Severe dental pain - help me :(

[amehh]

I last saw the dentist in January 2020, no fillings needed but I've been clenching my teeth at night so they are sensitive (stress related) and my 2nd molar is misaligned so meets the teeth before any of the others (if that makes sense) so that is extra painful. This tooth is filled to high heaven and is basically a bad tooth, my dentist says - we are in talks of extraction anyway due to the amount of problems it has had in the past 4 years. Had a mouth guard fitted but it didn't get made before the lock down so I've purchased my own for now.

This last week I've been in sudden and severe pain, all on the left side. Upper teeth, lower teeth, gums and jaw, plus now getting pain in my ear and temple. I think it's an abscess caused by the pressure and damage of clenching my teeth but I can't see anything. I've been taking paracetamol and ibuprofen every 2 hours for days and it's getting worse. Changed to cocodamol and ibuprofen yesterday and I've been given amoxicillin which I've started as well. Dentist wants me to check back on Monday but I honestly don't know how I'll make it to Monday! I can't sleep, lie down, the pain is horrendous, I'd rather be in labour and it gets worse every day. My gums on that side are so sore to touch I can hardly brush them (I use sensodyne rapid relief toothpaste as well).

Can anyone help me? I'm terrified of dentists and dental work but at this point I'd happily have them pull all my teeth out with no anaesthetic if that's what it took. I'm trying to homeschool DS and look after
6 month old DD and all I really want to do is smash my face against a wall
Sorry this is long - trying not to drip feed information!

You need to push to be seen by a dentist today please. Tell them how much pain you are in, it's not fair to fob you off until Monday. Call them now xx

@SleepySheepy I've just called and waiting for them to call back but I'm not holding out much hope, if someone could just take away all my teeth that would be ideal at the minute!

I had a tooth abscess .... I was due to go to Cornwall for a relatives golden wedding anniversary party. I managed to see the dentist before I left who gave me antibiotics but no pain killers because I was breast feeding. By the time we arrived in Cornwall 6 hours later I was in so much agony and had maxed out the paracetamol. I tried to be seen by the out of hours Drs but really really had to push because I kept being told to go back to my dentist. In the end I saw an out of hours Dr in the middle of the night who was so lovely and gave me some strong painkillers ( the antibiotics were fine I just needed to last long enough for them to kick in). I didn’t need dental treatment at that stage although like you my teeth are rubbish on that side of my mouth.

Good luck - dental pain is terrible

@Divebar so there is hope! My dentist also said that he wouldn't prescribe painkillers because it would do the same as the paracetamol and ibuprofen I was taking but that wasn't enough, I've upped to cocodamol and ibuprofen now but still not enough. Also the dentist said to try not to take every 2 hours but push as long as possible so I don't max out too early and then have none overnight but I think this is even worse as now I'm finding the day AND night horrendous.

I'm in a real pickle and the last 7 days have been brutal, just hoping they'll let me see an emergency dentist or at the very least give me some crazy painkillers

I'm sorry it's the worst pain. You need antibiotics ASAP. The pain from my abscess didn't subside until it burst through my gum ( it was front tooth). I was then violently sick. You need urgent care.

Where are you OP? Some emergency hubs are up and running some are not, I can find out if you give me rough location.

Do phone dentist back. You cannot be left in that much pain.

Ok well a Dr can prescribe painkillers if you’ve got antibiotics already so persevere. I really had to battle my way through a phone operator and then a screening call from a nurse who was quite off hand with me.... I think when I finally got to see the Dr I may have cried. He said “ I could see how much pain you were in when you walked in the door”

@danni0509 I'm in Suffolk

DH says I'm currently acting very similarly to the latter stages of labour - what I wouldn't give for labour pain right now 😂 I've got alarms all on my phone to remind me of when I can next take which tablet, not that any of them help. Even my cup of tea has betrayed me now. AND DD is teething too - the flippin' tooth fairy is having a laugh here.

Still waiting for dentist to call back, I expect it'll be a few more hours still - he is absolutely lovely and I know he is frustrated that he can't give me an appt with him as we have had many appts addressing my fear of dentists but right now I'll see anyone and have any treatment, that's how desperate it feels

Thank you all for replying, it is really good to know there are people out there who understand - DH tries but he hasn't even got a filling so has no idea

@Divebar that's good to know, docs fobbed me back to the dentist earlier this week when I was after stronger painkillers but I'll give them another go after speaking with the dentist today

Dentist still hasn't called back, called my docs who have prescribed me codeine to take alongside paracetamol and ibuprofen and he said he is really annoyed the dentist didn't prescribe more painkillers for me. Just waiting to collect them, fingers crossed for some relief

Bless u phone dentist back in the morning. He should of really phoned u back today!

Can u hot salt wash your mouth out every couple of hours, Ice pack your face, sleep in a semi sitting position (propped up ok loads of pillows)

Keep dosing up on painkillers, have you got any oragel or that baby anbesol to numb the area etc?

Also if u don't find any relief from those combo of painkillers go to boots or any pharmacy (kept behind counter) and ask for paramol.

You can take those with ibuprofen.

It's the strongest over the counter painkiller.

Propped up on loads of pillows that should of said on post before last.

Feel for u. I've had similar trouble, abscess in March 2 lots antibiotics didn't work, that got removed I had to travel and pay a lot of money private as it was before these 'hubs' where set up, then fuck me I get another tooth ache opposite side of my mouth.

I had check up feb with xrays etc and a small filling all was ok then week of lockdown my teeth start to have toothache parties! Ffs.

Call 111 as your dentist is a jerk - they can get you in the queue for a dental hub. The maximum wait time to be seen by a hub is 12 hours. I hope you get sorted soon - dental pain is the worst!!

Still no relief and only one lot of painkillers left until 7am now, I'm waiting on a call back from 111 now as this is more horrendous than any thing I've experienced

Thanks for all your comments

Hey this sounded like me 18months ago back and forth to dentist wanting my teeth ripped out! Turns out I have bloody Trigeminal Neuralgia look it up and see if this could be you!

I hope you get this sorted soon, dental pain is awful.

I was going to say exactly what @Redflowers8 said. I've got this and I thought it was dental pain/earache. It's horrendous pain and pain killers just won't stop it. You need anti-seizure meds. I hope it gets sorted soon xx

You really have my sympathy. I have a high pain threshold, to the point I have to be careful I'm not doing myself damage carrying on with a fracture etc but the memory of a tooth abscess a few years ago still makes me shudder. Apparently I repeatedly begged dp to knock me unconscious for some relief, and called him every name under the sun when he wouldn't. I had no problems refusing all pain relief in labour but would have taken anything to escape the pain from that tooth.

The amoxicillin did start to offer some slight relief after about 12 hours, after 24 hours the pain had reduced enough to sleep for a few hours between pain killers. Think it was about 48hrs when it had reduced enough to notice I was hungry and attempt eating. Ice packs on the outside, and ice cubes in your mouth if you can bear it also help. And don't try and lie down, prop yourself up with pillows. A bit late now but try and alternate the painkillers spread over a 24hr period.

In a very similar position! One tooth upper in agony and the same tooth on the bottom have been sensitive for months but dentist said they were fine. Started to hurt all the time at wk end was crying in pain by Sunday. Was pleased to see there was an emergency dental service only to sink when was told nothing they can do unless i want to go to hospital to have them extracted. I got more painkillers but Anbesol from the chemist is also helpful if you can get it. By yesterday i was a crying, hungry, tired mess. I've been flossing, brushing and warm water salt rinses regularly and it seems to be abating a bit. Oddly mine are really awful sore after exercise.

I hope you get some relief asap

x

Hi everyone - sorry to anyone who is suffering or who has suffered with this before!

111 said there was nothing they could do for me unless I wanted to go to A&E for more pain relief and had a very "you'll just have to put up with it" attitude - I know there isn't much that can be done but it's hard to hear when you are in pain and crying (I just keep seeming it randomly burst into tears today). Anyway, to my utter shame, I decided I really couldn't stand it any longer and off I went - in and out in an hour and I've been given the max dose of cocodamol, naproxen and a stomach medicine too and the doctor basically said to not stop getting at the dentist tomorrow so I'm currently on the sofa (so I don't recline at all) pills taken and praying to get through the night with maybe a little bit of sleep and try the dentist again.

I've truly never known anything like this and I am actually a little frightened of it - the rapid onset and the severity is awful - and I'm worried if it's an infection that its spreading or it's pretty nasty. I've no idea but I know enough that I won't be worried about begging for help tomorrow before the weekend sets in.

@Redflowers8 @pigdogridesagain did you find it came on very suddenly? I know I have some on going problems with this one tooth but suddenly and very quickly half my mouth is in agony!

@amehh yes it starts suddenly and the pain is absolutely horrible, unlike anything I've ever suffered before. I'd say you need a doctor not a dentist. I went from the gp to the dentist and back again about three times before I finally got diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia. I also had the mouth guard made etc because I grind my teeth badly but I find that the guard irritates it even more.

@amehh I also find that very hot or cold drinks set it off as well as very sugary drinks or food such as a can of coke. I was diagnosed just before lockdown after suffering since Christmas. Just waiting until I can see my GP again to get a referral to a specialist

@pigdogridesagain just been reading about it - what a quick diagnosis! Well....quick because Google said it could take years but still awful for you to suffer. I'll keep it in mind after I've badgered the dentist, if they don't find an abscess as that's all I can reasonably think this is. The painkillers I've taken are actually working I think, I hope so or I feel very woozy for no reason. Are you on pain medication?

I definitely do have a dental problem anyway, my tooth has become misaligned and touches the other teeth first so when I've been clenching my jaw it puts crazy pressure on it and I've also noticed I'm clenching my jaw throughout the day now too so at least some of this pain is probably from that.

I'm just in a bit of a pickle!