Infection after tooth extraction

[insomuchpain1]

Hi, I'm not sure what I'm looking for on here just some advice or just for me to have a rant I guess!
On Monday I got one of my back teeth out at the top of my mouth.
For the past two and a half days I've been in excruciating pain. My left side of my face has swollen, my gums have gone a strange colour, there white spots all around my gums, the full left side of my face and mouth is in agony, the hole where the tooth was extracted from is full of puss and there is also two yellow spots on the top of my gums!
I've rang round every dentist no one could see me till Tuesday. I've rang 111 who were no help at all and just told me I need to wait it out till my Tuesday appointment.
I really don't know what to do I am in so much pain I can't eat sleep eat or drink😫😥

Oh bless you. It sounds like dry socket and I would have cheerfully thrown myself in front of a bus because of it just a few weeks ago. I got some amazing advice. I'll find my thread and post a link here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3691531-To-want-to-throw-myself-under-a-bus-just-to-escape-this-pain

Goodness, that is ridiculous you can’t wait until Tuesday, infection like that needs treating now. I’d phone 111 back and say you need to see either emergency dentist or dr (can give pain relief and antibiotics to tide you over.) Is there an emergency number on the dentist who pulled the tooth’s answer machine? You have my sympathy dental pain is the worst.

Probably wasn’t wise but I once irrigated and packed My own socket after tooth extraction, it was certainly better after I had done it than before.

Keep phoning NHS 24 until they offer you an appointment. Tell them facial swelling and day struggling to open mouth. And say it's getting worse. You should be seen

It sounds like dry socket to me, did they give you an information sheet when you left your dentist?

It should tell you what to do. If you ring your surgery now, although they will be closed there should be a recorded message telling you where to go for emergency dental care.

@ChatNicknameAlreadyInUse - hi I've read your thread it's absolutely awful isn't it I'm sat here in tears! I've had codiene, paracetamol, Ibrufoen and nothing will touch it! All the painkillers are doing is bringing my temperature down, why are dentists shut on a weekend
Honestly your thread was really helpful and I hope your fully recovered and feeling better x

@AtleastitsnotMonday - I have rang several time to be told there is nothing they can do and all they can offer is advice! They told me that it will be a waste of time going to my local urgent care as they will not have anything to do with dental issues😭 honestly the pain is making me feel suicidal

@Ash39 - hi, it has actually got to the point now where I can barley even open my mouth😢 I will try ringing back but it's highly unlikely they will do anything

@BlueLines - yes I got a after care sheet I don't smoke anyways and have continued to clean with salt water 4/5 times a day. I rang the dentist were I got it done and the advice was for emergency's call 111.... which were no help at all 😭

Fucking HELL I’ve been where you are and it was sickening. Why the fuck is it that dental catastrophes in this country are brushed aside when I’ve had 3 CSections and will confidently say the recovery from every one of those was less painful than a dry fucking socket.

Drugs. Take ‘em all. Shame you don’t have codeine or dihydrocideine.

@AdultFishcakes - it's shocking isn't it! Worst pain ever! Debating wether to turn up to the urgent care and beg them for a doctor to see me for at least some pain relief till I can see a dentist after the weekend!
I do anything for some codiene, morphine or anything stronger!!

Go and get some hydrogen peroxide from the chemist, it's about 70p. It'll oxidise the bacteria if you you gargle with it diluting the liquid as per the instructions. I think it's 1:4.

@Bloomburger - thank you!

does anyone know if urgent care would see me?

yes, just go, if only for the drugs.

You poor thing. Phone nhs 24. The guidelines are if you cannot open your mouth properly and the infection/swelling getting worse then that's a proper emergency and should be seen immediately. Each region will have a weekend on call centre. Where in the country are you?
Keeping pestering them. It is negligible for them to refuse to see you. Failing that, or in the event of a long wait you could try pharmacist.
Failing that and you are worried then go straight to a&E.
There are cases where if this is left untreated the infection can spread, affect you airways and you could require it antibiotics.
I'm sure it won't come to that, but you HAVE to be seen asap

@AdultFishcakes yes its just for pain relief till I can try get another emergency appointment on Monday morning!

I used clove oil - can get from Boots.

Obviously until I got back to dentist - then he gave me antibiotics.

Don't use dilute hydrogen peroxide. It could aggravate the socket. I'm a dentist and have never recommended that.
Your best bet is hot salty mouthwash, or possibly a dilute chlorohexidine gluconate ( corsodyl) mouthwash.

What you really need, if it turns out to be a dry socket is for the area to be debrided and flushed out, (perhaps manipulation to get a new clot to form? Depends on a few factors), a dressing placed in the sockets called alvogyl, and a course of antibiotics to treat systemic side effects, such as amoxicillin or metronidazole

Aghhh! Don't use clove oil either!!! Both hydrogen peroxide and Clive oil will aggravate the socket

@Ash39 -- if I went to my local urgent care centre do you think they would be able to give me some pain relief till I can get try get a emergency appointment on Monday morning?
I have been doing salty washes but it's quite swelled now and I can barley open my mouth

Surely there is somewhere medical you can go at the weekend to get some antibiotics?! Are there no walk in centres that can prescribe these things? I despair of this country....

OP, you poor thing. I remember the weekend my nerve died off after a failed filling. Even a change of temperature eg getting in a hot car made me cry, the pain was so so bad. Like you, the strongest painkillers made no difference. I literally banged my head on the kitchen island when the pain was at its worst. Luckily I was able to access an emergency weekend dentist who packed the tooth with something and gave me a temp filling till I could get a root canal done a few weeks later. The relief, I could have kissed him! I felt guilty because when I got there the place was in darkness, and it was just the dentist and dental nurse who opened up and one of them had had to come from a family party by the sound of it. But I was SOO glad I had it done. I was in Denplan at the time but I’m not now and if I needed a weekend appointment again I would put it on a credit card or something!

Any dentists around to advise OP?

Get yourself to a chemist or send someone.

Paramol (paracetamol with dihydracodeine), strongest thing you can buy OTC. Take alongside full dose of ibuprofen. Together this will help somewhat - obviously wait until your next paracetamol is due before taking the Paramol.
Maybe max strength orajel too.

I’m waiting on three teeth to be removed under sedation and dealing with hideous pain. This plus a hot water bottle against my face are the only things which help at all but I’m not sure if the heat is advised if you have an infection.

Here 111 have to get you seen by someone if there’s a chance of infection. It’s dangerous to leave you like this for three days. At the very least call your dentist first thing Monday.