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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In so much pain

107 replies

pizzaface23 · 01/06/2024 19:49

I'm awaiting extraction on a wisdom tooth and a molar. The molar is badly decayed, I saw the xray and although it looks fine on the outside, the inside just looks black. I'm in so much pain. The pain seems to be inside the tooth and gum but is radiating around the jaw bone and up the side of my face. I've been getting by with strong painkillers and am on day 2 of antibiotics prescribed by the dentist on Thursday.
I'm hoping that the antibiotics will kick in and this will improve. If not I have no idea what to do. The thought of carrying on like this for even a few weeks is terrifying. I have a 5 year old and a toddler and I'm just wiped out from the pain.
Has anyone else had this? Did antibiotics work temporarily? If there's no improvement by the end of the course I feel like I'm just going to pay privately to get them taken out. Can't afford it but can't afford to feel like this for much longer either. Will antibiotics help if the infection is inside the tooth? There's no visible abscess or anything like that.

OP posts:
dothehokeycokey · 03/06/2024 21:10

@pizzaface23

Maybe you could call again tomorrow morning to see if there's any cancellations?

I had to do that for my dc as our initial extraction appointment was six days from when the abscess and pain was so bad they couldn't lift their head up.

I literally begged and begged on the phone and eventually we got an appointment with someone they recommended for that afternoon. Still private and slightly further away but even so we would have gone anywhere at that stage.

I was so relieved when it was out as my main concern was sepsis as it kicks in so quick.

Original poster
pizzaface23 · 03/06/2024 21:22

I find it baffling that they expect people to go weeks or months without treatment. It can be so dangerous not to mention painful. I will call in the morning and ask about cancellations I hadn't thought of that.
It's not a filling I need, the decay is all under the teeth in the roots so they need pulling completely. They are both absolutely knackered, I've seen 3 dentists now and all 3 have agreed they are beyond saving which is fine with me. I just want them gone.
No idea how I'll cope with no sleep, no proper food and continual pain for another 4 days though.

OP posts:
UpUpUpU · 03/06/2024 21:27

Oh OP. You poor poor thing.

I have just been through something similar and it was absolutely agony. It took so long to get an appointment that the nerves died.
I still have the tooth but it’s dead now so it doesn’t hurt.
I hope Friday comes round very quickly for you.

Phoenix76 · 03/06/2024 22:22

I was wondering how you got on OP. It really is the worst pain and I don't think any words can describe it accurately. I'm not a medical anything just an expert in suffering and honesty I think you'd feel much better on different antibiotics, apparently different bacteria causes different infections and if you're one of the unlucky ones as I was, amoxicillan won't get rid of it, my last fun episode I used erythromycin but previous to that I had that and the one starting with m mentioned here previously. I had to get mine from an online pharmacy after answering many questions but once I started them the pain was noticeably reduced within hours and the next day I was pretty much back to normal, I did encounter resistance from my dentist about it until proved correct. Honestly we hear you, wish I could wave a magic wand for you

OhMrDarcy · 04/06/2024 07:35

I'm in the middle of something similar with a back molar, due to have it taken out today after multiple failed root canals and an infection. The pain is hideous.

What I found is that any pain in that tooth sets off all the nerves in the lower and upper jaw so the pain in that side of my face is just dreadful, some sort of referred nerve paid all over my face. So the tooth infection went and the tooth was pain free but the nerve pain kept on for a couple more days. If you google what the pathways for the nerves for your teeth look like you'll see they're all mixed up and linked, hence the referred pain from just one tooth.

You have my sympathies.

gillybombilly · 04/06/2024 07:38

This might sound silly, but I was in a similar situation to you and waiting for an extraction.

I was told to try the red wax from babybel to try and fill the gap as I was unable to get the ‘cement’ type of filler in the meantime.

Often, the pain is exacerbated by debris or air getting into the damaged tooth.

It did minimise the pain to some extent - as I say, it sounds crazy but it did help me.

Best wishes and I hope you find some relief soon.

Menora · 04/06/2024 07:40

I really feel for you, I had a complicated extraction under general anaesthetic and I was warned it would likely result in nerve damage which it did, luckily the sensation in my tongue came back after a while but I have a numb patch on my chin and lip. I would rather have that than have kept the tooth though but it did make me lisp and dribble for a few weeks initially 😂

i had all 4 wisdom teeth out at once then got sent home on a Friday promptly got dry socket, I will be honest the pain was so bad I even considered taking the whole box of codeine at one point in my delirious state I just wanted it to stop.

Try to keep yourself busy, I know that’s so hard but you can practice mindfulness to keep you from going in sane and losing your mind. Breathing exercises and mediation can help with pain, I know it sounds weird but it is worth a try

you could also contact your own dentist and talk to them about different antibiotics in the meantime? I imagine they will put you straight on metronidazole post op to stop infection risk spreading anyway?

Original poster
pizzaface23 · 04/06/2024 08:14

I'm not sure if the antibiotics have finally done something or I've just taken too many painkillers but I actually slept well last night and have woken up relatively pain free this morning. It's bizarre given how bad I felt yesterday but I'm not complaining.
I do feel a bit woozy and my stomach feels a little odd (haven't eaten much and have had a LOT of medication) so it'll be another lazy day today but it's amazing not to have the same level of pain.
Now I'm just panicking about the extraction which sounds hideous and can only be done under local. Both teeth need to be broken up before they can be extracted and the wisdom is quite near to a nerve. I suspect I will have stitches in my gum and have been warned I will feel rotten afterwards. I'm very worried about dry socket as I don't want to exchange one painful infection for another. But it has to be done.

OP posts:
Menora · 04/06/2024 08:56

Ask them what to do if you get dry socket over a weekend. I had to wait for NHS oral surgery ro reopen on Monday to have them packed as a dentist wouldn’t touch me

Poetnojo · 04/06/2024 09:03

Delighted to hear youre no longer in pain. At least Friday wont seem so far away now.
Honestly the recovery might not be as bad as you imagine. Today is one week since my extraction and it was fine. I took a couple of painkillers for 3 days, like maybe 2 doses per day, I didn't need more than that. I just had a little swelling, Nothing major. I did keep gauze in most of day 1, changed it carefully a couple of times. No hot drinks and just soft foods. I think that's how I didn't end up with dry socket which had been my fear.

JenniferGreenHat · 04/06/2024 12:04

As I mentioned, I’ve had all 4 out. I had 3 out at once, and only had a few painkillers for a couple of days. It was a great recovery.

The last one was a difficult extraction (lower wisdom), and dry socket has been very painful this time. It’s 13 days since extraction, and I still have slight earache. This is because the nerve goes from ear to jaw, so it’s pain caused by the tooth extraction, not actually earache. But it’s way better than having the tooth still.
I hope you have a good few days pain wise and can get the tooth/teeth out quickly.

JenniferGreenHat · 04/06/2024 12:05

@Poetnojo I did everything the same as you, and still got partial dry socket. Sometimes it just happens, increased risks from difficult extractions and lower wisdom teeth. My dentist even got it, sometimes it’s just bad luck!

Original poster
pizzaface23 · 04/06/2024 13:27

I'm very worried about dry socket actually because I've read it's more common in wisdom teeth extractions especially complex ones which this is.
I have had to take time off work over the weekend and yesterday for this. I've managed to do a bit from home today. But I'm mostly worried that dry socket will mean I have to take more time off next week which won't go down very well.
I suppose I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

OP posts:
Menora · 04/06/2024 13:32

Dry socket is really quickly resolved once the plugs go in. It did not take long for me to feel better the issue was finding someone to plug them with the clove

they do give you tips on how to reduce the chances of it happening by not dislodging the clots but it can just be bad luck

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 04/06/2024 14:09

I had all 4 wisdom teeth out under local anaesthetic with sedation, for all practical purposes it was exactly the same as having a general but with much less recovery time. I knew nothing of what was going on. Perhaps that would be a possibility?

Original poster
pizzaface23 · 04/06/2024 14:23

Unfortunately the surgery I'm having it done at only offer local. Believe me I would take all of the sedation options open to me if they were on offer.
I could have waited and had it done somewhere else with sedation but it would have cost an extra £600 (!!) and wouldn't have been until next week.
I know the local will totally numb the area and I won't feel anything but I'm very worried about being awake while they do such invasive surgery. It's been explained to me and it sounds horrific.

OP posts:
OliveWah · 04/06/2024 14:28

@pizzaface23 I had 4 teeth removed 6 weeks ago. I had been very ill for a long time, regularly vomiting up to 10 times a day, which had corroded my back teeth and several had chunks missing and bits broken down to the gum line. I had to have a couple of them broken up and taken out piece by piece, under just the local anaesthetic, like you. Although it's not something I would choose to do again, it was nowhere near as bad as I was expecting. I took ear buds with me, so I had some distraction and wasn't just focused on the noises going on in my mouth. After a week of saltwater rinses and a few days of paracetamol, my gums have healed really well. I just thought I'd share my experience, as I know I was really worried beforehand too - good luck!

DirtyDensDog · 07/06/2024 15:39

How are things now @pizzaface23 ?

I hope that you are no longer in pain and managed to get your teeth extracted.

Original poster
pizzaface23 · 07/06/2024 15:55

Hello all,
I had planned on giving an update since I had so much help and support. I had both teeth removed this morning. It wasn't a pleasant experience but I kept my eyes closed and it only took about 25 minutes so much quicker than I thought. Afterwards I was numb for about 3-4 hours which was lovely after so long in pain!! Now that's worn off it does feel very sore but it's a different, more manageable pain than the horrific toothache from last week. Genuinely thought I would go mad with that.
I have quite a few stitches and also a weird, white line in the incision. I think they said it was something to help with clotting but I wasn't listening properly by the end.
So the next worry is dry socket - and I am incredibly worried about that, especially if it sets in over the weekend - but if we can get through that hopefully this nightmare is over. At great personal expense to me (private dentistry is certainly not cheap) but there's no way I could have coped with it for a year long wait at the hospital. It just would have been endless cycles of antibiotics and reoccurring pain.
I see lots of soup in my near future. Maybe some mash potato too.

OP posts:
IMustDoMoreExercise · 07/06/2024 16:03

@pizzaface23

Glad that you are no longer in pain and thanks for the update.

This article says that you shouldn't have soup:

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-prevent-dry-socket#aftercare

DonnaBanana · 07/06/2024 16:09

Antibiotics will usually work great but only give you a couple of weeks relief if the infection comes back. Generally you get them for a week or two before a procedure

Original poster
pizzaface23 · 07/06/2024 16:14

Gosh there is so much conflicting advice out there. Most articles say a strict liquid diet for 24 hours - including soup and yoghurt - but equally they say no hot or cold things so I guess it's cold soup and warm yoghurt.
I'll do my best with the dry socket prevention but I think some of it is down to luck too. I'm just glad they are gone and looking forward to healing and getting back to normal.

OP posts:
DirtyDensDog · 07/06/2024 16:27

Glad that you have had the teeth removed. You are very brave. Well done.

Just1234 · 07/06/2024 16:28

Well done OP! I am so pleased they are out.

I did a search on dry socket on here once as I was concerned and there is lots of threads with advice on how to avoid it.