Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Excruciating pain after wisdom tooth extraction

37 replies

OobieDoo · 20/07/2021 18:23

I had a wisdom tooth extracted on Thursday last week and the pain is unbearable. I'm sure it should be getting better by now but it's getting worse. I'm alternating ibuprofen and co-codamol but neither are touching it. I can feel a constant, pulsing throb, radiating through my jaw. I want to claw my face off. This is the worst pain I have ever felt - and I've been through labour twice.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? The tooth was impacted so I was warned it would be painful but I didn't think it would be like this. I don't think I have dry socket but I don't really know what I'm looking for. I've followed the dentist's aftercare instructions to the letter so I'll be really pissed off if that's what it is.

I've called the dental surgery but they can't see me until Thursday. I don't know how I'm going to cope with another two days of this.

OP posts:
User5827372728 · 20/07/2021 18:25

Not personally, but I feel like I lived this pain through my OH. His pain became bearable around day 10.

I hope your back subsides ASAP

User5827372728 · 20/07/2021 18:25

Pain not back!

Original poster
OobieDoo · 20/07/2021 18:29

Thank you. Was he given anything for the pain?

OP posts:
Pumpkinstace · 20/07/2021 18:31

It's probably dry socket.

Horrible pulsating pain worse than the access that warranted the removal.

Lasted about a week for me

fatshitcrazy · 20/07/2021 18:35

Sounds like dry socket, I had the same with my wisdom tooth and it is agony. Think you need some antibiotics and stronger pain relief should be able to get them from either dentist or your GP,
Hope you get sorted soon I'll

aloysiusflyte · 20/07/2021 18:42

I had an impacted wisdom tooth taken out a couple of years ago, it was a very tricky removal (tooth had to be sawed up, dentist had to put lots of pressure on my jaw bone, stitches afterwards) and the pain as it was healing was worse than recovering from my c sections! It started to get better after about a week/10 days but it was so painful, I was on maximum pain killers every day.
Hope it soon starts to improve for you.

GeorgieFlame · 20/07/2021 18:47

Yes i had dry socket recently. Like you I followed the aftercare to a tee yet i still ended up with it. Ring your dentist and tell them you cannot wait due to the pain. My dentist dressed my wound, it took 5 mins. Thankfully it is better now.

DoeRay · 20/07/2021 18:50

Yep dry socket.

The dentist re-packed the wound and at home I used a dressing with clove-oil soaked on it to numb it. That worked really well and took the pain away.

Make another app with the dentist but in the meantime, get to the chemist for some dressings and clove oil. It's a sanity saver!

Original poster
OobieDoo · 20/07/2021 18:55

Oh yes, I'm using clove oil too. It dulls the pain for about ten minutes.

Those of you who had dry socket, was it obvious when you looked at it what it was? I've been looking at my wound and I can't see any bone, I can just see what looks like a blood clot with whiteish stuff over it. The whole area is very inflamed as well, but I guess that's to be expected.

OP posts:
EnjoyingTheSilence · 20/07/2021 18:56

Call them back and say you think it might be dry socket. It should not still be this painful

KarlMaldensNose · 20/07/2021 19:00

Can you get hold of any prescription strength codeine (30mg tabs) from your doctor ?
It’s the only thing I found that works with tooth / gum pain but gives you nasty constipation unfortunately
OTC painkillers just are not strong enough

Tronkmanton · 20/07/2021 19:01

Call them back & demand to see them- they will pack it to ease the pain. Dry socket is far far worse than childbirth.

blinkthreetimes · 20/07/2021 19:03

No dry socket here but the pain was worse than an 72 hour childbirth.
I remember crying for quite a few days

SoundBar · 20/07/2021 19:04

They will pack it, call them back

User5827372728 · 20/07/2021 19:05

My Oh took codeine and was given antibiotics as a precautio!

iknowimcoming · 20/07/2021 19:09

Another one chipping in to call them and demand to be seen tomorrow (I literally sobbed on the phone to them and begged them to see me) god, there is nothing like that pain, so sorry for you Thanks

Bordernotboarder · 20/07/2021 19:11

Also experienced pain worse than post c section when I had my wisdom teeth out. It was also a pulsing pain. I ended up at the dental hospital and they gave me antibiotics but this was 20 years ago. Pain went quite quickly after that.

HorticulturalGraveyard · 20/07/2021 19:15

If it is THAT sore, it will be dry socket. It is excruciating. You'll need to forcefully demand an emergency appointment I reckon. After my impacted wisdom tooth removal, I ended up going to out of hours GP at hospital at 3am as the pain was just unbearable and I was given strong antibiotics and lots of 30mg codeine to be followed with paracetamol an hour afterwards. That took the edge of it and it was much better after a week to 10 days.

Katefoster · 20/07/2021 19:42

Sounds like dry socket. Do salt water mouthwashes after every meal. If you have a dental hospital near you I'd try and get an emergency app. I've had patients say dry socket is honestly the worst pain they've ever experienced in their life but it's really easy to treat and as soon as the medicine goes into the socket your patient will go away xx

Katefoster · 20/07/2021 19:44

I would also call the dental practice back and get the receptionist to check with the dentist about fitting you in tomorrow because it literally takes 20 seconds. I'd actually be tempted to be there for when they open and if that happened at any of my old practices we'd always just see you quickly before the start of the day, it's really not a long app

pingittypong · 20/07/2021 19:50

I had an impacted wisdom tooth out. It was a bottom one which are meant to be the worst.
It was honestly horrendous. 100 times worse than a c section. I had to take a whole week off work and just lay in the house miserable.
I've never felt pain like it. The throbbing, the stitches, not being able to open my mouth more than a centimetre. I feel your pain.

pingittypong · 20/07/2021 19:51

Oh and mine wasn't dry socket. Just awful pain from having it done.

pingittypong · 20/07/2021 19:55

Just looked on the nhs website and it states that recovery from an impacted wisdom tooth removal can take up to 2 weeks. They should really give people proper painkillers as paracetamol doesn't touch the pain.

MaverickDanger · 20/07/2021 19:56

I had this and ended up sitting next to the wall banging my head repeatedly.

It wasn’t dry socket but the start of an infection. It was quite a traumatic removal and I was out for over 3 hours so I’m not surprised there was some lasting damage.

It eased after a day of antibiotics. They gave me tramadol too but I was so out of it on that.

Roominmyhouse · 20/07/2021 19:58

I had dry socket, it was agony. Poor you.