I had root canal treatment yesterday under sedation - is it normal to still be in pain and still have a hole in my tooth?

[JennyPenny22]

I can't get through to the dental clinic (never can as they are super busy). I had root canal treatment under sedation - after months of waiting for the appointment. Well, over 24 hours later I am still in agony and can feel the hole in my tooth with my tongue? Is this right? I am in so much pain. I can't eat anything other than soup (and even then, it hurts and has to be just slightly warm).

Is this normal or have they buggered it up?

Doesn't sound quite right but do you have another appointment to , say, put a crown on or is it a temporary filling perhaps ?

I have had several treatments and was in pain for about a week after each one. Had trismus (lock jaw) after the last one which was pretty awful.

Alternate ibuprofen and paracetamol every 4 hours. Check with dentist/GP but you can up your dose of ibuprofen for a short course. try and sleep sitting up.

Did he give you any ABs to take? Sometimes there's residual infection that needs to be cleared.

As for the hole in your tooth, not sure about that, doens't sound right to me

I wonder if the filling might have somehow come out?

Please try and go back to them tonight, if there is an emergency service - ring the surgery to get the number, should be a recorded message.

Hope it is sorted out soon - no, you should not be in this much pain.

I've been having root canal work over the last couple of weeks. I've not been in pain at all after the appointments although both times the dentist has said I might have discomfort once the anaesthetic wears off, but certainly shouldn't have any pain after 24 hours. Each time the tooth has been packed and a temporary filling used so there's been no hole left. It will be filled permanently at the next appointment.

If I were you, I'd ring the emergency number for your dental practice if you have one. If not, there should be an emergency NHS dental number for your - NHS Direct will be able to find it for you if you can't. The one in my area is manned 24 hours. If you are in a lot of pain they may be able to see you tonight, or at least tomorrow.

You poor thing. Dental pain is the worst pain ever. I really wanted to cut my own head off when I had an abscess a couple of weeks ago.

I should also add, you don't need to be registered with an NHS dentist to access the emergency NHS dental service.

I finally got through to them not long after my OP and they said to come in tomorrow at 10.40am but there is no anethitist (how ever you spell it ) so it is only a check up and nothing would be done.

ARGH I am so annoyed. I am very needle phobic and hate dentist which is why I had the work done under sedation, after months of waiting because I couldn't have it done when I was pregnant due to low blood pressure and other problems. It took so much for me to go through it yesterday and even then had to have somebody with me to hold my arm down while I had the needle in my arm.

And now got to go through more of it!

{{{{{Jenny}}}}}}

Make sure you get them to xray the tooth to see if there's any residual infection and then INSIST on ABs (amoxicillin or metronidazole, both worked well for me). All that should fall within the remit of a 'check-up' as its non-invasive. Also ask them about upping your dose of ibuprofen. I was advised I could take double the pack stated daily dose for a few days but you need to check that with someone professional obviously.

I am breastfeeding - does this effect weather or not I can have antibiotics? And I think that probably means I can't have a higher dose of painkillers either . TBH if I wasn't BF then I think I would have doubled my intake of painkillers anyway, regardless of what they said as the pain is just so stressful.

I had a hole left in my tooth after root canal, to let an infection drain - could this be the case? Then, I did know about it and had it filled the following day.

Sympathies, I have had hours and hours of RCT this year and am so glad it's over now but it was pretty unpleasant at the time.

How old is your baby? That might affect what/how much you can take. I took anti-b's while BFing and codeine but my DS was over a year so not feeding often/much.

Jenny it depends what you take.

Paracetamol is fine. A small amount of ibuprofen also but check with them.

Presuming you have quite a small baby, (if you've been waiting through pregnancy) then metronidazole is not ideal but should not do any harm - generally penicillin or amoxycillin will be fine. I took metronidazole last year for something and I think it made my milk taste a bit off, but ds was fine - he was over a year old though which helped.

It does pass into milk. They might say it is a better drug for your problem (but I'd have thought you'd already have been given it if it was required) and you can always pump and dump, to maintain supply, or take the risk - basically I think it's just untested for bfing.

Good luck x

Ibuprofen is fine when BFing

When I had a root canal, I was 'tender' afterwards. As for a hole in the tooth, I didn't have that, but I did just have a temporary drsssing.

My root canal was done by an endodontist in two appointments a month apart. The first appointment, they emptied and disinfected the tooth, and the second one, they filled it. My own dentist did the finishing restoration.

I thinnk root canals can be really painful if the filling material goes beyond the root (to make sure they don't underfill). It is pressure on the tissues and should subside reasonably quickly.

Gosh is that what they do ST?

I've been under threat of an apicoectomy for an old crown, he's redoing it next week instead - hope he does go a bit deeper as it's been a leaky nightmare for a while now.

Ho hum...

sympathy, I had root canal treatment yesterday too but i am not having any pain today, except for a sore jaw from keeping it open for so long. I used to hate having injections in my gums but now that they put numbing gel on first i can honestly say they are okay. The smell of the old infection when they got down to it was horrific, the nurse left the room!
My dentist said that 5% of root canal treatments fail (and you have to have the tooth out), I'm afraid this happened to my sister.
Hope you feel better soon.

If the work has been done properly, then I don't mind being in pain for a few days, I expected that. Its just that I am worried it hasn't been done properly or something has gone wrong, so don't want to wait a week, to then find out it has still got to have stuff done to it.

I know ibuprofen is fine to take when BF, but what I mean is that I can't take more than the dose on the pack I don't think.

My baby is 8 weeks old.

I wasn't told anything about it being a seperate appointment to fill the tooth, no mention about coming back (It wasn't done at my normal dentist - it was at a sedation clinic thing)

The part under my tounge is very swollen and sore too - is that normal?

DH is being a dickhead too. He has buggered off to the pub, leaving me in pain, with both DDs, DD1 won't sleep as she is teething and being a PITA, DD2 doesn't go to bed in the evening yet either. I feel like shit where I haven't had a decent meal in over a week and this is really the last thing I need.

. I think they may well have had to push your tongue out of the way so it may well be rather tender. I had an apiesectomy a couple of years back - don't google - and was very bruised and swollen for a few days. Took paracetamol and codeine but don't think you can when b'feeding. @ dh on your behalf.

Oh Jenny can you summon DH home, do you get any other family help?

Jenny,

You can take more than non-prescription dose of Ibuprofen.

A normal dose is 200mg. My dentist gave me 400mg when I was having treatment. When I gave birth, I was given 800mg for afterpains.

Obviously, you should only do so under medical supervision.

scienceteacher - is that when you were BF too? I was a bit annoyed TBH That the dentist didn't give me any painkillers - not even when I was in the recovery room bit- my friend who was with me had to go to the shop and come back as I was in too much pain to wait until I got home (which is what I had planned to do, not realising exactly how painful it was).

DH knows I wanted him here but he went anyway.