Tooth ache

[Chillychili]

Any tooth ache advice for overnight (my wisdom tooth has come through and moved a crown, guessing infection has got underneath). Taking paracetamol and ibuprofen, but need some advice/tips to get through the night 😩

@Chillychili
I am so sorry to hear that you are experiencing pain from your wisdom tooth

First thing I would suggest is rinsing with warm salt water...put a half of a teaspoon of salt in a 1/2 cup of warm water and stir until the salt is dissolved. Put a bit in your mouth and swish it over to the side where your painful tooth is located. Then spit it out..Repeat several times.

Then you can put an ice pack on your cheek, being careful to wrap it with a cloth so the ice isn't directly touching your skin...leave it on for about 20 minutes or as long as you can tolerate.
Next, use moist heat ( a warm, wet flannel or moist heating pad)on the area.

Keep changing from the heat to the cold pack about everyx20 minutes.
I'm sorry you are having a rough night and I imagine the time is just creeping by.

Know that I am here thinking of you and praying that you get some relief real soon
(Remember to make sure you eat something with the pain medication so that your stomach will be protected.)

Hve you got any painkillers you can alternate OTC cocodamol with ibuprofen

Thank you both I have survived just.(have a baby who won’t sleep) between the tooth ache and sleep regression it was a very long night. I am breast feeding so unable to take anything stronger :( hope I can get a dentist today. My dentist kicked me off the list last year when they told me the wrong time to turn up. I have a dental plan but it isn’t activated yet (brought through work)

Oh, poor you! And your little one isn't sleeping well either.
The dentist should see you soon because an infection can cause problems with your other teeth, plus make you feel terrible. Not sleeping properly and having an infection can cause your immune system to go down...do you have a GP or health advisor that you can call for help? Or write you a prescription for some numbing cream that you can use around the tooth until the dentist can see you?
It's definitely not good for you to have an infection while trying to breastfeed.
I hope you are feeling better today.

Keep going with salt water gargles, as warm as you can cope with. Also corsodyl mouthwash. You must see a dentist. Wisdom tooth infections can be serious. Good luck.

Oh god, nothing worse! Try the extra strength orajel temporarily.

Call 111 if you aren't registered with a practice anywhere, they should be able to advise you of local dentists who may be able to see you

Or try private practices before NHS ones if you are in a position to pay, they are more likely to have availability at the moment

Thanks everyone for advice, unfortunately I can’t pay for treatment (maternity pay). I have spoke to the emergency dentist who will see me next week. So hoping with salt and painkillers can last the weekend. Currently sat in tears though with not much hope. God why does toothache have to be so bad

Oh, Chilly! How can they let you suffer like that? Next week is too long to wait...you will be a basket case by then....
Maybe call 111 like Nelly said...it isn't good for you or your LO to have you in a state of pain...too stressful! Is there a BF consultant you can call to advise you on how to get an appt? This isn't a dental problem at this point...it has turned into a medical problem on many levels...and it's not good for your mental health.
PS...I work in the dental profession

Thanks for everyone’s kind replies, I called a dentist and cried to the receptionist (well I called many) but they squeezed me in. He took one look in my mouth said it was very swollen infection is in the bone. I am on antibiotics then it will come out in 3 weeks.
@Sweetpea1532 how long for the antibiotics to kick in? They are 500mg amoxicillin three times a day. I am quite small about 7.5 stone if that makes a difference.

@Chillychili
Hallelujah! It's an Easter Miracle!!!
All is can say is 'Praise the Lord' to your recent update, Chilly!

The amoxicillin begins to work almost immediately but will take about one or 2 days for you to notice a dramatic difference with the infection....don't lose heart though...it IS working...
I shudder to think where you'd be if you'd had to wait to be seen until next week. Infection does lots of damage to bone, plus it makes you feel so rotten.

Good job, OP! I'm so glad you were persistent with the Dr office...I guess the squeaky wheel and all that! It sure takes it out of you to be that squeaky wheel...you did it though and good on you!
Hug your LO tight
P.S. I can imagine you were told to take the entire dose of 3 weeks worth of tablets...the reason I emphasise this is most people start to feel better and decide that they can discontinue the medication...actually, the opposite is true...in the beginning the meds kill off the weaker bacteria making you feel a lot better. If you stop taking the meds then, the stronger bacteria do not get killed off and figure out how to become resistant to the antibiotics.

@Sweetpea1532 I was only given 5 days worth of antibiotics? Still no signs of it easing yet. Feeling very poorly now, was having night sweats last night. My partner is working away at the moment so home alone with 2dc, feeling exhausted, hopefully my mum can come help me tomorrow.

@Chillychili
Ok, that's good then that you were only given 5 days worth of tablets.....I was wondering why they had given you such a long course of medication....I thought it meant that the infection might be so severe that you needed an extra long course, so that's a relief!

I hope you are beginning to feel better since you've been taking the amoxicillin.

That would be wonderful if your mum could come help you...as you really do need to rest...can you pump some milk for her to feed the baby? Maybe all of you can have duvet time until you start to feel better.
Also, maybe ask your mum if she can be there after you get your wisdom tooth pulled so you can have a day or 2 to recuperate. Will your DP be home then?
Do you ever pump some breast milk for the baby? If you do have some saved up then after the tooth surgery you could then maybe take at least a stronger pain med and have the stored milk ready to give your LO.
Take care!

I have been expressing lots during lockdown (thinking we would be out of lockdown by now) so have a freezer with about 750oz in it 😅 she will take a bottle so yes I can give baby to mum and retreat to bed. Dp will be home, they aren’t removing the wisdom tooth they are removing the tooth with the crown on it. The wisdom tooth has come through moving my teeth which has in turn made the crown not fit and get an infection underneath. I keep tasting blood, but feels like the swelling is reducing now. Still painful And I need painkillers about an hour and a half before they are due. I take paracetamol then three hours later take ibuprofen then three hours later take paracetamol again haven’t found a better way to manage the pain.

It's the most awful pain, hope it eases soon. I'd definitely still go with salt water and corsodyl. It took a couple of days for proper improvement with me but you're on the right track. Good luck x

@Chillychili

I'm sorry to hear you are still having pain! All your other news is good news, though....lots of milk, check!...mom helping, check!, dp coming home, check!

Using the warm salt water swishes and the heating pad will help with inflammation and help the circulation around the area to get rid of the infection.

750ml of breastmilk? That's gotta be a record! Good on you, Little MaMa!🤱🤱🏼🤱🏿

@Chillychili
I hope you are on the mend!

Thank you @Sweetpea1532 slowly, still got tooth ache. But pain is coming 4-5 hours after last pain relief, still swollen and hot. Temp where my tooth is 39.8, swelling although there is slowly reducing, got one more day of antibiotics, although don’t feel that this will be enough. As normally you feel better before stopping them. Also still unable to eat much :( going to be the only person to lose weight at Easter 😂

@Chillychili
Bless you...I am so sorry you are still in such pain. Thank goodness you called around and found a caring dental practice to put you on antibiotics....I'd hate to think how much damage the infection would have done whilst you were waiting on the first dentist
Maybe give them a call on Monday to see what they suggest....it is amazing how one little tooth can cause so much pain.
Are you still doing the salt water rinses? Cold packs, heating pad? I don't know when I think you are supposed to eek out the time to perform all of my helpful time-consumingsuggestions plus bf baby and take care of your other DC...and of course get ready for Easter celebration, though! 🙄

One suggestion about the celebration on Easter...I'm not trying to be a know it all, but you might want to make sure you wear a mask and try to social distance...even from those who've had the jab....because of the infection your immune system is being taxed and your chances of catching covid are increased. And that's ALL you need.
Happy Easter to you and yours!

Aww gosh thank you I didn’t think about covid, and I don’t want covid (only people I am seeing is my mum and niece) I have been vaccinated (nhs worker) so has my mum, and my niece takes a covid test twice a week for school. So hopefully that will be as low risk as possible.
Doing salt water rinses hot and cold. Much prefer the cold to the hot as my face is swollen and throbbing hot makes it pound more.
Easter has taken a back seat this year! As I have been to grumpy to do anything 😂 and also I can’t enjoy the eggs. The pain and swelling have reduced though as I have managed to chew something, the rest of the week I have had soup. Great for losing the baby weight.
Hope you have a great Easter tomorrow

I'm not a medical or dental professional but in the first lockdown I got the most awful infection in my impacted wisdom teeth which had to be removed in the end, but two courses of penicillin didn't get it anywhere near under control. My face was swollen like a balloon but a different stronger antibiotic called metronidazole did have more effect and made it much more manageable. Might be worth asking your dentist to try a course of metronidazole - it made me feel quite unwell but was way more effective than penicillin

I agree with tankflyboss, Metronizadole is best for dental infections, do try and get that prescribed. I really feel for you O.P, dental pain is the worst. I had severe toothache from a cracked tooth over Christmas and only prescription Co codamol took the edge off the pain, interspersed with ibruprofen. I also used a few drops of clove oil applied to the tooth which helped numb the area. I really hope you get some relief soon.

I have always been told never to use heat with a dental infection as it can make it worse, not sure if that is right but may be worth sticking to the cooler treatments in case

@Chillychili
The heat (especially moist heat)
Expands the blood vessels so they can carry away the fluid from the swelling. But, if the cold feels better, that's what you should definitely use.

I'm glad you are having a small celebration with your close family...I'm sure they will be very helpful.
Thank you for your service with the NHS...you've made so many sacrifices...it's time for Chilly to get pampered now.
Happy Easter to you, also. I've attached a funny little photo of a few pugs trying to be Easter bunnies...I had to draw my little black pug in the picture since she wasn't actually in it
I just saw all these emoji Easter bunnies!