbby pain so thanks to those who confirmed my suspicions.

[whymummy]

mine wasn't done properly and a year later while on holiday i was in agony and i mean agony,my whole mouth,side of the face and neck hurt so much that the strongests painkillers only lasted an hour,i was supposed to take 4 a day and i was taking one every 2 hours i ended with a huge abssess where my whole face was so swollen i couldn't open my left eye,the dentist had to cut the gum to get the pus out,the anaesthetic didn't work at all and he said he's never seen so much pus in his life.
i hope yours is not this bad,good luck figleaf

[figleaf]

Dentist has just rung. He says hell see me tomorrow but in the mean time he wants me to take the paracetamol and ibuprofen together every 3 hours. This means I ll be taking twice the amount of ibuprofen than the packet says is the max allowed and one tablet more than the paracetamol packet says is the max allowed.

Does this sound safe?

[figleaf]

Whymummy that sounds terrible by the way.

[figleaf]

Still here and still in pain. Taking the paracetamol and Ibuprofen together at 3 hr intervals reduces the pain a tiny amount but Im concerned about the night Ive got to get through before I see the dentist in the morning. I spent 3 hrs awake last night.

Has any one tried ASPRIN to help root canal pain?

Does anyone know if I can mix these 3 drugs safely? I`ve looked on the Internet and it implies I can use Ibuprofen and Asprin but it doesnt mention paracetamol.

Has anyone got any none drug suggestions to ease pain overnight?

[whymummy]

i'm sorry figleaf,it's horrible,i don't know about mixing medicines,i don't know how you'll get through the night i really hope you can,on other occassions where i had toothache i used to have a bottle of brandy by the bed and just get some in my mouth to numb the pain and then spit it out,it didn't work at all with the root canal pain but you could try,i really hope you can get some sleep

[Milliways]

Figleaf - I regularly mix paracetamol & Ibuprofen (on doctors orders). He says I can take DOUBLE the recommended dose of paracetamol PLUS standard dose of Ibuprofen if necessary. I find 3 paracetalmol every 4 hours + 2 nurofen, also every 4 hours but staggered so taking one or the other every 2 hours works but the Ibuprofen upsets my stomach.

Would not suggest this long term but to get you through a night/weekend you will be ok.

I hope your dentist sorts you out tomorrow. Good luck.

[figleaf]

Thanks both of you.

Any advice re Asprin anyone?

[whymummy]

how are you figleaf?did you go to the dentist?

[figleaf]

Thanks for asking Whymummy. Ive got antibiotics for an infection and some more anti-inflamitories (sp?). He took an X-ray and evidentally some of the cement from the filling has leaked into my jaw. He told me to ring to check in with him today. I rang him at lunch time and told him that things are calming down but still painful at night and when eating. Hes giving me till Friday for the antibiotics to work if they havent, hes going to look for other problems.

[whymummy]

i hope the ABs work for you,i ended up having my tooth pulled out as i didn't want to go through that hell again but yours might be different and it gets better soon

[Chandra]

I have had two the first one there was no pain at all (actually I didn't realise it had been done until another dentist pointed it out to me in an X-ray). Second one was the most painful thing ever, a week in agony, I was prescribed antibiotics, sadly when I mentioned that the pain had disappeared after the antibiotics the surgeon told me that that meant that the root canal had not been done properly . I have to have it done again but still don't find the courage (and the dentist) to start it all over again.

Lets hope the pain eases soon.

[whymummy]

you too chandra,is awful,i've had lots of toothaches and ear infections but nothing compared to the agony of that root canal that's why i had it out

[Chandra]

It seems like we suffer from the same pains.... all of them!

[figleaf]

Antibiotics finished last sunday and Im pain free now. I can eat on the tooth and havent taken pain killers or anti inflamitory drugs since Sunday either. I have this "awareness" of the tooth though. Hard to explain what I mean by that I just have.

Im alarmed by your post Chandra. Does me having antibiotics mean Ill have to have mine redone!!

I have a appt at the dentist this Friday. I was going to cancel it due to lack of pain not sure though.

[whymummy]

hi figleaf,if i was you i'll ask for an x-ray just to see if the treatment was done properly,there must be something wrong if you had this pain and you don't want that to happen again
good luck

[Chandra]

Not necessarily but if the pain eased with the antibiotics there must be a chance, The dentist told me something like that before doing the XRay... and he was right.

I'll get a new XRay, just to be sure.

Hello Whymummy, how are the hoidays going?

[whymummy]

fine thanks i thought i'll be pulling my hair out by now but is going well

[Issymum]

figleaf, I've had a root canal done recently and I was "aware" of the tooth for several weeks afterwards, particularly after I'd brushed or flossed it, but it seems to have settled down now.