Had a big filling (years ago) in one of my molars because of a period I went through in my late teens of not looking after my teeth.

That filling had been replaced a few times already, but last year some decay necessitated it being done again only it was very marginal whether a mandatory filling should be done or a root canal was required.

Had the mandatory, but it didn’t work properly, so a few months later, after a week of agonising pain, had the root canal done. Obviously, this all cost a fair bit. Sadly now. about 6 months later, my tooth is infected and obviously, the root canal wasn’t a success. The dentist has given me antibiotics, which I’ve been on for 36 hrs now, but they have brought no noticeable relief yet. Last night I was in real pain and got no real sleep. It’s almost debilitating at times.

I’m supposed to go back in 8 days to have the molar pulled. The dentist said that an expensive specialist would be required to ‘fix it’. I can’t afford that.

It’s very disappointing – after shelling out about £800 – to have the tooth pulled anyway.

I’m assuming that sometimes these things don’t work out through nobodies fault, but I’ve got a niggling feeling that the dentists didn’t seal it properly or something allowing an infection to slowly seep back in. Still, I won’t point any fingers because I just don’t know enough.

I’m also going to call them back tomorrow if the antibiotics don’t squash the pain and swelling and/or ask for some proper painkillers.

On a tangent: the topic of pain management, it’s strange how medicine operates. Years ago after some minor surgery, I was given box after box of heavy-duty opiate-based medication, but I was never in anything more than mild discomfort. The worst pain in my life was epididymitis a few years ago. Utter agony like an out-of-body experience at times for a week or so. The GP’s response was to tell me to take aspirin!

Ouch, you have my sympathy, I’m in exactly the same boat but I’m just having it pulled out at the end of the month rather than try the expensive root canal.

Get some Orajel from the chemist/big supermarket, stick a pea sized blob on the tooth, close your mouth and wait for half your jaw to go numb, it’s good stuff.

No idea how you’re supposed to use it in the daytime though, it only really works if you can keep your jaw closed for ~20minutes while it does it’s job otherwise it spreads out and you end up with a numb tongue, cheek, or whole mouth.

Something to do with the new NHS dental contracts meaning root canals are covered by the NHS in principal. But no NHS dentist will do one as they won’t get paid enough to cover it so the only NHS option is extraction. Then once you’ve got a gap the options are £2000 implant privately or an NHS plate. The NHS bridge option wasn’t recommended as it means you’ve got 3 weak teeth rather than one.

The worst pain in my life was epididymitis a few years ago. Utter agony like an out-of-body experience at times for a week or so. The GP’s response was to tell me to take aspirin!

It hospitalised me. 3 different IV antibiotics before one worked (consultant said “if this one doesn’t work we’ll have to try Dettol”). As you say, agony.

Oil of cloves. Or, just put a clove next to it. IANAD.

Yeah, weird with pain meds. Think it’s something to with the war on drugs. So a lot of pain meds you might find enjoyable/make you high as a side effect. And for some reason it’s preferred that you be in terrible pain or dead, than high…

Yeah, weird with pain meds. Think it’s something to with the war on drugs. So a lot of pain meds you might find enjoyable/make you high as a side effect. And for some reason it’s preferred that you be in terrible pain or dead, than high…

~50,000 people a year dying in the USA of opioid overdoses, largely the result of addiction to prescription opioids might have something to do with it.

So “it’s preferred that you be in terrible pain than high or dead”, different order.

clove seconded.
I had a tricky back tooth root canal treatment last year, sadly it was touch and go (at the time) and while not major pain, it was not getting any improvement so got pulled. It was a tough one to work – probably being done just before lockdown didn’t help me keep on top of it or get it checked regularly. Also have another tooth that is root canal – two canals – one had taken, one is dodgy. Looks like that one’s getting sliced in two. Sigh.

IANAD but If the antibiotic is Metronidazole then it’s great at tooth infections and should start to work really well after 48 hours.

Tooth infections don’t have to be caused by stuff/bacteria getting in and causing it. Just the tooth “moving” about in the root bed can cause it (or at least that’s what my dentist has told me in the past…). Ibuprofen and paracetamol taken alternately every 2 hours is good for the pain.(so you end up taking Ibuprofen every 4 hours and paracetamol every 4 as well but you are getting a dose of one or the other every 2 hours.

You have my sympathy as there is nothing worse than toothache (except perhaps childbirth, but I know nothing about that other than witnessing someone else do it!)

I once had a root canal done on a Monday morning and flew out to Germany that afternoon for a big exhibition where we were working for the week. As the week went on, my toothache got progressively worse and the whole side of my face started to swell up. There was a medical centre at the Messe and they sent me straight away for an emergency dental appointment as the swelling was starting to cause my eye to close. Despite a very painful and relatively expensive (£500) dental procedure to drill out the filling, it was only minor relief. Fortunately a colleague was driving back to the UK next morning so I went back and immediately got an emergency dental appointment back home. There was a huge infection through my jaw and up into my cheek – he was able to drain the infection and prescribe very strong antibiotics and painkillers – the immediate relief was palpable.

Salt water gargles and like the man says alternate pain killers.

I don’t have toothache but rheumatism causing muscle pain and now take 8 tramadol,8 ibuprofen and occasionally 2 paracetamol every day. Don’t want to get hooked on it but can’t sleep and barely work if I didn’t take them. I’d say my wrists , one hand and biceps pain is like toothache

When I had an almighty abscess under a molar the best thing I found was iced water for relieving the pain. And ice lollies. I was in agony and painkillers weren’t doing anything, but the ice really helped. Worth a try

Tooth ache is a form of torture. I had an issue years ago – emergency root canal. Got the anaesthetic as soon as I arrived. First time in 2 days not in pain was amazing.i feel for you

Alternate pain killers, I found bonjella/TCP/ambesol on the area number the pain temporarily.

Co codamol even if over the counter stuff and then 2hrs later ibrobufen then co codamol ect

That way always no longer than 2hrs off the drugs.

And scotch dont forget the scotch

I had toothache several years ago resulting in an extraction because the dentist messed up.

Before the extraction I was in so much pain my Russian (medical doctor) had to give me some super strong pain killer just for me to get through the night. The next day I just had it extracted after my other dentist advised me to do so.

Ibuprofen and paracetamol taken alternately every 2 hours is good for the pain.(so you end up taking Ibuprofen every 4 hours and paracetamol every 4 as well but you are getting a dose of one or the other every 2 hours.

As a professional level accident do’er….

Apparently the current best practice is to take them all at once every 4 hours.

But even that barely touched mine. Seriously, get some of this from a chemist, it’s 20% benzocaine and will numb half your face allong with the finger you applied it with if you’re not carefully to keep your jaw closed after applying a blob of it.

I feel your pain.

I got an emergency appointment after a few days of wild shooting toothache pains at a BUPA dental practice. First appt was antibiotics and a temp filling which stopped the pain. Second appt I had my first ever root canal. Zero craic. Think that big needle hit the nerve in my jaw right at the beginning. Anyway it’s been great since, i think i paid something like 200 for it? this was 5 or 6 months ago too when most dentists wouldn’t even entertain new patients (I wasn’t registered anywhere after moving)

Think I got lucky with where i ended up. Good luck.. dont be afraid to look around if youre not happy with your treatment.

oh and on the subject of the root canal not being successful. The dentist told me it was really important to be able to drill out the nerve properly. The drills she had didnt reach the bottom of my canals so i had to go back for round two after she’d got some longer drills. If theres anymore than a couple of mm left of nerve theres a good chance of the infection reappearing.

hope that helps!

I need to find an NHS Dentist in the medium to long term, but as you say nobody is taking on new patients right now.

One thing that bugs me is that it’s hard to know if Dentists are trustworthy and competant. The guy I use has treated me on and off for 25 years, but he isn’t NHS now.

I need to find an NHS Dentist in the medium to long term, but as you say nobody is taking on new patients right now.

I rang the “you’re entitled to a dentist” NHS helpline. The lady asked “are you in Lancashire?” I said yes and she all but snorted at me.

@magoos_mate

Was that £200 all-in? I just broke a tooth and paid £135 private for an emergency appointment and temporary filling (no pain relief needed and I was only in there about 20 minutes as she slotted me in between appointments), need to go back for a half crown which is £400-600 depending on metal or white.

I can’t get NHS but there is BUPA dental place nearby, I didn’t bother ringing them as I thought they would be more expensive.

I’m also well overdue for a check (by about 6 years) so if any more work is needed I’d rather start with the cheaper option!

On a more recent ocassion, I had to have another root canal done and following an x-ray was told the nerve was dead so decided not to have an injection. It was only when he put the reamer down through the root and pulled out a nerve, declared that it wasn’t dead and praised me for my stoicism “did you not feel that?” he asked, I’d practically ripped the arms of the chair 😳

maybe not possible in these times but do you have a teaching hospital nearby, they often have slots as long as you let a rank amateur do it

(under close supervision from an expert)

My only experience like that was a tooth that had over the years, cracked, been filled, broke a bit more, fixed that, cracked again….and then got infected. At this point while more a/b and a crown were still an option the pain was enough that just get rid was an easy choice.

Unfortunately it had deteriorated so far that when he started trying to pull it out the thing just broke off, leaving roots. Which he then really struggled with, to the point even of sensing mild desperation at this point. He chiselled some out (so it felt) but even kneeling on my chest couldn’t get the other bits…… so then asked would I mind if his colleague had a look, as she was a teacher at the medical school and might have some ideas. I was up for anything by then, as long as it was sorted. She (a 7st wet through lady) had a look, told him exactly what the problem was, how to sort it, quick twist with the extractor lifty thing and the satisfying clank of root in tray. Bloody clever, almost pain free.

(almost – because when she initially came and looked she was also with a patient and went back to finish that so I sat for 15 mins waiting for her return. In which time, as it turns out, the anaesthetic had worn off ‘a bit’. I soon told them before she got to the proper digging, using the trusted method of levitating myself onto the ceiling using just the clenching of my buttocks)

Dont assume that privatew will be much more than NHS if you have to pay. I went private for some serious refixing of my front teeth a year or so back, and yes it cost a lot, but not much more than NHS, and the service was way better (no rushed 20 minute appointments, it was hard to get away sometimes!)

On the costs, root canals are easy at the front where there are easy access and only one or two roots. But the number of roots increases as you go back, your molars right at the back have 4 roots and they bend/curve back into the jaw. Hence why some people’s root canals are easy and cost £200, and others cost 4x this, because there are 4x the roots and it takes half a day.

On the subject of finding an NHS dentist. Try ringing round the cheaper areas of town. I’d been looking/waiting for 10 years round here! Phoned a surgery on the cheap side of town though and got on straight away. I guess all the nice middle-class people in the villages go private so there’s no market for NHS dentists. The reverse is true on the Oxford Road.

I’ve just moved from an NHS practice to a private practice and its about 40% more than the NHS cost. (£100 vs £60) for a filling or extraction.

I’d rather not have to pay but difference is that I can actually get seen and for now I can afford it. I don’t think I’d ever seen the same dentist more than twice at the NHS practice.

I had to have a molar removed which I cracked during first lockdown and couldn’t get any treatment for. The dentist was most impressed that it had 3 roots and 6 root canals. Took forever, longer than having all 4 wisdom teeth out. Still, better than when I had a tooth removed and they left a hole straight into my sinuses.

I always find co-codamol best for tooth pain – the fizzy stuff but normally antibiotics reduce the pain pretty quickly. (Took about 5 years of repeated infections before they’d take my wisdom teeth out, damaged the next molars along hence the subsequent extractions)

Not had toothache for ages but when I do, I find having a water bottle with iced water (as cold as I can get it) is a god send.

Take a swig and swill it around for a few minutes relief before another one. The cold is unpleasant initially but it does take the edge off.

May not work for everyone and my wife refuses to go anywhere near ice cold water with toothache but to me at that point anything is worth a shot.

You have my sympathy OP!
As others have suggested, ice water was the only thing that worked for me.
I’ve just had a tooth surgically removed as it had six canals that kept getting infected. Of the extra two canals, one was piecing my sinus and the other had wrapped around some important nerve. I came out of the hospital being able to breathe out of my right nostril for the first time in years. My NHS dentist hadn’t noticed any of this, it was only seen once I’d gone private.

twonks
Full Member

Not had toothache for ages but when I do, I find having a water bottle with iced water (as cold as I can get it) is a god send.

Take a swig and swill it around for a few minutes relief before another one. The cold is unpleasant initially but it does take the edge off.

May not work for everyone and my wife refuses to go anywhere near ice cold water with toothache but to me at that point anything is worth a shot.

Yeah that just sounds like you haven’t had bad toothache to be honest. 😀

I’ve had dentine hypersensitivity and believe me you would not even consider such a course of action. Breathing moderately cool air outside was making me hop around involuntarily. Excruciating.

I’m not getting into the nhs vs private thing, there are previous threads where it’s been explained well. Suffice to say, it’s a miracle that anyone if getting root fillings of any quality on the nhs given the perverse system that actively discourages the dentists from doing them.

To the op. Unfortunately sometimes sh*t happens. It’s not an exact science and even if done by a specialist with lots of extra kit, sometimes it doesn’t work for ever. You’ve been particularly unlucky that it hasn’t worked at all but healthcare procedures are not a precise exact science with perfect results every time and sometimes even with every effort made things just don’t work as well as you hoped.

If the antibiotics aren’t working after 36 hours it’s proba worth contacting the practice again. As mentioned metronidazole is often much more effective than anything else.

Finally, there are stages to tooth ache from a dying / dead tooth.

Initially pain is from the live nerve being progressively very inflamed and in its death throes, pain starts with sensitivity to hot and cold, eventually starting to ache also.

at later stages cold water can reduce pain temporarily as it reduces the “swelling” inside the tooth ( layman’s explanation but think of the effect of ice on a sprain ). Hot still hurts! Antibiotics have no effect at this stage.

Eventually the nerve dies and pain is from pressure inside the tooth from infection – an abscess. Cold water won’t make any difference at this point. Only extraction / starting or restarting a rootfilling will definitively Deal with the infection but antibiotics will often help control the pain at this point.

I have had some nasty tooth, mouth, face and ear ache – thanks to a shocking dentist in my early teens ‘finding’ tiny holes in nearly all my teeth then filling them poorly.

Was only discovered to be largely unneeded and shockingly bad work later in my early 20s when I got top notch dental treatment as a side line to my mum being the practice manager. Cue a lot of pain, root canals, infections and a couple of extractions.

I’ve had tooth ache as you say, where breathing in cool air is horrible and taking the first gulp of water is not pleasant but it is so cold that it numbs the pain very quickly.

Still get toothache to this day if I ride in the cold and then come in to a nice warm cup of tea. The tea is lovely but the pain isn’t. Not really tooth ache that though, just sensitivity.