excruciating toothache after a filling

[Easty-5]

I was at the dentist on Tuesday and received quite a deep filling. I am know experiencing some of the worst toothache I have ever experienced. The whole side of my face hurts. Both upper and lower teeth hurt, not just the tooth that received the filling. There is no swelling though and no sign of an abcess. I am using Tramadol, ibuprofen and paracetamol to help with the pain, but it is only temporary. I am also extremely sensitive when water touches that side of my mouth, it hurts really bad for a few minutes but then numbs for a little bit.

I am going to phone my dentist in the morning if it still hurts, but i suspect he will just take the tooth out, something is rather didn't happen but I can't take the pain any longer.

Any of the resident dentists hazard a guess at what is causing the pain, and is there anything else I can do to help?

[Driller]

99.9% chance the decay was right next to the nerve and in the cleaning process the filling finished either in contact with it or very close.

You need RCT ASAP by the sound of it.

In the meantime not much else to do but take painkillers and avoid cold things.

[LordGrover]

Is it wise to mix and match meds like that though? Only asking... I have no idea.

[DocJock]

Alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen is fine.

Just don't exceed the recommended doses, particularly for the paracetamol.

[Easty-5]

I got an emergency appointment Friday night. I was given antibiotics and the dentist covered my tooth in this sticky st that done nothing other than leave a rank taste in my mouth. He didn't say anything at all really, just that the antibiotics will sort me out, and if I have problems again at a later date then root canal or extraction will be needed.

I have been 2 and a half days worth of the antibiotics and its made naff all difference. I am still in complete agony. Volterol and tramadol taken together make fk all difference. Co-codemol is crap. Basically no pain killer is making any difference at all.

There is no visible swelling and no visible abcess. My bottom left teeth seem to hurt more than my top (filling was done in upper left?)

Wtf is going on!? What, short of suicide, is going to help with the pain?? Overdosing on painkillers is doing nothing!

[m3jappa]

Tooth ache is quite possibly the worst pain, i have once had an absess in a wisdom tooth which i put off for too long. Eventually i was experiencing pain which possibly only suicide would have subdued I remember being curled up on the floor on a building site and literally yelping in pain with tears down my face.
If you know the building trade then you would know that usually this would be an open invite for piss taking. Well not on this occasion, it must have looked bad to others as i think people thought i was dying

I would strongly suggest going to another dentist, for the first 26 years of my life every dentist i visited was brutal, i think thats why i'm still scared now, eventually i found a very good one local to me who has done a great job.

A filling should not be hurting a week later, i don't know a lot but i would guess a nerve has been hit or damaged possibly.

[Driller]

Easty-5 said:

I got an emergency appointment Friday night. I was given antibiotics and the dentist covered my tooth in this sticky st that done nothing other than leave a rank taste in my mouth. He didn't say anything at all really, just that the antibiotics will sort me out, and if I have problems again at a later date then root canal or extraction will be needed.

I have been 2 and a half days worth of the antibiotics and its made naff all difference. I am still in complete agony. Volterol and tramadol taken together make fk all difference. Co-codemol is crap. Basically no pain killer is making any difference at all.

There is no visible swelling and no visible abcess. My bottom left teeth seem to hurt more than my top (filling was done in upper left?)

Wtf is going on!? What, short of suicide, is going to help with the pain?? Overdosing on painkillers is doing nothing!

That sounds very odd because it seems the dentist is making a differential diagnosis between a dead and infected tooth (antibiotics) and, if he didn't remove the filling, dentine hypersensitivity (that "sticky st" sounds like Duraphat which is a fluoride varnish used for sensitive but otherwise healthy teeth).

What he is failing or refusing to consider is that it is the nerve of the tooth which is inflamed as m3jappa alluded to above ie pulpitis, and it sounds like irreversible pulpitis at that.

You need to find someone that will take the nerve out by the sound of your symptoms.

Edited by Driller on Monday 26th March 07:02

[audidoody]

I had something similar a couple of years ago. Intense pain but no infection. Nerve out. Root canals filled. Crown. Never bothered me again.

[Driller]

What's happening Easty, did you get it sorted?

[BigMacDaddy]

He might have had an appointment at two-thirty...........

[Easty-5]

Driller said:

What's happening Easty, did you get it sorted?

Sorry for the late reply. I got seen early last week. They took out the nerve and have temporarily dressed and filled the tooth. I have to go back and get root canal treatment. On the up side, I am no longer in any pain. It took 3 Injections of the 'stronger' stuff before the pain started to subside. Even then it was still pretty bloody uncomfortable. Nothing compared to the toothache though. He did say my nerve was in a pretty bad way. He showed me it, it is unbelievable that something so tiny can cause so much pain.

Oh yea, before any of the treatment took place I had to fix his chair. The bulb went out on his light. He had no idea how to change it so i had to do it for him - after it taking him about 30mins to find a spare bulb.

Not looking forward to going back though as I am no longer in any pain but no doubt I will end up with more problems after my next visit, always seems to be the case. Least its not till the end of May.

[Driller]

Easty-5 said:

Oh yea, before any of the treatment took place I had to fix his chair. The bulb went out on his light. He had no idea how to change it so i had to do it for him - after it taking him about 30mins to find a spare bulb.

That's classic!

Glad you got it sorted ok. Do go back and have the treatment finished though; don't fall into the trap of forgetting about it now that you have no pain. If yuo do this the tooth will become infected and you'll be back to square one, possibly with even more pain.

Now that the situation is controlled, when you go back, everything will go smoothly with no discomfort now that the inflamed nerve has gone.

[MacGee]

dont forget to bring in the bill for changing the bulb!

[Driller]

And at dental tech rates that should nicely pay for the endo...

[MacGee]

thats why I do my own!!!...even the bulbs in the curing lights..you can buy them from a lamp website and not only from the dental suppliers...much cheaper.

[Driller]

I do my own too, can't understand how someone couldn't know how to do it, but it takes all sorts.

It was just a chance to have a pop at dental techs prices.

Do you do your own bearings etc? (I haven't tried that yet).

[MacGee]

not bearings..too fiddly...but then again..how hard can it be! just need the right tools.

[Driller]

That's what I reckon, if we can muck about with fiddly canals etc

[Easty-5]

Driller said:

I do my own too, can't understand how someone couldn't know how to do it, but it takes all sorts.

It was very similar to changing a car headlights really. He couldn't even get the cover off so i told him to concentrate on the dentistry and Il fix his light.

I wasn't actually charged for that appointment, he did however give me a nice bill of £165(NHS) for my next appointment.