Abscessed tooth extracted

ciob1985

Hi! I need your help...

Went to dentist last Nov with sensitivity to hot and cold in tooth #4. He said I needed a root canal. So he proceeded there and then. All went fine. No pain at all! Delighted!!
Around the end of February I started to get pain in tooth again. Went back and he took an X-ray but said he couldn't see anything but it could be the start of a gum infection. He prescribed me with a 5 day antibiotic and shaved tooth down so I wouldn't grind it. However, that didn't work. Went back in So he decided to take filling out and go back in to re-clean inside tooth.
An abscess had formed inside and he had to burst it which was so painful. He gave me more antibiotics and some ponstan. This relieved me for about 2/3 days and had to go back again because the pain was keeping me up at night with a throbbing feeling. Abscess was back again.
When I went back I asked him if he could just extract it and I would get an implant. Price for implant was 1700!! Bit of a shocker to say the least!
He said it would be best if he burst abscess again and gave me more antibiotics and ponstan. He said the pain would be worse if he extracted it with abscess. This was last Thursday. So yesterday I had an appointment to go back in and surprise surprise my abscess was back. He said he would extract it then. In fairness he gave me plenty of anaesthetic and didn't feel a thing except for some pressure and pulling. Afterwards though I nearly fainted so he got me to lay down again to tilt chair back for blood to go back to my head. He said leave the pad in my gum and take it out after 30 mins. So that's what I done. I felt a bit if a sting while in the dentist and asked was this normal, he said it was but I shouldn't feel any pain by tomorrow. By the time I got home and took pad away from tooth I was in tears with the pain. I haven't cried like that with pain since I was small and fell off my bike or something! So I rang him back an an hour after I took 3 neurofen plus with the pain. I went back in and he packed it with a funny looking brown gauze that tasted of cloves and gave me a prescription for zydol.
They don't seem to be working and I'm up all night with the pain hence me writing here for advice tonight.
My question is should he have extracted tooth knowing I had abscess? Is it normal to have such severe pain in gum of tooth and jawbone? Should I be on antibiotics again?
Please help, I'm seriously in agony and I'm seriously sick of the dentist!!

1355

I can't really help you all that much. Only to say I feel your pain, not right now but in general. I once (the last time I was at the dentist) went in for a filling and left feeling mildly violated and changed forever. The b* pulled a magnificent and apparently healthy looking tooth from my mouth. The pain was unbearable. But this is not about me.....

Relax. Breath. Concentrate on breathing. You are in control of the pain. (Apologies if I'm annoying you) Put on some relaxing music. eg something like this. Breath. Breath. Relax. Breath. Control. You. Are. In.

Ok. So this may be terrible advice, but at the minute, I'm all you've got.

Good luck fellowpersonwhogottoothextractionandhaspainintheirmouth.

Eleysian

I had a similar situation some years ago. I feel your pain so I would recommend going to The Dental Hospital A&E - it deals with serious infection. Here is a link:
http://www.dentalhospital.ie/patients/emergency-dental-care/
Mind yourself

king_of_inismac

I'm not a dentist but was in a similar situation recently. you had a reoccurring infection in your gum (at the root of your tooth) which wasn't clearing with antibiotics.

The next logical step is tooth removal followed by either a bridge or an implant.

I had my tooth removed with little or no pain. I'm a bit surprised yours is so painful. I'd ask your dentist for a painkiller for a day or two and by that time the pain should have subsided.

at least you can be confident now that the infection should not reoccur.

_Brian

I wonder would you have a dry socket. I had a particularly challenging extraction last November and suffered from the dry socket afterwards.
It's very painful and also gives a real bad taste in your mouth.
It was very sore after the extraction for weeks and then just sore until maybe February.
The clove tasting thing is Clove Oil. You can buy it yourself and use it for pain releif. It's what was used in demdistry before the injectable anaesthetic. Health food shops would have it.

king_of_inismac

there should be a red "clot" where the tooth was. otherwise it could be a dry socket. but I'd imagine your dentist checked for this when you went back in?

Mingetoad

You've been very unfortunate. On rare occasions when an infection is quite "raw" the tooth area is still very sore even after an extraction. From what you have described your dentist seems to have treated you as 90% of dentists would. I have't read anything where I've though he should have done something else, to be honest.

Regarding your questions, most teeth that are extracted are abscessed. People often think an antibiotic gets rid of an abscess, but it only reduces it. If he could get you numb enough to take the tooth out, then it was most likely the best thing to do. It is normal to have pain in the gum and jawbone where the tooth was removed, but not usually as severe as the pain you have, although all dentists come across it once in a while unfortunately. Should you be on antibiotics again? Tougher one to answer without seeing the area. It could very well be very strong post-operative pain rather than dry socket or infection. The fact it started to hurt so much 30 mins after the extraction points to post-operative pain to me. If that were the case, as sever as it is, strong painkillers, good homecare (no smoking, no trauma to area, keeping clean) and time are what will work for you. Having said that plenty of dentists will "cover themselves" and give out antibiotics for many post-operative extraction pain as often patients expect them. Though that is a separate discussion altogether!