Help or advice please ..... severe tooth pain

[Clairp27]

I recently had toothache and the dentist tried to remove the tooth. Unfortunately due to an infection it wouldn’t go numb so I had to take a week of antibiotics then go back.
The antibiotics got rid of the pain so I went back last week and was given the anaesthetic which this time worked. However, the dentist was not able to remove the tooth after trying for 45 minutes and as I was getting quite anxious he stopped and said I’d have to go back the following week for surgical removal.
Since that appointment the pain returned and is now even worse than the original toothache. My fave swelled up and the pain was excruciating but I thought it would settle after a few days and it was just because he’d messed about with it for almost an hour.
Eventually after 5 days I couldn’t bare it any longer so rang for a sooner appointment. I went in today and seen a different dentist who told me it was difficult to remove as the root was twisted and as she didn’t have time to try again today I’d have to wait until 3rd June for extraction with sedation which would be a better option as I’d probably need my gum cut to remove it and I was very anxious.
The pain is actually unbearable now and I am pacing the floor, climbing the walls and riving at my face and just have no idea what to do.
She gave me more antibiotics although she said there didn’t look to be an infection there but “just incase” but wouldn’t give me any pain relief.
I rang my GP to see if he could give me stronger painkillers but I can’t get an appointment for a week, so I then went to the walk in centre and they refused to see me and said they’re not there to give out pain relief for dental issues even though I was stood there crying my eyes out in agony.
For a week now I’ve been taking codeine, dihydracodeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen and nothing is having any impact on the pain. I wish I’d never went back now after the infection had cleared as the pain had gone but I’m now left in a worse situation than before.
I can’t eat at all, not even soft foods as any food at all makes it a million times worse and stings, throbs even more for about half an hour after I try to eat. I tried ice cream earlier to give me a bit energy but even that was agony. I feel weak though lack of food, ratty with the constant pain and just don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m going insane.
Work is horrific and I spend my breaks and lunches crying in the toilets then go back to my class and try and act normal in front of the kids.
Can anyone please help/advise me what to do as I’m desperate now! I am exhausted with it all. I know I’ve been taking way more than the recommended doses of painkillers but the pain is so bad I have to take them every 3 hours even during the night as it is keeping me awake.
I have no idea what the dentist did last week that’s made it like this but the tooth has clearly been moved as I can’t bite down anymore either as it’s raised up compared to the other side and when I do bite down it’s agony.

Sorry if this sounds a bit of waffle but I’m finding it hard to concentrate, and would just appreciate some advice.

Thank you in advance

You need to see an oral surgeon to get that difficult tooth removed. Some NHS practices have access to their own, others refer to a local one, most in our area, can get you an appointment within 1-2 weeks.
You could always try and see a private oral surgeon, and pay for the consultation and tooth extraction.
The likelihood is, until that tooth is removed, you’ll keep having the pain.
Ring your dentist first thing and start demanding to see one ASAP.

I've had problems with my teeth recently and it really is the worst pain I've ever experienced so I really feel for you.

I know its quite basic but have you tried localised numbing? I used masses of oralgel to numb the area around it and found numbing throat spray directly on the area helped too. And if you can get your hands on some clove oil it can help relieve the pain too.

Sorry I can't give much more on it other than calling 111 for more advice.

Have you tried the corsodyl mouthwash? Using that frequently got me from the booking to the actual happening of an extraction. It took a few goes to get it working over a few hours, but so long as I kept it up it numbed the pain.
Try some protein shakes and a straw to get some food inside you. Not eating wont be helping either.

I’ve gone through a full tube of bonjela, two bottles of corsodyl antiseptic mouthwash, clove oil, but not tried the throat spray.
It was the oral surgeon I seen today who only does the sedation on Mondays and the earliest apt I could get was 3rd June. I said please just do it without sedation but that’s when she said sorry I don’t have time today so come back next week and try that. If I still can’t remove it you will have to wait for the June apt

There are emergency dentists that come to our walk in centre, could you see them for a second opinion?

I went to the walk in straight after the dentist and they refused to see me

Can you make it through the night?

If so, straight to your dental practice tomorrow when they open, park your arse in reception and don’t move until they do something about it. Refuse to leave until they deal with it. If that includes referring you to your local dental hospital as an emergency then so be it. At this stage if they don’t help you I would be threatening a malpractice complaint.

If you can’t make it through the night, try 111 ASAP and ask for your local emergency dentist. They are often only open until 9pm though.

If they can’t help you, you should go to A&E and be prepared to wait. You will be (rightly) bumped by any urgent cases which come in. And I’m sure I’ll be flamed on here for suggesting you go to a&e for a dental issue but the level of pain you describe IS an emergency. If you had this level of debilitating pain in your leg, for example, you wouldn’t be expected to just wait until your GP was open. If you do go, explain you have exhausted all options and are taking more than the allowed amount of painkillers. You should also say this to 111 when you call.

For now, at least please stop taking any more than the recommended amount of anything containing paracetamol.

All the painkillers in the world are not going to help. You've taken everything that it is possible to prescribe or buy.

You need to ring the emergency dentist. Just ring the usual surgery number and there will be an emergency out-of-hours number on the message.

I hope you get it treated tonight. This is unacceptable.

Extra strength orajel, clove oil and ice packs as well as the paracetamol and codeine alternate with ibuprofen.

Until you can get to a dentist tomorrow I mean.

And if the nearest big hospital to you is a training hospital of dental students, there will be an on-call dentist for emergencies at the ordinary A & E.

Are you in London?

That sounds horrific! Poor you. That is completely inhumane to ask you to wait until June. Why don’t you try 111 now and that way you may get seen by an emergency dentist rather than this one who is prepared to have you wait that long.

I had considered A&E solely to beg for some stronger pain relief but was too scared incase they said I was wasting their time like the walk in centre did so was put off. My son is in bed now so I don’t want to drag him up and to a hospital now, but I think I will call 111 for some advice as I know the amount of pain relief I’ve been taking is too much, however the pain is too much to tolerate without it and as it’s been almost a week solid now it’s exhausting.
I can’t go to dentist again tomorrow as I will be in trouble if I take anymore time off work due to this so that’s really worrying me too and I don’t have a day off now till next Wed. I know the pain is horrific but losing my job would be horrific too if I keep taking days off

Oh OP, I hear you. Tooth pain is the worst. I had an abscess on a wisdom tooth when I was pregnant and the pain was worse than labour. I would have done pretty much anything go stop the pain. It peaked on a bank holiday Sunday and I had no choice but to use A and E as the nearest emergency dentist that could see me was a 3hr drive away!!!

I was told when this happened to me that A and E always have access to an emergency dentist/maxfax surgeon, so you should go there. This is an emergency, you’re in an incredible amount of pain and you need help. I had to wait a while but they took me in and gave me better painkillers and sedated me so the offending tooth could be pulled. Oh and ask for an ice pack while you wait- that made sitting in the waiting room half the night more bearable.

Good luck.

Please be careful with clove oil. I badly burnt all of my gum when a dentist put too much in my bad tooth and it dribbled on my gum.

Also, when I said they have emergency dentists at the walk-in, you have to make an appt beforehand specifically for the emergency dentist on the phone, you cant just turn up. However, obviously its different in different areas.

Hope you get sorted soon. Been in a similar position and its awful, but you will get better, sooner rather than later

Are you a teacher?

I agree! I’ve had 5 children and would happily go through childbirth a million times than have this pain! I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life as it’s completely relentless

I had exactly the same thing many years ago. Dentist attempted to remove a tooth and couldn’t do it because of a twisted root. I ended up at dental hospital having the gum cut in order to remove the tooth.
It is the worst pain I have ever experienced. My dentist did however prescribe me some really strong painkillers (private dentist, don’t know if that makes a difference. I was NHS patient at the time though). I suggest 111 too for an emergency referral. I only had to wait a week as I had the procedure done at a training hospital. No way could I have waited a month in so much pain,the painkillers helped, but I had to be so careful as I could easily has overdosed on them. I hope yo7 get sorted soon.

Oh OP that's awful, can you phone in sick tomorrow instead of taking "time off"

You have my every sympathy. I have been through similar (more than once) and I know how bad the pain is. You just want someone to have i for just one minute to experience what you're going through.

I took painkillers by the bucketload and it would ease it for about an hour and I used to spend the night just rocking back and forth. I totally understand.

Do you have a dental hospital anywhere near you? I ended up there once and they helped. The relief when the tooth comes out will be immense and in minutes you will feel better.

It sounds horrible OP.

You can go to A&E but they have very cut of criteria about what they can refer to Maxfax surgeons and it normally involves dehydration, sepsis, inability to open the mouth, or spreading swelling up to the eyes or down the neck. (There are a few more I can't remember off the top of my head)

They may give you some stronger analgesia, but be prepared that they might only give you a dose there (ie. oromorph) but not be prepared to give you a bottle to take home- so may only be a short term relief.

If you do decide to go to a&e, feel comforted that tooth related problems come pretty frequently and no one should make you feel silly about it.

Sorry OP but I would go back to the Walk in Centre as they have a duty of care to you and can see you and give you at least 1 nights worth of stronger Analgesia until you can get an emergency appointment at the dentist.

most places sell orajel which is benzocaine based and works almost instantly to numb the area. try that. it helped me when i was in agony.

Really feel for you! Dental pain is horrible. When I've had problems I've used Peroxyl mouth wash. Also a couple of vodkas, although obviously not if you're driving but might just take the edge of it. Good luck, hope you get sorted soon!

Hi. I just signed up especially to try and give you advice, as your story came up on my home page.

I am a dentist, and this situation is clearly very distressing for you.

Where are you based? I could try and post it on a forum? Do you have a radiograph/ can you get one?

You clearly need to take some time off work to get this sorted. I think it is illegal to sack you based on an urgent dental condition.

Would you be willing to pay privately to get it sorted quicker? Or are you already a private patient?

It is very difficult if you have a tooth which is difficult to extract like this, and sometimes the wheels of the NHS don't quite move fast enough when one is in agony.

I urge anyone out there to seek regular dental examinations, to try and stave off the inevitable urgent complications. Regardless, even if regular examinations are carried out, unfortunately these dire circumstances can occur.

Get well soon. And let me know if I can be of help.