Ongoing dental problems, beside myself with pain.

[QuebecBagnet]

Had tooth ache for a couple of months. Had a filling done in March and been in agony since. Went back to dentist yesterday with an emergency appt. he did an X-ray said it was infected and decay under the filling and it needs extraction. I’m nhs so no chance apparently of it being done soon. Got antibiotics and told to come back in three months time for a check up, at which point they will make a treatment plan and book me for an extraction. God knows why I need another check up, the decay will hardly have improved and he said it’s too deep for a filling.

anyway I’ve been on the antibiotics only for 36 hours and no improvement yet. But have realised the tooth which I’m in pain with is actually the one infront of the one they’re talking about. He said it was the one infront of my very back one but with gentle prodding tonight it’s two infront of the back one.

so now I’m really worried that the one which is actually causing the problem still hasn’t been looked at. I can’t be like this for three months, painkillers aren’t helping. I can’t brush any teeth on my top right side. Can’t eat very well.

if I ring back tomorrow might they see me again or will they just say to give the antibiotics longer to work. I’m worried I’ll need two pulling out and will have a massive gap.

Oh I feel your pain. Tooth ache is the worst. So my antibiotics just started to work on day 5. The pain can radiate out to other teeth but does subside when affected tooth is fixed.
my one bad tooth made 3 others hurt. I do hope you get some relief soon. It’s just awful

If it’s infected it will feel hotter than the others.

Is there no chance of a root canal instead?

ive just checked prices and it’s £62 NHS V 50/370 private depending on area - might be worth a look?

Maybe it is the bad tooth making the other hurt, I hope so. Dentist said that root canal would not work. I’ll leave it till next week and give the antibiotics a bit more time to kick in and if not ring the dentists again. Thanks.

Toothache is no joke, so sympathies from me 💐

Have you tried to 3 months is just too long. Have you tried to ring 111 or send them an email. They are quick to respond. They may be able to book you a same day emergency.
For now can you take something with codeine like Co-codamol as it's stronger, together with ibuprofen (especially gel capsules). But you are limited to how long you can have them. Also use Orajel extra strength 20%. The pain can travel to other teeth too.

Not that long ago I had an unbearable tooth pain, it was during a holiday, so I had to go private and paid a whooping £800. I too had actually had two teeth next to each other with pain, and when the pain lingered for a week, I contacted 111 who booked me an emergency same day. Only cost £23 or something. Big gap, but I rather that than pain.

People also say it's instant relief, not for me. The pain travelled daily. First one side, then another, then whole mouth, then jaw, then neck. I was miserable for weeks. Don't know how people can have a full mouth extraction tbh.

Good luck

I would pay privately to get a second opinion.

If root canal is not an option, how on earth can they justify making you wait 3 months for an extraction?. Provided he could numb the tooth, he could have done it on the spot there and then. I would also suggest you go privately rather than wait, your body is going to be constantly fighting against sth that likely can best be resolved by root canal (now) or by removing the tooth.

As I was leaving the nurse did say if I was in pain between now and three months to ring back. I suspect she realised it was a big shit all round. If I knew for example it wasn’t going to be more than £200 I’d pay private but I suspect once I’m in the chair at a private dentist the cost could spiral and I really can’t afford it at the minute.

If you booked the appointment as an extraction, they could likely give an accurate upfront cost. It's whether you would need a private check up first as well I suppose. The NHS dentist really should be fitting you in asap for the extraction as you say you are in pain. Get back to the NHS one and don't let them fob you off like this.

The antibiotics will take a few days to kick in

Take some painkillers too

Tooth pain is awful

The private dentists are clear on pricing the same as NHS and they need your consent to carry out the work. They aren’t all in it for the money. Dental treatment costs.

I had one root canal via private and it was a much nicer experience than the NHS one by a long shot!

Extraction should be the same procedure.