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Original poster

To wonder what the hell I do about my tooth?

109 replies

MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 01:06

I had toothache back in June, horrible, deep nerve pain. Went to the dentist, saw a guy I hadn’t seen before. He x rayed the tooth and said I needed root canal. He made a start that day (1.5 hours), as this was on a Friday and he didn’t want to leave me in pain over the weekend. It was fucking agony while he removed as much as he could of the nerve. He then put a temporary filling in and made another appointment for me on the Monday. All good over the weekend, pain had gone.

Went back on Monday thinking it wouldn’t be so bad as I believed the nerve was now gone. I was wrong, it was another 1.5 hours just as bad as before. Finally after a lot of drilling he’d managed to fill the canals and took an x ray to make sure everything was ok.

It wasn’t ok. Somehow he’d managed to put the filling (long two pronged thing that was supposed to go into the canals) INTO MY GUM. I couldn’t quite believe it. He was very flustered and kept apologising and said that he’d have to remove it, and I’d have to come back another time. Basically I was back to where I started before that appointment except now presumably with added damage to my gums.

Unfortunately I was going away the next day for a couple of weeks. I got home from the dentist and had a think and then phoned and explained what happened, and asked if it was possible to see the other dentist next time, as after 3 hours of agony culminating in having a filling put in my gum, I was a bit scared. They said I could but he’s very booked up and I can’t go until the 29th july.

Problem is the temporary filling has come out this weekend and now I’m in a lot of pain. I know I can hopefully get an emergency appointment on Monday but that’s far away when you’re in this much pain.

I know there is definitely still some nerve left In one of the tooth canals, which is why the pain is so bad. I’m taking painkillers, but I’m still in pain and my tooth is pulsating the whole time.

How the hell am I going to get through to Monday? Bearing in mind it’s nerve rather than cavity pain. Any tips or suggestions?

OP posts:
Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:32

@Bickles can I ask my NHS dentist to refer me for that? I am poor as a church mouse at the moment. He’s not super young, I’d say in his thirties, he said he’d been a dentist for 6 years (had a career change).

OP posts:
ThreeLittleDots · 17/07/2022 12:32

What did the practice manager say when you put in your complaint? They should be ensuring that they find you an alternative practitioner ASAP - they can reschedule non-emergency patients - and that you don't pay for this treatment.

Bickles · 17/07/2022 12:32

Cross posted. The second part about going to consult the other dentist in the practice makes me think they are possibly first year qualified and still in their foundation year. This means he will have qualified in 2021 and had his training seriously curtailed by Covid restrictions. It’s so difficult for them.
Have a chat with his trainer, be nice but firm. I would be asking for him to pay for you to see a specialist endodontist privately to sort it out. It will cost him about £700 but it’s a goodwill gesture and then you can put the episode to bed.
A first premolar endo should not take 4 hours!

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 17/07/2022 12:32

Go back to the surgery and insist you see another dentist and they put this right.

I had the same last week and it was a straight forward root canal, didn't hurt and was over and done with in just over an hour- and being pain free was fantastic.

The dentist did say if he couldn't fix the nerve then I could be referred to a private dentist for them to do (free) so must be an option.

Anyway, complain later get them to fix it first.

Countdown2023 · 17/07/2022 12:37

Two visits to do a root canal - he has no idea what he is doing and needs more root canal training !!

I have had two root canals, each time they were sorted in one visit. First root canal done by usual dentist but for the second one I was referred to a specialist who basically only does root canals and trains other dentists to do the same. Ask for a referral @MyFaceHurts in case you need tooth removed and possibly an implant.

yonce · 17/07/2022 12:37

MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:30

@yonce I’ll see if I can get some orajel today. To be fair, I wasn’t in any pain whilst the temporary filling was there, it’s only because it’s come out now that it’s hurting. I probably would have been seen sooner if I hadn’t gone away for 2 weeks, it was all very bad timing.

Boots sell temporary filling sets too - if you can clean it out with antiseptic mouthwash, you can pop a temporary filling in. They harden quite quickly and can cover the exposed nerve and maybe stop the pain for a bit - the dentist should be able to easily remove them too. Hopefully it'll all get sorted ASAP! I had a double root canal recently, didn't feel a thing during or after apart from slightly sore gums. I'll keep fingers crossed for you!

Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:38

@Bickles i guess he must be fully qualified if he says he’s been a dentist for 6 years? He said he was working in Cairo as a dentist until earlier this year. You seem to know your stuff, I’ve no idea what the implications of being perforated are…is it pointless me seeing the other dentist in the practice and will I definitely need a specialist?

OP posts:
Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:40

@yonce something definitely went very wrong with mine then, honestly it was far worse than childbirth on the pain scale. And I gave birth twice with no pain relief either time!

OP posts:
Bickles · 17/07/2022 12:43

Perforated makes it harder to fix and less likely to work. If the other dentist in the practice is extremely into endo they may be able to do it. I would refer…
It is quite usual for RCT to take multiple visits btw. It’s actually bad practice to finish one if there’s acute infection present so @Countdown2023 that’s not correct.

Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:46

@ThreeLittleDots I haven’t put in a formal complaint. I phoned after the second appointment to ask to see the other dentist instead of the one I was booked in to see the third time, and explained what happened. She sounded a bit shocked but didn’t really comment and just booked me in with the other dentist. I guess she was the receptionist rather than manager though.

OP posts:
Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:47

@Bickles oh shite, so all this could be for nothing? I really don’t want to lose the tooth. I’ll look like a pirate when I smile.

OP posts:
Countdown2023 · 17/07/2022 12:48

Mine was done once the infection was cleared. Had to have a consultation before before treatment

Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:48

I was given antibiotics after the first visit to get rid of any infection.

OP posts:
ThreeLittleDots · 17/07/2022 12:49

Call again and ask the manager to contact you ASAP. They should be doing everything they can to put things right. They can reschedule less urgent appointments etc. If you don't get very far ask for their complaints procedure.

snowbellsxox · 17/07/2022 12:49

I would sue that dentist
I've had a root canal and it takes no where near that long
Make sure he does it properly too, if it fails you will lose your tooth like I have xx

Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:52

I guess part of me is scared to piss the practice off too much before it’s sorted, as I’m stuck with them. There are no other NHS dentists even remotely closely that are taking on patients at the moment.

OP posts:
DentalDisaster · 17/07/2022 12:52

MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 01:38

It’s a top canine tooth so if I can save it I’d like to, as there will be an obvious gap there if not. If it was a back one I’d have had the bugger out straight away on the first trip 🤣

I had disastrous root canal treatment 3 x on a front tooth. It completely failed and I had to have the tooth removed anyway. I was given a false tooth on a plate whilst it healed and then had a bridge fitted, all NHS. You won’t be left with a gap.

My username is because it recently fell out (after 10+ years) and I’ve had a hell of a time having it remade and refitted. A whole month of hiding my mouth behind my hand when I speak and smiling with my lips firmly closed! I’m looking into an implant.

I hope you find something to ease the pain, I’d go for cocodamol personally, it has the added bonus of making me drowsy so there is a chance you will manage to get some sleep. I hope you can see a different dentist tomorrow. Good luck.

Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:55

@DentalDisaster sorry to hear about that. I’m hoping if I end up losing the tooth they can do something to help. I know other people who have managed to get plates/bridges on the NHS but they’ve all been front teeth, so that’s left me wondering whether they only sort you out if it’s literally at the front of my gob, which mine isn’t although it’s not far off.

OP posts:
Redruby2020 · 17/07/2022 12:56

Many good replies already. I mean if it ends up infected they will have to give you antibiotics. But for the time being, pain relief is your best bet. You can take paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time, unless you have any health issues that doesn't allow you to take one or both. Both will help with the pain, and the ibuprofen with any inflammation.

Yes basically once the canals are cleaned out etc, they use what are called gutta percha points with a specific filling material whereby they dip the points in the material then fill up the roots, this is then supposed to have filled and treated everything. They burn the excess bit off that sticks out the top of the tooth, and then a filling etc on top, occasionally some might wait to see all is okay first so then they put a temporary filling.
I am surprised that the dentist managed to stick it in your gum. They will obviously have to go back in and re treat.

TooManyPJs · 17/07/2022 13:03

MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 12:26

@TooManyPJs is that something I could get on the NHS? I am lucky in that I get free NHS treatment as I’m a single parent, so at least I haven’t paid for the trauma. It’s my first root canal and I read about them online beforehand and was under the impression it shouldn’t be painful, but honestly both appointments were worse than childbirth. My body must have gone into shock towards the end as I was literally shaking. I’m so scared to go back but I know I have to. Luckily the other dentist at the practice is very good, I’ve seen him before.

The whole thing with the new dentist I saw was a shitshow. He ended up going to see the other dentist 3 times for a second opinion during my appointments, for basic stuff like trying to work out which tooth needed work (I knew full well which tooth as it was agony but he said he couldn’t see anything wrong with it on the x rays). And then of course I got a filling put in my gum. I feel like I should complain but to who?

You can get a referral on the NHS to a specialist dentist; I would push for that especially if it’s perforated.

My dentist perforated mine and the advice I got was that the root canal now has a high chance of failing.

Having said that, knowing what I know now I would have tried to save the tooth if I could.

I had it taken out to have the implant put in and it caused gum recession to the tooth in front of it, and it was extremely sensitive for a while but that had now resolved thankfully. I also now have an implant with limited life that needs ongoing check ups and special cleaning. The gum in front of the implant also seems very sensitive and I have to be so careful with it or it flares up and gets very sore.

Your practice should have a complaints procedure. You can complain to them or NHS England.

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-do-i-complain-about-my-dental-treatment/

newtb · 17/07/2022 13:04

Chewing on a cloves with the affected tooth will also help.

Original poster
MyFaceHurts · 17/07/2022 13:06

So is the perforation likely to have caused by the dentist and his butchery or is it possible it was already like that before?

OP posts:
eastegg · 17/07/2022 13:08

When you have further root canal work, whoever does it, ask them for a local anaesthetic. I had an extensive course of root canal work and had and was numbed up every time.

TooManyPJs · 17/07/2022 13:14

Check on your dentist’s website and see if the dentist you’ve been booked with specialises or has an interest in endodontics. If not, personally, I would be complaining and requesting an NHS specialist referral. On the basis you have lost confidence, there is filling in your gum and the tooth is now perforated and you want to best chance of saving the tooth. Unfortunately ime there is a bit of a wait for the appointment. You do get to pick who you see off a list though.

You could then in your complaint ask for the other dentist to put the temporary filling back in as a matter of urgency so you are not in loads of pain while you wait.

I wouldn’t worry about “pissing them off”. You don’t need to be rude in the complaint . The dentist knows they’ve fucked up as they’ve apologised. All you need to say is that you appreciate the apology but your key concern is that they problem is fixed as quickly as possible, the tooth is saved if at all possible, that there is no financial detriment to you and that you are not left in pain for weeks or months.

Em308 · 17/07/2022 13:22

Could you bear an ice pack on it to numb the pain? (On face not directly on tooth!). I had sciatica a few weeks ago and was recommended to apply an ice pack for 20 minutes, upwards of 6 times a day. It helped massively with the pain and healing, maybe this would help your face / tooth too?