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.

This happened to DH for a period of more than 30 years, I always knew when an infection was building up as his upper lip and the space under his eyes started to swell. Doses of antibiotics cured it, but it happened time and time again and was a problem if he was working abroad. Eventually we had a very thorough dentist who tracked it down to a chip that had broken off a tooth and migrated. He operated to remove this and DH has been trouble-free ever since.

You mention in the OP that it isn’t TN, I’m not sure how you know that? The only way you would know is to take carbamazepine. If the pain goes away in 10 days, you know it’s TN. Good luck

OP, I totally sympathise with you. I needed a root canal 2 years ago and it was the worst pain of my life. Honestly, for me, it was worse than labour. At one point I was curled on the floor in tears of agony. No pain killer was truly effective.

Rinsing it regularly I'm salt water did soothe my pain a bit. I got dissolvable codeine which I think dulled the pain best.

I would honestly get a second opinion, whilst you like your dentist, it is very strange he can't figure out what is wrong. Google dentist near you maybe if you give a rough guide of your location someone here can recommend someone?

Sorry I’ve not read every post so this may already be suggested. I have had a very similar issue in the past. I have worked in a dental surgery for 28 years and had it thoroughly checked. I suffer terribly with sinusitis, predominately on my right hand side. It had resulted in excruciating toothache. After several X-rays it was discovered I had a large sinus cavity this was causing referred pain in my teeth. I did end up getting 2 molars out but to be honest if my sinuses flare up I still get toothache where I don’t actually have any teeth!

If nothing is showing on X-ray I don’t think they would re-root treat it. An extraction may be the only option. There are many options to get the space filled. It may even not be noticeable if right at the back. Hope it gets sorted soon.

Talk to your dentist about referral to a neurologist. Depending on where the pain is, could be Trigeminal Neuralgia, which would need diagnosing and treating ASAP. Alternately ask about referral to an endodontist or a periodontist...who will have more experience of problems that occur in the gums. Either way, you really need referring and maybe a scan. Good luck.

Hospitals still have dentists....and that is on NHS.... an option might be to go to a Dental Training Hospital.

There could be a number of things wrong, it could be that you need more time for everything to settle. Sometimes the nerve can be aggravated and angry by the infection and it can take weeks to settle. There could be some nerve damage or other issue as others have already alluded to. Can you get a referral to a consultant dentist in a speciality dental hospital if this continues as feels you have exhausted the expertise of your general dental practitioner? Good luck, I have had so many problems with my teeth so I feel your pain. In the meantime amitriptyline was brilliant but it is an antidepressant and does make you drowsy; it could be what you need to settle the pain? It worked wonders for me.

This is what I was thinking. OP, it might sound odd, but some muscular pain in your neck/shoulder can refer to your teeth.

I had root canal on a tooth and the pain continued - turns out it's a muscle knot in my shoulder. If you massage your shoulder area, look for 'trigger points' - as described here:

www.painscience.com/articles/spot-04-scalenes.php

And this article on pain is worth a look:

www.painscience.com/articles/pain-is-weird.php

I suspect it is as someone suggested and it's when it moves slightly it causes the pain - as you say surely an infection would be constant

Just one more thought, my daughter ended up having two teeth removed to have a brace fitted - nothing wrong on xray - perfectly normal teeth, it was only when the dentist extracted them that he realised she had an extra root on both and he said something about if she ever needed a root filling that they would have to be careful to make sure they did every root - could it be something like that?

I just remembered that I had a similar pain about a year after my root canal. Visit to the dentist and I was told I had an infection and cleaned it out but pain persisted everytime I ate.

I brushed 3 times a day, and regularly rinsed the area with warm saltwater and got a pointy toothbrush to ensure I was reaching in between teeth. 2 weeks after my dentist visit suddenly felt something strange in the area. It was a piece of popcorn kernel. I hadn't ate popcorn in a month. It must have been lodged under the gum. The dentist completely missed it.

I really feel for you @SoreToof because I’ve been there and had to have the tooth taken ….. I had my wisdom teeth removed but they left one of my molars that was infringe of wisdom tooth as they said it would change shape of my face and once wisdom teeth were gone it would settle down etc - it didn’t!!!
after being in screaming agony and dosed up to the eyeballs with pain killers they took it out BUT it took over an hour, I had two roots, and they couldn’t give me anymore pain relief, they just had to get it out. They called it a hot extraction because the nerve was basically in there telling everyone and everything to f/off - I’d do childbirth any day compared to that!
Within days I was pain free and I honestly cannot explain the relief!
You need to see an orthodontic surgeon and have it removed OR see if there’s anything to stop the nerve pain, mine was so bad I had a numb chin for almost a year but I didn’t care. My face never changed shape and eventually I’ll have a bridge so I can chew that side again but I can’t aid it right now and you have to wait a year anyway to let everything settle down again.
you really need to speak to your dentist again and get them to refer you on asap.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you that you get sorted soon xx

Sorry forgot to add, they eventually took the tooth 8 weeks after the initial wisdom teeth op which I had been asleep for but couldn’t be asleep for getting the b@&€&d one out - at that point I didn’t care though x

cant u get a denture for the missing tooth thats what my dsis has done she takes it out overnight and pops it back in dont think theyre expensive

you must have paid out loads already for all the visits to the dentist

I had a similar problem and it turned out there was a crack in the tooth, in my case it widened when I bit down. It didn't show up on an x ray and was originally diagnosed as referred pain. I'm afraid I had to have the tooth removed.

Crikey some of you are brutal on here. This lady is in severe pain and has been for a long time. She doesn’t have unlimited funds to sort it and is suffering a lot. Have some compassion please, feel ashamed of some of your responses, it’s just horrible. Bring it on now, it will be interesting to see who does!

Wouldn’t cover pre-existing conditions.

These are my similar experiences and who/what worked.

One time I had a root canal. A couple of years later in the same place I got the most excruciating pain. Dentist said it was actually a sinus infection. It was, but it remained chronic for many years, many courses of antibiotics. ENT could see it with endoscope up nose and tried special antibiotics but in the end doxycycline (for something else) cleared it (I had been avoiding as it makes me vomit).

Then a couple of years later the root canal did have to be redone- but by an endodontist. They can see and treat things a dentist cannot. There was a mini little root off to the side.

Then a few years later the pain started back up again. I thought it was a sinus infection. Pain in whole side of face. Went on for ages. Had had a recent dentist appointment. Tried lots of antibiotics and it was like yours- only subsiding for a short while. Had sinus investigation. Went to the dentist again and found out the wisdom tooth root was infected. Had it pulled and fixed!

Now 5 years later I have some pain and sensitivity in that area due to a sinus infection from a cold.

The two are just so close together it’s hard to determine if it is sinus or dental. Sometimes I can’t tell and chase the wrong specialist help.

Good luck.

I second (third?) the advice to consult your GP and ask for investigations for trigeminal neuralgia. It's a heavy diagnosis but may explain the extreme pain you are experiencing when there's no infection etc.

Sorry to hear this. Sounds like a nerve pain. The dentist might need to refer you to the maxfax team at the hospital for further review.
ps. The GP will not help you as its most likely a dental complication

Just to add I got endodontist through NHS at the hospital. I think it was students being supervised. He did a great job and 10 years later that tooth is fine.

Same. The crack was below the gum line on the front of the tooth.

I replaced it with an implant - my dentist did payment plans.

What does TN mean?

This might not be helpful at all but my root canal also failed like this and I had no option but to have mine removed. The tooth had a hairline crack no one could see. One day the entire tooth just broke in half. I saw an oral/dental surgeon in a hospital (not a dentist) because I was having problems with the nerves and my wisdoms and there was no other option to stop the pain. I had it done under GA (and all my wisdoms) and I had to sign a waiver about nerve damage - which did happen I have half a numb bottom lip.

I couldn’t afford a replacement either and no one will pay for one on the NHS as far as I know, and I still have a gap that’s quite visible. I just weighed up qualify of life and I really don’t regret it tbh. I’m glad it’s bloody gone

She has gone down the conventional route doing everything she can to get this sorted out at the dentist's and unfortunately she is still in pain and posting on here could lead to her finding something that could help her. Even if she doesn't get a solution to her toothache she is still going to benefit from this thread from reassurance as she has stated that she is frightened because she is still in pain despite having the treatment recommended. You know you were being less than kind as you said you didn't mean to sound horrible which means that you know fine well that it would likely come across that way. It just wasn't called for and was completely twisting the op post into her asking people to diagnose her, when in reality she has been diagnosed already and has followed all the advice and finding herself still suffering she simply was reaching out for reassurance and anything that could help which is completely normal, sensible and not remotely unrealistic. I wish I had advice for the op but as I don't I wanted to at least support her and stop her from feeling like she can't reach out fit support when she needs it for fear of someone accusing her of wanting people to quasi-diagnose from afar!

Not sure if this is helpful, but the pain from sensitive teeth can be excruciating. I used to suffer really badly with this and the dentist used some paint on treatment and now I only use a sensitive toothpaste. I thought I must be a wimp it hurt so badly even though I generally have a high pain threshold. However, I felt quite vindicated when a woman I worked with, who was super fit and super tough and could face anything, started to suffer with the same and said it was the worst pain she had had.
just a thought.