My mouth is in agony. Not exaggerating, the only thing I have experienced that is more painful than this has been a broken bone. It started last Wednesday, I was at work, it felt like an infected gum behind my wisdom tooth. I've had the occasional infection due to weirdly positioned wisdom teeth, but usually a bit of enthusiastic swilling with mouthwash for a day or so shifts it. I rang the dentist on Thursday, got an emergency appointment for Friday, and she said I have an ulcer, they normally clear up by themselves in 10-14 days. (I didn't see my normal dentist, he is only in on Thursdays.) She gave me a prescription for something to help which turned out to be an over the counter generic mouthspray, and hasn't really helped much.
Since then the pain has got worse, the whole side of my face is painful and I can't open my mouth properly, and it is getting me down. Do ring the dentist again, perhaps for the same woman to tell me it could take another week or so to heal up (I am sure I would cut my own head off before then!) or do I try and get an appointment at the doctors? I'm not sure what a doctor could do. But friends have spent all weekend telling me to go to a doctor in case I do have an infection.
I've had ulcers on my tongue and gum before, and they are a bit sore. But this is another thing altogether! I can't even sleep on my side my face is so painful.