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Original poster

In agony after a deep filling! Please help!

88 replies

Ashana · 06/02/2019 23:14

I had a very deep filling done last Thursday in one of my upper molars. The tooth had had a filling in it previously which had come away and some of the tooth had also chipped off. The dentist drilled further and put a new filling in and said that the tooth may require a root canal in the future if the filling doesn't work.

A day after I had the filling done I was absolutely fine, but on day three and four I was in agony. I was in so much pain that I was in tears. Day five and six have been a bit better but I'm still getting sudden bouts of deep, throbbing pain. I hate taking pain killers so I only take paracetamol and ibuprofen when I can't bare the pain any longer.

I went back to see the dentist yesterday because of the pain but he said to carry on taking painkillers and wait another couple of weeks to see if the tooth settles. If not, he will then consider root canal.

I really can't bare the thought of having to put up with this pain any longer. I've had to take a few days off work for this and I've been unable to do much activity with my toddler so I feel really guilty. We are also going abroad in a weeks time so I really need to get it sorted.

How long does a deep filling usually take to settle? What advice can anyone give? The pain gets so bad that I just want to pull the tooth out.

Thanks.

OP posts:
LeilaDarling · 07/02/2019 07:14

I’ve been there, 4 times!! Worst pain of my life. Sounds like you need metrozinadole - as well as painkillers with codeine in. Xx

TheMammothHunters · 07/02/2019 07:29

If it’s that bad you need to go back and make the decision root canal or extraction imo.

LikeACowsOpinion · 07/02/2019 07:33

I've been there OP.
Unfortunately it took antibiotics, co-codamol, whiskey and clove oil to take the edge of the pain. The only thing that helped in the end was a root canal.

Toothache is really one of the worst pains ever, I hope you find relief soon Thanks

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 07/02/2019 07:36

Hopefully it will settle down but just to reassure you a bit, I've had root canal treatment and as long as you have enough anaesthetic and the dentist leaves it long enough to take effect it shouldn't hurt. And I am phobic about going to the dentist, and rubbish with pain.

XmasPostmanBos · 07/02/2019 07:38

You can buy a gel for toothache called orajel which I find quite good www.orajel.co.uk/toothache but I would consider going back to the dentist could be an infection or something.

Seahorseshoe · 07/02/2019 07:48

Sounds like you may have an infection. I'd tell dentist you can't go on like this. Toothache is awful.

I've got a 15 year old cotton wool packing inside my root canal tooth. I know that sounds bonkers but it's true and I've never had an infection from it.

Since having my hysterectomy, my teeth have gone terrible (my joints too). My tooth crumbled and that's when the dentist found the packing. She covered it up as I was going on holiday and gave me a script for antibiotics just in case. I haven't been back. No pain from it, just the thought that it's ever so gross. 🤢

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 07/02/2019 07:55

I’m in the middle of having a redo of a root canal trying to save my tooth. It’s flared up big style and have been up from around 1.30am for two days now😱 on antibiotics but so not working.
One thing my dentist did say was that probably day 3/5 would be the worst as the swelling/bruising comes out-maybe that’s it? Or you need to have the fucker out!

Original poster
Ashana · 07/02/2019 08:10

Thank you for all your replies.

I sent my Huby to get some co-codamol at 5am this morning and luckily it worked. Took the pain away and I got two hours sleep.

Should I hold on until the beginning of next week to see a dentist or should I go again today? Ideally I would like to keep the filling in and don't want to go down the root canal route. Should I give the filling more time to settle?

Hope everyone else is feeling better.

OP posts:
Myimaginarycathasfleas · 07/02/2019 08:22

Go back to your dentist and make sure it's not an infection.

If he/she won't prescribe you antibiotics you might be able to buy them over the counter on holiday. (You can in Spain.) Not saying you should do this but it's an option if all else fails.

FunkyKingston · 07/02/2019 08:26

Agony after a deep filling, we've all been there duckie Blush

Letsnotargue · 07/02/2019 08:27

Go to the dentist today. I know someone who ended up with sepsis from a very similar sounding situation. I know a lot will end up in less serious circumstances but a two week stay in ITU isn’t worth the risk.

Eponymous · 07/02/2019 09:15

This happened to me, and it turned out he had damaged the nerve when he drilled out for the filling.
I had to have root canal which was way less of an issue than the excruciating pain.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 07/02/2019 09:34

I would go today.

It's been a week and the pain is not settling, it's good to have it seen.

over50andfab · 07/02/2019 09:52

I had a tooth infection last year and had 2 lots of antibiotics from the dentist before the tooth was root cannalled. I had pain radiating up to my eye and ear and codeine was the only OTC thing that helped. I was very aware you shouldn’t take too much for too long and luckily only 1 pill at a time was needed.

Root canals in general - I’ve had a few with no issues and no pain. A tooth extraction years ago was memorable as after 5 days I had to get kapake from my GP to help with the pain before it settled down.

OP I would contact the dentist with a view to getting antibiotics (he can leave a prescription at reception for you) and take in conjunction with your co-codamol and hopefully it will settle.

PositivePeach · 07/02/2019 10:33

Hey OP, hope you're ok!

Did they X-ray for signs of infection? The pain you are describing sounds more than toothache and won't go away until treated.

You have my sympathy. An infection is excruciating. I broke down in tears on the phone to my Dr about the pain - the dentist will prescribe for the infection, but in my experience, not pain relief. He prescribed me tramadol, co dydramol and ibuprofen and it only took the edge off.

Get back on the phone and don't let them fob you off! Good luck!

CaptainJaneway62 · 07/02/2019 10:50

There is absolutely nothing worse that a badly done deep filling!! And it's a lot more common than you think!

IME I went for extraction after having loads of work done on a tooth which was infected under the root which could not be seen on Xray.
Only visible once tooth was extracted.

Save yourself a lot of ongoing pain and agony and have it extracted OP
Flowers

Original poster
Ashana · 07/02/2019 10:56

Thanks everyone for all your support. I am at the dentist now, waiting to be seen. Doesn't help that my dentist is so moody and never explains anything properly. If I do have to get further work done I'm going to request another dentist to do it.

OP posts:
BlueCornishPixie · 07/02/2019 11:27

You have 3 options really OP

  1. leave it and see if it settles, use painkillers
  2. root canal
  3. extract it.

Antibiotics won't help. Sounds like nerve pain, I doubt it's an infection. Even if it is it won't need antibiotics unless you have a bit facial swelling. The dentist can only do one of the above 3 options really.

Sometimes when the decay is really deep a filling won't save the tooth. It's nothing to do with badly done deep fillings as a pp said it's just the depth of the cavity and it's relation to your pulp. Sometimes with post - op pain it will go away other times it will need a root canal.

BlueCornishPixie · 07/02/2019 11:28

Also np dentist is fobbing you off by making you wait! They're just trying to prevent you having a root canal or an exctraction

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 07/02/2019 13:17

After much stress I had my molar out
You can live easily without a molar and I don’t notice or miss it x
Dentist sounds like he had fucked up and isn’t taking it seriously

explodingkitten · 07/02/2019 13:21

I had a deep filling last year. It hurt for a month, but it didn't hurt the same amount the whole month, it did keep getting better after the first 1,5 week which made it more bearable. I did take pain killers.

GenericHamster · 07/02/2019 13:35

I had two deep fillings done at once.

One was twingy afterwards but not so bad. A year later it is a bit sensitive but generally fine.

The other was painful and got more so as the days went on. I had to beg my surgery to see me and eventually had a root canal done privately. The root canal did hurt for me but the rest of the pain went away immediately afterwards. I got a crown after.

Admittedly I would be very nervous of having a deep filling in future but at this stage it sounds like you need root canal or extraction.

Original poster
Ashana · 07/02/2019 13:53

So I went to the dentist and he had a good look. There is no infection but the tooth in question is extremely sensitive. He offered me the option of having it taken out there and then or get a root canal treatment. I just couldn't make the decision and so have booked an appointment for Tuesday.

Which will be the best and least painful option? The dentist did say that the nerves in the tooth seem quite badly damaged so removal may be the best option. How long after removal will I be in pain?

OP posts:
over50andfab · 07/02/2019 13:53

Antibiotics won't help. Sounds like nerve pain, I doubt it's an infection.

BlueCornishPixie you simply cannot say that. I had the same pain as described by the OP - radiating towards my ear and eye. Mine was definitely an infection and sorted by antibiotics.

OP you are doing the right thing seeing the dentist. Whatever is causing it they are best placed to advise you. Yes they can be brusque sometimes, it then it’s the nhs with all its time constraints. I hope you get sorted

Jarline · 07/02/2019 14:02

@Ashana hope you are doing ok. My root canal was honestly no worse than the deep filling, as most of the work was already done. The relief was amazing and I honestly had no pain at all in the tooth after, just a bit bruised round the gums which eased in about 24-48hrs.
My dentist's preference was to save the tooth, and I agreed. Hopefully yours will offer some guidance!