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Original poster

In so much pain with my tooth. Help please.

61 replies

Wineonafridaynight · 24/02/2010 02:07

I am in the most excrutiating pain with my tooth. I'm not registered with a dentist. I can't afford a dentist even if I can get registered with one. Will my dr give me some painkillers or antibiotics if I see her? I am sure I have an infection.

I am in so much pain I'm in tears and can't sleep.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 25/02/2010 03:03

Thanks everyone.

Well I'm still awake and the pain is just getting worse. More of my mouth is hurting than before and nothing is making it better. I don't know what to do! I guess there is nothing I can do until my appointment but (and I know this sounds dramatic) I haven't a clue how I'm going to make it through to tomorrow!

DP said to wake him if I needed anything but if I did it would just be too cry to him about how much pain I'm in. Not sure what I expect him to do.

OP posts:
TheLadyEvenstar · 25/02/2010 03:50

Vodka held against gum where pain is works as well and the added bonus?? you can drink it after!!!

BaconWheatCrunchies · 25/02/2010 05:46

Is your appointment Friday? Did you get a Dr to actually look in your mouth? If there is any swelling I would get some antibiotics ie get an emergency Dr's appointment, or phone the dental practice as soon as they open and see if they have any cancellations for today.

Otherwise make sure you don't go over the 8 paracetamol in 24 hrs, and alternate with 600mg ibuprofen (as long as you're not asthmatic or have an acidic stomach problem).

The sleep deprivation won't be helping the pain. You may find it easier to sleep propped up with pillows, having your head too low can increase the pain.

Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 25/02/2010 08:57

Would love some vodka right now (not usually so keen at 9am but it might just keep me awake today!!!) Unfortunately we have none in the house.

Bacon my appointment is today at midday. I might have written that wrong previously - haven't really been with it! I have DP coming back to take me which is great as I am terrified of the dentist!

I did manage to sleep in the end for about two hours. I woke up and my face felt strangely numb but still sore which was odd!

3 hours to go!

Thanks for everyones support. I would be going mad otherwise!

OP posts:
MegGriffin · 25/02/2010 18:03

How did you get on today?

Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 25/02/2010 18:29

Hi Meg, It was OK. I got given some anti-biotics and given another appointment for tomorrow. I have a problem with one of my teeth. The dentist isn't sure it can be saved.

She told me that they could try to put a filling in (although have to take out an old filling first and when they do they may discover that they can't save it.

The other options were I could either have it removed (which will happen anyway if the filling doesn't work) or I can pay £500 for route canal treatment from a specialist!

Option 3 was out straight away due to cost. I was a bit confused though as I thought it wasn't supposed to cost anymore than £200. She seemed to think it would have to be a specialist doing the route canal treatment. Does anyone know if that's why?

Just had my second anti-b and some Solpadeine. I need to be a bit careful as I haven't slept for anymore than 3 hours out of the last 48 and haven't really eaten for 24, so all is feeling a bit strange now!

OP posts:
JeremyVile · 25/02/2010 18:36

Is it maybe that that work wouldn't be offered by an NHS dentist but the option is there to have it done privately? Because I dont think the nhs service will go all out to save a tooth if it would be complicated - they'd just whip it out. I think.

Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 25/02/2010 18:38

Forgot to say that I said I would have the filling but then remembered that I think she said that would only be temporary and wouldnt last forever so may just opt for the tooth being taken out now.

Has anyone had a tooth taken out before? What can I expect re: pain? How will I feel after? Very dental-phobic here!

OP posts:
JeremyVile · 25/02/2010 18:43

Nothing to it! Honestly. I'm like you and I had to go to the dr for some sedatives before I'd have my tooth out.
As it happened I dont think they worked but the tooth was out in seconds with no pain at all. There was a momentary sensation of pressure and that was it.
He was fiddling around in my mouth for about 30 seconds and then stopped and I was about to take the chance to say 'stop I cant do it' but it was already out! I had no idea.

Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 25/02/2010 18:44

Jeremy I was wondering that but then Googling the banding it says that I can get root canal treatment on the NHS and it falls into band B. Maybe it is something to do with how bad my tooth is!

OP posts:
JeremyVile · 25/02/2010 18:47

Oh yes, root canal is offered by nhs. I assume there must be a difference between standard root canal and the kind you would need to see this specialist for?

Worth double checking though - not sure who you would check with mind - because I have heard of some dentists not providing the care they should to nhs patients. I'm sure thats very rare though.

Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 25/02/2010 18:53

Yeah, don't really think there is anyone to check with! It must be something to do with it being a specialist.

Looks like I'm just going to let them whip the tooth out. God, I'm going to cry tomorrow!!!

OP posts:
MegGriffin · 25/02/2010 20:11

Hello, glad you are on your way to getting it sorted one way or another. It seems very confusing about the costs. Mine is a molar and she is only charging £29.50 and it is definately root canal. Maybe yours is complicated? Mine already had an old filling in it. Maybe that has a bearing on it. Good luck with your appointment tomorrow and let us know how you get on.

MmeBlueberry · 25/02/2010 20:16

They won't shouldn't take a tooth out while you have an active infection.

That will give you some time to think. You can't make these kind of decisions in the kind of pain you are in.

Pulling the tooth should be a last resort. There is a lot that can be done to save the tooth.

moocowme · 25/02/2010 20:48

my last tooth extraction was a 3 hour blood bath. the dentist just ould not get it out.

i have just found out i have another fractued tooth and it has to come out as well.

i must find out about sedatives this time.

of course your tooth might be easy to get out in a 30min appointment.

Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 26/02/2010 07:19

Thanks everyone. I was so dosed up last night that I wasn't really consious enough to come on here! Kept dosing then waking up from about 7.30pm then got to bed at about 11 and slept through to 6.30. It is so nice to have sleep again! I woke up because of the pain though so just taken a final dose of pain relief! I also managed to eat some real food which was nice! My stomach wasn't too pleased about the medication I had been taking on an empty stomach!

Thanks for the reassurance about the tooth coming out. Moowcowme - your experience is scaring me a bit but hopefully it won't be that bad.

mmeblueberry - they were saying that they would have to take it out today if when they take the existing filling out to put another one in they find it is too far gone to save.

Meggriffin - I'm totally confused about the pricing as well. Mine already has a filling in it as well. The £29.50 your being charged is confusing as I would have thought you should be charged £36.50. Although being charged less is obviously good!

I think I'm going to let them try the filling rather than take the tooth out. We are supposed to have guests this weekend. I don't want to cancel as two are staying with us but two have booked themselves into a hotel and paid for it already. From reading online my face may swell up and I probably won't really be with it tomorrow if I have the tooth out. If I have the filling then I should at least be able to enjoy myself a little. DP can deal with them all anyway if I'm not with it and I'll stay in bed!

OP posts:
BaconWheatCrunchies · 26/02/2010 07:20

Root canal treatment on a molar under the NHS is one of the big sticking points with the new contract that came in 4 years ago. It takes a long time to do an RCT, it may not be successful and the dentist will loose money doing it.

At least if you have it out it's gone and can't give you any more trouble. I hope whatever happens today you've managed some sleep and feel a bit better.

Have you got someone to go with you today?

Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 26/02/2010 08:14

Bacon Thanks Bacon. To be honest, I don't think I would go for the root canal treatment anyway. It seems as though it would just drag on and on and to be honest I just want to get it sorted!

Yes, my DP is coming today to hand hold. I really am silly about the dentist. I was fine until last time I went (well second to last time now). They gave me an injection and hit a nerve or something. It was so, so sore! That's what put me off. That and also the fact that I was convinced the surgery were dragging it out through more appointments than they needed to. I was a student at the time so treatment was free and it was before the pricing structure changed. I was convinced that they were making me come back more often that needed as they knew they would get the money from the government. By the third time that I went and there was a problem with the Crown they were fitting i was very sceptical! Maybe I was just overly paranoid though.

OP posts:
jasper · 26/02/2010 08:54

"They shouldn't take a tooth out if there is an active infection"

Folks, this is MYTH, and one that refuses to die! I don't really know where it came from.

I am at the stories here. We see patients the same day ALWAYS if they have toothache, including patients not registered with our practice

The new contract for dentists in England is a disaster.

Wine, they would not have been dragging it out to make more money,as dentists (pre new contract) were paid for each item of work, so dragging it out would be MORE costly to them

Hope you get it sorted today

Original poster
Wineonafridaynight · 26/02/2010 12:48

Hi Jasper. I hope I didn't cause offence. I certainly didn't mean to - just seemed to keep signing NHS forms each time I went back and yet the original work wasn't happening as they kept making mistakes! I was supposed to be having a crown put on my teeth but after the 3rd time of turning up for it and them not being able to do it because there was a mistake with the crown I got fed up of it. They did do work each time but it wasn't scheduled. They seemed to give me a filling each time as well. I just let them get on with it until I had a bad injection and then it put me off the dentist and I didn't go back!

My new dentist is new to dentistry but absolutely fabulous! Her and the assistant (sorry don't know what they are called) were really calming today.

I had to have the tooth out because it was too far gone. It was pretty painful. Been home for an hour now and it hasn't stopped bleeding which is worrying me slightly!

Jasper could you explain to me why they couldn't have done the route canal treatment there even though I read that it can be done on the NHS. They said I'd need to go to a specialist? As it happens the tooth would have been to dead to be saved anyway but would be curious to know.

OP posts:
BaconWheatCrunchies · 26/02/2010 15:11

Jaspar I'm not sure it's a complete myth, I wouldn't take a tooth out of someone with a swelling.

Pleased to got it sorted, well done you!

Try to sit down, don't poke it and it should stop bleeding. Any blood in your mouth looks loads worse since it mixes with the saliva.

Hope you now have a good weekend.

MmeBlueberry · 26/02/2010 18:22

Jasper,

I was told that by the hospital endodontist when I had a tooth infection, complete with golfball face.

She said that removing the tooth was a fast route to septicaemia. She drained the infection and gave me antibiotics. I was then able to have a root canal.

In fact, I have had a root canal three times on that tooth - twice by general dentists and the last time by an endodontist and it is now completely stable.

So, the myth comes from within the dental profession.

BaconWheatCrunchies · 26/02/2010 20:11

It's not something this dentist says.... but it was a line the receptionists at the hospital I trained at would reel out to the emergency patient.
Wow 3 times you've had your tooth RCT'd! You must have been keen to save it, or was it not a molar?

MmeBlueberry · 26/02/2010 20:46

It's a 2nd molar. I think it's probably easier to have a root filling than an implant?

The first root filling was about 25 years ago, then the next about 8 years ago. The third one was about 2 years later. I had a little blister on my gum (fistula?), which implied that it was getting infected, confirmed by xray.

I had the final root filling by an endodontist - one visit to clean out, second visit a month later to fill. I then had my cosmetic dentist do the restoration. The endodontist took about an hour with each appt. I'd hate to think what you'd get in 20 minutes.

The first two root fillings were done all in one visit, but I think there is probably better quality by having it done more carefully.

BaconWheatCrunchies · 27/02/2010 07:30

Yes an RCT if definitely easier than an implant.

One visit RCT is the best way, but a specialist with a mircroscope etc would probably book 2 to 3 hours to do it that way.

But the cost of your treatment you could probably have got an implant for the same.

Well done for your determination to save it.