I don’t fucking understand this

[SoreToof]

I’ve posted before and still am not any further forward. I’m at my wits end and just don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve never been so miserable in all my life

i had an infection in my upper tooth root (the tooth was already filled) around a year ago and needed a root canal. I was in horrific pain- all across my cheek, my ear and my jaw and I couldn’t bite down on my tooth because it was excruciating. It wasn’t TN and I could pick out which exact tooth it was that hurt. There were nights I was up screaming and hitting my face off the wall it was so painful.

I had several antibiotic courses in the meantime but unfortunately nothing cleared it until I got the root canal. It was fine for a while after this and then the pain started again. Exact same tooth. I had several x rays and there’s no infection left, but I got another prescription at of antibiotics just to make sure it’s completely clear. It was fine for a week after I finished the dose and now it’s started hurting again- the exact same tooth. I can’t bite down on it at all without being in agony.

I don’t understand what’s going on with my mouth. My dentist is fantastic and I trust him and he was a bit unsure what’s causing it as tere’s no infection left behind, it’s been x rayed and the root canal was successful. I’m actually a bit frightened now, why is it still sore? Is it a problem with my face? What could it be if not an infected tooth?

I absolutely can’t get the tooth removed- because of the shape of my face and mouth it would be noticeable and obvious and I can’t afford to get it replaced with a bridge, implant or anything else. I can’t have a big gap in my face

i just want this all to stop. I’ve been in agony for almost a year and can’t keep taking cocodamol like sweeties.

I had this

but when they did successful root canal - they found 6 nerves and not the usual two

if you have nerve damage it will not cure itself

neither is antibiotics or painkillers the answers

infections tend to be localised and antibiotics are not the answer

you might find it is nerve damage to the next teeth ? Are you nhs?

in which case try root canal either side
an x ray will not show an infection

other possibilities are you have jaw bone pain etc but without looking at it I don’t know - could be a problem with the bone etc

ask for a referral to a dental hospital local large teaching hospital speak to a consultant and see if they would use it as a teaching example to year 4 Or year 5 students !!

1. interesting and possibly indicative if it seems to temporarily respond to antibiotics.
2. how did you definitively discount TN?
3. you mentioned cocodamol. Unless contraindicated, do you alternate with an anti inflammatory like ibuprofen. Good luck.

You’ll need to ask for a referral to an endodontist, they specialise in this type of thing. I had a similar issue with a front tooth and was referred, it was soon sorted out and I didn’t lose my tooth.

This. Based on the history and the pattern of the pain you describe. I bet this is your answer OP. There is a chronic recurring infection and most likely the root filling does not go far enough. X rays can’t always tell the full story . You probably need to get the root canal redone by a dentist who is very experienced with them, or even an endodontist. Also, make sure you’ve been given antibiotics that can tackle aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, which usually means taking Metronidazole alongside another antibiotic. You need a second opinion. Bet this is infection, and that means Hope!

I've had the exact same issue for 3 years.. seen 3 different dentists... Had antibiotics every month for 2 years.. went onto a waiting list to get the tooth taken out... No one could find out what was wrong with he tooth... When they took the tooth out there was a hole along the tooth behind it so in-between the teeth? Didn't get picked up on x-rays coz of its position..
The pain is unbearable.. the advise I was given did nothing.. the best thing I did was have that tooth taken out.. even if there was nothing wrong with it.. not had a second if toothache since.. get the tooth out... Good luck with it and let us know 💜💜

This sounds awful. I've had a tooth abcess and was crying in pain. I don't think anyone has mentioned clove oil. I know it's only a herbal remedy but it can be effective. When I was pregnant with an infection it was all they would give me..
Otherwise you need a referral and maybe dental vouchers for Christmas from family if that's an option

That is so cheap. I am in the middle of getting an implant for my front tooth.
So far its cost me A$5.5K just for the implant screw alone. It will cost another A$3.5K for the crown so I'm going to end up paying around A$9K for the whole implant.

Sounds like a cracked tooth or it maybe has accessory canal/s. 1 in 10 root treatments don’t work and we often can’t predict which ones. You’ve exhausted all options and ideally need it extracted before you become resistant to antibiotics and end up needing iv ones in hospital or alternatively see a specialist. There’s several options for filling spaces and often finance is available.

Are you sure it isn’t trigeminal neuralgia?

i had all sorts of dentistry including root canal done until suddenly the dentist had a brainwave and sent me to my GP.

I had something similar over 15yrs ago. Turned out to be a TMJ issue. The first 6 months I was in agony, went to the dental A&E at one point. It did settle but flared up with a trip to the dentist, opening mouth wide for example, eating baguette etc. I was referred (and got referred again recently) to the dental dept at the hospital. That’s what you need. They have advised me to eat a soft diet, eat smaller meals, the dentist did mention surgery but thankfully the hospital didn’t mention that, so not at that point. Demand a referral - you can’t keep on like this

My mum went through similar OP, it took her ages to get diagnosed but it turned out to be TMJ and not actually tooth related (after they pulled several teeth).

Strongly recommend seeing an oral surgeon rather than a dentist.

The most agonising 'tooth pain' had me in that state. The dentist said there was nothing wrong, the GP referred me for a CT scan after painkillers didn't do a thing and I was also having awful headaches regularly, the neurologist informed the GP that it was 'probably stress'. And then I caught a cold so my nose was completely blocked - the guy I was dating at the time came round with a packet of decongestants as he knew I'd already taken paracetamol for the 'toothache' and asked the pharmacist if there was something without painkillers in it.

Taking one Sudafed made the pain stop. I now hit any cold hard with full recommended dose decongestants, cold packs and saline rinses from the moment I feel in the slightest bit stuffy or tender and so far, haven't had a recurrence in 20 years. All those headaches and toothaches I'd had for years, all impossible to fix in the eyes of doctors and dentists, all gone from that moment on. Because sinusitis had been missed.

Is it worth trying to see if a decongestant gives any change in the pain level? If it is the maxillary sinus is in exactly the right place for where you say the pain is, that's been infected, the antibiotics would help if there was an infection, but the swelling could be taking longer to go than the time you were taking them.

Trigeminal neuralgia?

I am in the middle of trying to sort out a similar sounding problem. However, I can't pin point which tooth the pain is coming from. If I could, the dentist said I could have it pulled or refer me to an endontist to potentially re-do two v old root canals that are on that side. However, the dentist isn't willing to go digging around or pulling teeth without knowing which tooth to go for (thankfully!). X-rays were all clear.

This all started after a horrific sinus infection in May of this year, followed by Covid.... The teeth have been aching ever since and I cannot bite down on that side without beng in agony. I did mention the sinus infection to the dentist and she did refer me to the hospital for a full facial xray to rule out sinus issues. Could you ask your dentist to do this? It was free. Just needed dentist to refer. The xray didn't reveal much. However, I did speak to my GP and she has asked me to try a steroid spray for 6 weeks. If that doesn't work she is going to refer me to ENT to look into it. She called it atypical facial pain. This may also be a route into a dental hospital if ENT can't find anything?

BTW, my dentist said if I wanted to see an endontist it was a 2 year waiting list on the NHS (with v stricty referral criteria) or go private for approx £300 consultation fee plus up to £1000 to re-do a root canal. I know you don't want to lose your tooth and you are hanging on to saving it, but if it is due to a reinfected root canal this is what you're up against. Most regular (certainly NHS ones) will not attempt to re-do a route canal on a molar (this is my understanding anyway..).

I think you are stuck in a very difficult place and you feel you have very few options due to lack of funds. I don't think you have anything to lose by a) asking dentist to refer you for a full facial x-ray b) contacting GP about pain management and referal to ENT? Neither will cost you any money.

Good luck. It's miserable having constant toothache.

My mum had all your exact symptoms - she saw a specialist who took a very detailed scan and the cause was a hidden root, a ribbon root I think she called it, that the normal x rays won't pick up on.

She had it re done and it's been fine since!

Hi, several pointers for you....... I don't find cocodamol is much help with dental pain, Ibuprofen is better, but make sure you take them with something to line your tummy.

Yes infections can move from teeth to heart, brain, whole body etc. That is fact, it happened to my son. He spent 17weeks in ICU.

If the dentist is completely sure that this pain is not your tooth, there is a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia, which is one of the most painful conditions known to man. After this amount of time it would be reasonable to ask your GP to refer you to see a neurologist. If you have this condition you have my sympathy, the pain is nightmarish, it usually comes in waves and comes and goes. Don't diagnose yourself though, it's very complex.

Another cause can be an over-fill, which the dentists don't like to admit to...

I had something similar and in the end I got packed off to the dental hospital to have some sort of super-root canal where they used special instruments to really widen the root channels or something. Was horrible, it took ages and hurt even with the anaesthetic as they went in so deep.
Then after all of that the tooth root cracked a while after anyway so out it came. Luckily it was a molar.

I had almost this , it turned out to be a tiny root which didn’t show on scan but was infected. The only thing which solved the problem was having the tooth out. My dentist keeps suggesting having an implant but I am terrified of getting another infection, it was horrific

Gosh. This reminds me of an article I read in the Guardian about a woman who had horrific tooth pain and was fobbed off. I’ll try to find it for you.

I found it:

amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/apr/20/dentists-would-not-treat-my-toothache-now-my-health-has-been-wrecked-for-ever

This article is terrifying....

I really sympathise, I had a similar situation, backwards and forwards to the dentist for ages with horrific pain in a root filled molar, which the dentist said was not possible! Even though I was sat in the chair sobbing in pain, and x-rays showed nothing. This went on for nearly 2 years. Eventually I was referred to hospital for an impacted wisdom tooth which happened to be on the same side, and a CT scan showed the infection in a missed root, really high up by my sinus cavity, too high to show on x-rays! By this time I had extensive bone loss from repeated infections, and a large cyst, had to have it removed along with the wisdom tooth under GA. I would push for an NHS referral to maxillofacial asap.

Years ago I had root canal but after a month or so the pain came back. Like you dentist prescribed antibiotics 'just in case' even though she said x-rays showed no infection. I struggled on often crunching aspirin into the tooth to numb the pain.
I moved about 3 years later & signed up with a new dentist. He found an infection in the original tooth underneath the root canal. I had to have the root canal removed & redone. The relief was instant & I could have cried with joy (though not at the bill).
You may want to ask for a second opinion.

I have also had a root canal. Everything fine for a bit, but then started to play up. Had X rays done privately by two different dentists. Both are saying it looks like everything is fine, but that it's a very sensitive area and if pain continues to come back, the next step would be root resection surgery. Google it and maybe it's an option for you? Doesn't sound particularly pleasant and both dentist said they would only consider doing it as a last resort.