Toothache - advice please!

LSainsbury · 08-03-2006, 10:34

Possibly one for the resident doc!

I've been awake most of the night - raging toothache - not fun.

Basically - just before Christmas I managed to crack a tooth on a rogue hazelnut in a bowl of Alpen. This was filled with a temporary filling a few day later by the dentist.

The other day it started to ache - not too bad though, but now it's gone full on!

On checking the tooth, I can see part of the filling is missing so I think it's becoming infected. So far I've taken (since about 1am) 4 x Panadol Extra - before - just one would do the trick. It has subsided a bit but still quite painful.

I've phoned the dentist - got an appointment for tomorrow at 10am.

I'm sure my dentist said to rinse with salt water to try and kill the infection - is this ok to do? I've also got some clove gel and sensitive toothpaste that's going on....

Just wanted to make sure all that's ok and if there is anything else I can do before tomorrow?

08-03-2006, 10:53

Rinsing your mouth out with some whisky or similar spirit, can help, but if your painkiller contains codeine it would be best not to swallow any.

Other than that I don't think there is anything more you can do than you are doing already.

Toothache is horrible

**Mick** · 08-03-2006, 11:03

You have my sympathy - Sounds like you have a severe case of it if its causing you to lose sleep. You have done the best thing by making an appointment to see your dentist.

When I had a fractured Wisdom tooth about 18 months ago it was sheer hell then - My dentist could do nothing for me and referred me to the Emergency dentist hospital. Oh what fun it was trying to get someone to see me A.S.A.P.

The place was packed out with people with the same agony. I went three times to get my place to be seen. - The first time I called it was just after I had seen my dentist, 10:30AM. They weren't taking anymore cases in, even though I begged and pleaded that I couldn't stand being in a lot of pain any longer - It was to no avail and a receptionist just advised me to get a place, I needed to be outside very early in the morning as there usually a queue waiting, so reluctantly had to go home meaning another night of no sleep.

The morning after came and I got up very early (Not that I was asleep much) about 6am and drove back down the 10 mile journey to the emergency dentist hospital - I arrived there at 6:30am and I couldn't quite believe the fact that even though I had arrived early - about one hour-forty-five minutes before the place was well due to open, there was already 16 people outside waiting.

We all get a ticket when we enter the waiting room so nobody can just claim they were their first etc and I was given 017 - They call people out one by one and assess their state before giving any treatment.

They got to ticket number 016 and I thought great, I am next and about time too, it sure as hell felt that the damaged tooth knew its fate was going to end soon, so the pain was becoming ever so intense. After the 016 ticket holder had been seen, an announcement was given and my heart sank. 'Not taking anymore cases on today'. Despite this though I was given a form that reassured me I'd definately be seen tomorrow but I had to be there before 9am. I was seen the day after and they just filled the damaged tooth, it needed to be removed and they weren't going to do today, so I had to call back there a few months later, the patched work made a massive difference and as soon as I got home from having it done - I had the best sleep had in days.

Phew - so like I said you have my sympathy. Good luck tomorrow at the dentist and I hope he can sort it for you!

Ramrod · 08-03-2006, 11:05

You are pretty much doing everything you can m8. if things get really unbearable between now and your appointment tomorrow then go along to casualty and get pumped full of some stronger painkillers.....but take someone with you 'cos you probably won't be safe to drive yourself home.

08-03-2006, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mick

<snip>
Phew - so like I said you have my sympathy. Good luck tomorrow at the dentist and I hope he can sort it for you!

ouch, that sounded awful, the last bad one I had was due to an abcess & my face swelled up, on that side, just like in a cartoon - I looked like the elephant man. Luckily I was able to get to see my dentist fairly shortly & he lanced it & put me on antibiotics for a week, before filling the tooth, but I was in absolute agony for a while, so my sympathy, too.

greencreeper · 08-03-2006, 11:17

Sounds like a case for a root canal filling. I'd go with removal.

LSainsbury · 08-03-2006, 11:50

Thanks for the advice - yes looks like I'm doing everything I can until tomorrow.

Tried the warm salt water trick - crikey - seems to have done the trick for the moment...

greencreeper · 08-03-2006, 14:49

What can sometimes happen with fillings is that not enough decay is removed prior to filling, so it sort of rots underneath until part or all of the filling comes away, or it goes deep and the root/nerve is exposed (serious pain). And that's the problem - dentist has to remove all the crap and find nice healthy tooth to put the filling in, but in removing all the crap he/she might expose a root canal. Then the only options are removal or root canal work.

Good luck

My teeth are mushy - just not strong enough

Lot of fillings, root canal work and crowns

Angua · 08-03-2006, 15:00

Where is Alanmelon when you need him.

Ramrod · 08-03-2006, 15:33

Home remedies for toothache pain

---------- Post added at 15:33 ---------- Previous post was at 15:32 ----------

Just been reading about 'phantom tooth pain'....omfg!

cookie_365 · 08-03-2006, 15:58

Ibuprofen

greencreeper · 08-03-2006, 15:58

There is the concept of "referred pain", which is right off the weirdness scale. I sometimes found that, whilst the dentist was working on lower teeth, I would feel mild pain in my neck - at the front, sort of about an inch up from the collar bone

Dentist couldn't understand it. I also spent ages in mild pain with an upper left tooth that had no nerves to feel pain, only to find out, when it got REALLY painful, that it was actually a lower left tooth that had gone dodgy.

Taf · 08-03-2006, 16:28

Clove oil from the chemist is great for temporary relief... just dab it on the painfull spot.... repeat as necessary...

Ramrod · 08-03-2006, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

There is the concept of "referred pain", which is right off the weirdness scale.

Thats the stuff I deal with daily

---------- Post added at 16:50 ---------- Previous post was at 16:43 ----------

As for the lower teeth/jaw area referring pain to above the collarbone.....the mandible is innervated by the Trigeminal nerve (3rd portion).....the nucleus of the trigeminal nerve can be located in the spinal cord as low as the 2nd-3rd vertebra in the neck.....those levels can innervate the skin above the collarbone......thereby producing sensation there. Then again, it could just be an atypical pain referral pattern

Salu · 08-03-2006, 16:53

Not much more I can suggest really other than to pester your dentist to see you today. They get so many requests for toothache that working out which ones really need seeing depends on how loud they shout.

I wouldn't suggest attending A&E for pain relief as your GP should be your first port of call. Co-codamol would help and you can take ibuprofen alongside this.