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

The only thing that worked for me was taking boots ibuprofen and codeine tablets and paracetamol at the same time. Three painkillers doing different things at the same time. Hot water bottle on the face helped sometimes as well. The pain was so bad I wanted to smash my tooth with a hammer, I do hope you get some help soon.

It was such a weird pain though, while it was there I couldn't think of anything else, then it would go but as soon as I remembered it it would come back with a vengeance. I remember the despair.

Oh no I feel for you. I was visiting in-laws who lived a 5 hour drive away with my DH and DD who was breastfeeding. I had toothache and managed to get a dental appointment on the morning of departure. My dentist diagnosed an abscess and prescribed anti biotics but not painkillers because of the breastfeeding situation. By the time we arrived at my in-laws I was maxed out on the paracetamol and was in hideous pain that steadily got worse. I ended up calling the NHS direct who came back with “ see a dentist within 3 days”. I had to be really, really persistent and say “ it’s the painkillers I need help with - I know what the problem is”. After a conversation with a very sniffy nurse I was eventually advised to go to the out of hours Dr at a hospital about 30 minutes drive ( it was 02.00am). The Dr was absolutely fabulous and gave me some fantastic painkillers. ( knocked me out but no pain) but also diagnosed a kidney infection ( I had a raging temperature but didn’t realise). If I had just accepted the initial advice I would have spent days in pain before I was back home to see my Dr or dentist. It’s OK to challenge these decisions appropriately and it’s ok to take time off work.... you ARE unwell.

Sorry you’re having to go through this, dental pain is the absolute worst!!

I broke a tooth last year and ended up in the worst pain of my life. I have a ridiculous fear of the dentist which didn’t help at all. I managed to find an incredibly understanding dentist who immediately offered me sedation... only issue was it could take up to 10 weeks for the appointment 😭 Luckily I was prescribed antibiotics which cleared the abscess and the subsequent pain subsided (I was over medicating with ibuprofen too 😖) Over the course of the weeks I had to wait, the pain returned and a couple days before my appointment the abscess returned. I was so scared the dentist wouldn’t be able to remove the tooth.
The removal was hands down the best thing I’ve ever had done... the instant relief when I came round and realised it was gone was amazing! I hope you get that feeling very soon!!

To cope I used to put ice in a sandwich bag, wrap it in a towel and keep it on my face... it didn’t get rid of the pain but it would numb my face enough that I could just manage... I’d often be able to drift off like this as well. I would definitely be going into the dentist who initially looked at your tooth and demanding something is done there and then to help your situation!!

Hi op, I'm a dentist

The tooth needs to come out, unfortunately the problem is if it needs an oral surgeon there's not much anyone else can do. If the dentist couldnt get it out it's unlikely that an emergency dentist could, and the oral surgeon you saw will have much better idea of the difficulty than an emergency dentist. There's no stronger painkillers that an NHS dentist can prescribe than you have already taken, so there's really not much an emergency dentist could do. No mouthwash, no bonjela is going to touch it

Is it nhs or private? You really have two options:
Find a private oral surgeon who can see you sooner, I'm not sure a good private oral surgeon would be able to fit you in much sooner with sedation though

Have it out without sedation. Would you be able get some diazepam or something? It might help a bit.

The only other option is to see if the oral surgeon has any cancellations, maybe ring the surgery tomorrow and see if they can contact you if any cancellations come up.

Honestly I would have it without sedation if you can.

I wouldn't judge you for going to a&e with severe toothache, however Im really not sure they would do anything. They might give you pain relief, I have never heard of maxfax taking out teeth based on toothache alone though sorry.

I really hate it when I have patients in this situation, round me the waiting list for nhs oral surgeon is 3 months without sedation! It's about 5 months with, it's absolutely ridiculous, it's not the oral surgeons fault either it's just demand greatly outweighs supply and pretty much everyone visiting an oral surgeon is in the same boat. I don't think any dentist would leave someone like this unless they really thought they couldn't get the tooth out

Just a thought but hot salt (very salty) water really rinse really helped my tooth pain, so I have the water quite hot. Also whiskey gargle is good too (just don’t drink it if had lots of painkillers) 😊

How are you today OP? I hope you manage to get it sorted.

Tooth pain is the pits!

Orajel extra strength ...over the counter at chemist OP works beautifully!

A&E won’t take a tooth out but they can prescribe decent pain relief. Also dentists can prescribe 30mg codeine tablets, which are much stronger than OTC stuff (I’ve got a box sat in my cupboard right now, prescribed by my NHS dentist).

This situation is disgraceful. The dentist has partially extracted a tooth, left it sitting higher than the rest of the teeth so the OP can’t chew and is in complete agony. It’s absolutely unacceptable for them to leave her like this. It’s their recent intervention which has caused the current issue and the practice needs to resolve it.

How are you today? Have you managed to get help?

Hope you can get this sorted soon

You poor thing OP. Dental pain is the worst.
The infection always comes back if they don’t remove the tooth and they usually have to give a different type of antibiotic to get rid of it.

I really find it batshit crazy that in the UK in the 21st century this isn't a solveable problem. If a painful condition is treatable, it ought at the absolute worst be treated with a couple of days.

I did once have a similar issue, where Dentist decided to remove wisdom teeth, top broke off and he decided he wasn't up to removing the rest. However he gave me an immediate emergency referral to Guys Hospital where a student did the rest, two days later.

Just seen the comment about the waiting list being 3 to 5 months for a surgeon. I suggest the OP gets on a plane to a country with a working health system.

I agree with Petty it really is a batshit crazy situation where Dentists are concerned. I suffered my entire life with teeth pain...its indescribable. Way worse than labour. I was lucky enough to come into some money 10 years ago and I spent some of it on a private dentist. I had my whole upper jaw removed, and a denture put in. Absolutely the best thing I've ever done. Appreciate that not everybody can afford to do something so drastic. Oragel is your friend OP. Let us know how you get on

Thank you all so much for all of your advice. I managed to get some 30mg codeine off a friend and have been taking 2 every 4 hours with paracetamol. It’s made it slightly easier to cope with, but I think I’m so used to the pain now I can’t imagine what it’s like not to have it anymore! I’ve got an appointment for Thursday and decided to just try and get it removed without sedation as I can’t wait till 3rd June and I’ll try and cope till then. The dentist I am seeing is an oral surgeon so can do whatever is needed to get it out, cut my gum etc .. whereas the last one I seen wasn’t able to do the surgery part that is needed.
I am going to my GP Tuesday to ask for diazepam to take the day before to make me feel calmer so hopefully he will do that.
I just want this tooth out now as apart from anything else I am absolutely starving !!!

I tried to have a look at the tooth and it seems there is a hole in the side that looks like it’s filled with white stuff ? And that’s exactly where it hurts and stings when I try to eat even soup! It feels like when you get salt in a cut. And the tooth has clearly been dislodged as it’s raised loads in comparison to the rest, so if I catch it on the top teeth it’s agony.
Thank you all once again for the advice, I
Really do appreciate it xx

Poor OP. Tooth pain like this is the WORST THING EVER! Had 4 kids 3 with no pain relief (not by choice!). Tooth pain is worse.

Not sure why they call it toothache as that implies something mild and ache'y. It should be called toothagony.

I'm having two teeth out soon and I have twisted roots. I'm nervous 😔

It amazes me how some dentists think its ok to let you walk out the surgery after they've only done half a job. Disclaimer - I said SOME. Glad ur feeling a bit better OP

Yes I’ve had 5 children and labour is nothing in comparison to this! My root is twisted, that’s apparently why it wouldn’t come out after 45 mins of solid tugging and pulling and I was so stressed towards the end! Now I’m stressing just at the thought of the injection to numb it as my mouth is in so much pain I can’t bare the thought of a dentist going anywhere near it! Hopefully I can get the diazepam and let the dentist cut it out as it needs to be gone thursday regardless or I think I will go insane

Call NHS 24 for the emergency dentist. In the meantime, put a pack of frozen peas or similar beside it. Do not put heat beside it

I called NHS last night and all they said was stop taking all the painkillers and go to the emergency dentist this morning, but that’s pointless as the dental surgeon I need to see has already said she can’t see me to try and take it out without sedation till next Thursday. I too am amazed any dentist can leave something half done and expect you to suffer for weeks in agony! Baffles me and I’m not surprised to read so many people take accidental overdoses through dental pain! If I could afford to go private I’d have done so, but unfortunately I’m not in that financial position. This has put me off dentists for life as until he messed with it I wasn’t suffering half as much

This was my problem with dentists. My old one thoughg it was acceptable to numb my mouth with 7 injections in the roof of my mouth....and still I could geel every damn thing she was trying to do. 20 years ago and remember it like it was yesterday

Hope your ok OP sounds horrendous what you are going through just wanted to sympathise tooth ache is the worst pain ever.
I had an abscess earlier this year and now am halfway through root canal treatment.
The pain was awful spent days either pacing up and down or rocking alternating popping any painkillers could get my hands on every two hours even through the night.
Anbesol liquid and Clove oil didn't really touch it I even chewed whole cloves I was that desperate . Ice pack definitely helped a bit but I originally was applying heat using one of those microwave beanbag things but dentist said that caused infection to spread and I had made things worse.

If it's a molar tooth though, and I can't get it out, if I carried on I risk things like nerve damage, where you could have permenant nerve damage of your lip or tongue, or a root in your sinus. A dentist is absolutely right to not carry out a surgical extraction they feel is out of their skill level. No dentist is going to leave you in the situation unless they absolutely have to.

They aren't doing it because they are nasty, or because they want to hurt someone or even because they are lazy, they are doing it because there's no other option. There literally isn't anything they can do. This is what frustrates me sometimes because I don't know any dentist who would purposefully leave someone in pain, who would ever want to hurt their patients but sometimes there really isn't anything that can be done. I have only ever done this once, stopped an extraction that I felt was beyond my skill level when I started and that was because I knew that if I carried on I would do damage. It would have been really unethical to carry on, or try again.

Pain relief is pretty shite for dental pain, again I would never withhold painkillers but in my experience (and according to research) codeine isn't very effective against dental pain, if it works for you great but generally it doesn't. If someone tells me a painkiller that works well on toothache I would love you forever

You can have it out without sedation OP, you will honestly be fine, a surgical extraction whilst complicated from the dentists perspective from your perspective isn't going to feel any different, if anything it should be more gentle, it maybe a bit longer but q good dentist will let you take breaks if you need. However nervous you are you just have to think of being without the pain

Really hope you get it sorted OP I

Codeine works perfectly well for me with dental pain. And the OP has reported that 30mg codeine is helping.

Appreciate it might not be the midterm effective painkiller, but when a patient is in unbearable pain, surely you would try that rather than not prescribing anything and just leave them in an impossible situation?

*most effective, not midterm