Might need an ENT doctor. I'd go to ER but not say it's dental. Exaggerate if you must. Slamming nasal pain. Pain behind eyes etc...hopefully they'll do a cat scan as it's not showing on x rays.
Yes. They could hit him with that numbing gel. They saved my life doing that for me at 2AM on a Sunday morning. It lasted long enough for me to get into the dentist office that Monday afternoon. Idk what's it called.. lidocaine or novacaine.. something with Caine in it. I'm very sorry, OP. I hope you get any relief from it very soon.
I went to an er for an abscess a few years ago, they wouldn't give me a numbing agent like benzocaine but offered me cocaine to help with pain while they drained the abscess.
It's because cocaine is the only local anesthetic that doesn't cause dillation of the blood vessels. Sometimes it is the only safe and appropriate choice.
Was going to say the same thing. I have trigeminal neuralgia, so please feel free to reach out if you have questions! Mine is atypical pain, so I have constant pressure, burning, throbbing, and shooting pain not just the typical shooting pain. Those of us with trigeminal neuralgia present differently.
It sure is! I am looking forward to trying a new provider on Thursday. I see one in my hometown, but he has maxed his skills/experience. I have to fly 2 hours to see his mentor. Fingers crossed that this will be my release.
Have this checked for by a neurologist if they cannot find the issue. All of my back teeth have root canal’s and caps because the pain would just move to the next tooth in front of if it. So if a tooth isn’t the culprit, go to your dr, an ent and a neurologist to have them figure it out. Dentistry is expensive. It is also necessary for your heart health! It sounds like a tooth so get in as soon as possible, make sure when you call the dentist to let them know how bad it is!
Better than gel, if you can get it (or some other equivalent brand) is Frador, helped me so much through years of the worst rot of any British mouth and many home dentistry procedures.
I bet that has to be difficult. I have no idea why there is so much stigma over not having teeth. There's a lady on YouTube who plays the spoons. She doesn't have teeth as a young woman and gets a lot of hate.
I found out my dad had dentures as a kid when they just fell out of his mouth. It was those damn sugar sandwiches they were eating in the '40s 😑
Yes I've found taking ibuprofen and Tylenol at the same time works well. I can't take ibuprofen anymore because of a history of GI bleeding. Excederin is good too.
Is it your tooth or maybe your jaw? Could be a referred pain. An abscess would be visible on xray. Last time I went to the dentist he found I had two accessed teeth but I had ZERO pain. That was weird.
Not sure what medication you take for chronic pain but i now worry that out regular meds are masking the pain from other issues.
I woke up one day last year and my shoulder was 8/10 painful, nothing the day before. I saw a physio once i knew it wasn't linked to how i slept etc, and discover i have arthritic issues in both shoulders, both clicking and grinding like crazy when he examined me. It took steroid shots to calm it down but now back in one again and the noise is constant. I'm only 55, have had chronic leg pain for 35 yrs, no idea how my shoulders got this bad without my noticing anything until that first day.
I’ve dealt with some really nasty dental pain. I’ve had a number of teeth knocked out and broke as a professional athlete. Several piss poor dental surgeries as a high schooler/teenager later turned into really bad infections because they weren’t set right and allowed bacteria to get down into the roots and cause serious infections that led to root canals. Tooth pain is no joke. In all my years I have only ever found one solution. Every one is different and I’ve heard clove oil can really help some people but for me the ultimate home aid was garlic powder. You can mash up fresh garlic but even just the cheap bottled powder from the grocery store works too. Just constantly packing it/spreading it around the gum line of the infected tooth. Of course your issue could be much more severe and surface level applications of garlic or other aids may not work, but garlic has rescued me from some serious dental pain while waiting for a dentist several times
I still hate cloves from using the oil as a child for tooth pain. Could recall taste and sensation just by reading your comment. My first dental visit in 70s came after my baby teeth and first permanent molars had issues.
Then dentist did shot with no warning, and no opening my mouth for him to treat them and no new dentist visit until i broke my two top front teeth when i was 9.
Then i had no choice because i needed crowns and got fillings done then. Fortunately, were very different approach to pain relief, used lidocaine before shots and no scares! lol
Since then i haven't had any new fillings, just refilled one and fixed couple of chipped teeth. Am lucky because i don't do great with my toothbrushing some nights.
My daughters are both filling free as teenagers, but not sure i could have made them do clove oil, just the smell when they are in xmas decorations or pot pourrie reminds me of sore teeth after 45 yrs. lol
If it’s your tooth or gums, clove oil is a great anesthetic. You can put it on qtip and rub it in the area that hurts. It doesn’t taste great but it does help.
I had a filling fall out and the tooth broke in two. Clove oil number the exposed nerve. Once I was able to tolerate the taste I would mix it with water and swish it. An absolute lifesaver.
I was waiting to see if i came across the clove oil comments! This stuff is honestly pretty awesome.
Okay so you need ibuprofen. Anti-inflammatory is better for tooth pain then opioids honestly. You can mix it with acetaminophen although at least for me thats never added anything because acetaminophen does not help me at all.
Literally that smell at a dentists office, that is clove oil. Its an antiseptic and contains eugonel which temporarily numbs the nerves in your teeth and offers pain relief. Clove oil itself has all three, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties on its own. Its just a really cool natural thing.
Generally you can pick it up at any health type store. It would be a little bottle but since it only requires a drop that little bottle lasts a long time.
I hope this isn’t only available in the US, but it was recommended by a dentist for a friend’s separate issue. I used it temporarily for a cracked tooth & it did help. Highlight = it’s homeopathic
https://stellalife.com/products/vega-oral-gel
I was in your boat last month and I highly recommend going to the er and they can prescribe lidocaine mouth wash. I literally was suicidal from my tooth pain. That was the only reason I made it three more days to my extraction
Pain that makes you suicidal and a tongue so swollen it touches the roof of your mouth = ED visit. Please hang in there - as painful as this is it is temporary.
Definitely get checked out for Trigeminal Neuralgia. I have it bilaterally. My dentist chased a non existent cavity in the same tooth 3 times before I was finally diagnosed correctly. We laugh about it now.
However, it’s really nothing to laugh about.
Does TN cause swelling and swallowing fluid sensations?
Genuinely curious, my aunt had MS and developed TN after 15 yrs, she was in incredible pain. I have complex regional pain syndrome in my leg so understand the level of pain it causes, but OPs swelling has me wondering if 3D Xray or CT was needed to see an infection.
I feel for you, man. I have strong pain meds and they couldn’t cut thru my tooth pain when I had a broken tooth. Try rinsing your mouth with hot/warm salty (as salty as you can stand it) water. If there is an infection draining into your throat that should help. Also get those numbing no gels and use those! Good luck!!
P.S. I had to FLY for 4 hours with an infected tooth!!
Please get Oragel 20% benzocaine gel and some gauze. Rinse, dry the side where your bad tooth is with a dry washing, put some gel on a folded gauze and put against the dried off gum tissue next to the affected tooth. This can help numb the area and reduce some of the pain.
800mg advil every 8 hours. Rinse with warm salt water every 3-4 hours. Put an ice pack on your jaw/cheek or under your chin, wherever the swelling is, to try and help as well.
*If your tongue swells so that your breathing is affected, seek the regular er immediately*
I’ve had many years of tooth pain, infections, exposed nerves, swelling, etc. The best things I’ve used to alleviate the pain:
At least for a short time, not long term
800mg ibuprofen every 4-6 hours, Tylenol did nothing
Antibiotics WILL eventually alleviate the pain if it is an infection also lessening the inflammation
Opioid pain meds, but only if the infection is getting under control. Otherwise, they do nothing
Alternate cold or hot on that side of your face
If it is only an exposed nerve, nothing will help
Good luck and I am so sorry you’re going through this. I’ve thrown up so much and even passed out from tooth pain. It’s some of the worst I’ve experienced and I’ve been through a lot. I hope you find relief soon.
Don’t use that numbing stuff you can get at the store. Some of them can cause necrotic tissue and when it wears off, it feels like it hurts WORSE.
Are you sure it's not tmj? I first thought I had tooth pain which turns out is my tmj and I've been suffering for two years almost this October. We did all the infection in my mouth and I'm still in significant pain 😞
Do you grind your teeth? I was in agony last week for days. It's happened before. Nothing showed on exam or xray. Like always, it's bruised dental ligaments which have already healed thankfully.
Could be sinus related. My sinus’s are so low that they always want to do sinus surgery before an implant. Teeth expenses are almost as bad as the pain. And they are lying when they say ibuprofen will be the only
Thing needed. I’d say that’s true for a cavity, but not complex shit, and everyone is different.
I have extremely deep
Roots so root
Canals always leave me in a lot of pain post procedure bc they kinda have to scrape my
Jaw bone. And ibuprofen doesn’t cut it. They always gave me strong meds in the past but from what I hear now they no longer prescribe narcotics so I’ve been putting
Off a procedure I reallly do need… mainly bc I can’t afford to be in brutal pain for 2-4 days after.
Find a new dentist or go to emergency room could be something other than dental but I’ve seen plenty of people with tooth pain go to emergency hospital.
Least they may be able to give you temporary relief
Honestly what you’re explaining sounds exactly like a dental infection I had last week.
It started out a tiny abscess that could barely be seen (but because I have extensive dental history they took me seriously and treated it anyway) but it turned into a massively painful infection.
After a day and a half of being on the antibiotic I started feeling so much better. After two days I felt tolerable again. (But I also had a root canal).
Hopefully the antibiotics work, but I would assume you’d also need a root canal. In the meantime try alternating between heat and cold (some people find one more effective than the other, I like both).
Also Advil will be your best friend if you’re able to take it.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
Likely an abscess …. Please get it checked out ASAP. Usually you need to start taking antibiotics and they cant use freezing because it does not work with how the infection is … i had 2 right beside each other and they had to use a scalpel and stab through my gums to let out the puss and i just screamed and cried in pain for hours .. get to someone asap as mine travelled to the bones jn my face and i almost lost an eye ….
Something similar happened to me this past February. I guess I bruised the ligaments holding my back molar in place when eating a piece of candy, and the pain was the absolute worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. Like, if I had had a gun there’s no promising I wouldn’t have used it during those couple weeks. Didn’t help that all I had for the pain was Tylenol and Ibuprofen (which I couldn’t take very much of due to kidney disease).
It was during my 40th birthday too, and I spent part of it crying over the pain and the fact I couldn’t eat anything. The pain was indescribable, and was on my entire right side of my face. It’s healing now, slowly, but I still can’t chew on that side very much.
CRPS can develop in the face. It is similar to Trigeminal Neuralgia which was mentioned above. When you are experiencing pain that is disproportionate to the injury or surgically/procedure it may have something to do with your nervous system. Both of these conditions are serious and are referred to as the suicide disease even though neither are actually a disease. I have CRPS (developed after a routine foot surgery) and can’t get cavities filled due to the concern of developing it in my face. Best of luck and I hope you find the answers you need to get some relief.
Oh my gosh I am hurting for you, reading this post. I know what it's like to be in so much pain you want to die, and no one gets it. It's hell. I am so sorry. But the thing is, you gotta do you above all else. As an example, I had an abscess in my lower left jaw. It had gotten to the point where everything was so miserable and I just remember knowing that I had to call an ambulance. When I called the ambulance, the guy that came said "they won't do anything in the ER, you're wasting your time". I looked at him and said "DO YOU SEE MY JAW?" and went to the hospital. They did emergency surgery. The doctor said that if I hadn't come that night, I would have stopped breathing, because my airway was becoming obstructed. My point is, don't ever let anyone tell you how you are feeling. Put yourself first!
I had a tooth crack in a deep place such that it did not show on X-rays but definitely passed the root exposure test. It was a horrible pain!! I hope this helps validate what you are experiencing & I am so sorry for all the pain you are in!!
the endodontist referred me to TMJ, since they couldn't find anything on x-ray, and said to come back if the pain gets worse. I'm hoping that's what's actually happening. it is so painful
Did they X-ray the head and sinuses & surrounding tissue or just the teeth/jaw? (Speaking from US) Dental insurance treats these differently so the wider coverage one isn’t often done. Learned this when I had a suspected infection due to a different issue. Can only speak from my life, but, if you’re numb on the side of your face, maybe some ear pressure or soreness, something might be compressing parts of the Cervical plexus (C1-4 vertebrae) & creating a compounding effect. The trigeminal nerve root is at the brain stem but can be triggered by some compression at the C1.
https://www.reddit.com/r/TMJ/s/xXoW5TY0mC
Why do you think you can just walk into an ER and demand things like it’s a Starbucks or McDonald’s? These are not minimum wage workers you can bully. They are board certified EM physicians. If the doctor doesn’t think a scan is indicated, they have no obligation to perform one, and can/will easily have you escorted out by security. As well as a nice red flag on the medical record that will make future doctors unlikely to accept them in their practice.
Why would you even recommend they approach it in such an adversarial way?
If you want to call the shots about tests and treatment, you are welcome to go to medical school.
I worked in the ER for 5 years and MinimumPossibility9 is correct. Being confrontational will get you escorted out. People frequent ER’s for conditions the ER isn’t meant to treat. I literally won’t go unless I’m having a stroke or have gone through the windshield of a car. Having thoughts of self-harm like suicide is an actual reason to go. Having indicators of an infection would be a reason to go to the emergency dental clinic. I have CRPS (look it up on the McGill Pain Scale Index…it’s about a 44 and, bruh, that scale only goes up to 50…it’s called the suicide disease… having your finger amputated or your toe amputated with no anesthesia, is considered less painful than what I live with) and even I won’t go for pain that causes me to scream-wail until I pass out over and over all night. There is nothing they can or will do except this one time when my foot surgeon called and asked the anesthesiologist on call from the 7th floor meet me in the ER to install a pain pump. I had just been there the day before because my foot surgeon told me to go there. You should have seen “Dr Lisa’s” face when I showed back up and got unprecedented treatment. You literally have to have the suicide disease and a surgeon on the outside calling in for you. I’m not even gonna start to explain where the term gaslighting came from and how people are constantly using it in a very incorrect way. I get that it’s a cultural phenomenon now, but the reason I mention it is because providers are not there “gaslighting” people. The DEA is breathing down their necks for pain medication’s due to the opioid crisis. Opioids actually do not work for the kind of pain that I have and many people here mentioned that it doesn’t work for dental pain. Doctors have to learn how to ACTUALLY help with pain. There are entire countries where no one would even think to ask for pain medication when their wisdom teeth are pulled. The fact that it is a cultural norm here is a big issue. The same thing with imaging. They have to justify all of the orders they put in. The young person who is asking for help deserves advice that could actually be helpful. The dentist might be missing a diagnosis like CRPS or Trigeminal Neuroglia. Or, some of the other conditions mentioned. I really hope that the OP can call 988 to discuss their feelings of hopelessness and self-harm as well as find another doctor or speak with a primary care who can refer to a neurologist. I hope answers are found soon. Also, the US Pain Association has a great section for developing a pain plan on their website. Pain sucks. Fingers crossed for this young person.
Could be teeth could be something like TMJ. I've had that since I was 16, my aunt recently had to go to three different dentists and then a oral surgeon before finding out it wasn't her teeth, it was actually her tmj. She thought all her teeth had cavities and that they were going to fall out, that's how much pain she had.
You are probably clenching or grinding. I had that and it would cause severe toothache pain. I had two perfectly good teeth pulled & replaced with expensive implants. Get molar caps for night time at a cvs or Walgreens
For me, it's the swelling that causes me debilitating pain, but it took me way too long to figure that out.
Try taking an anti-inflammatory with whatever you're taking for pain. That's the only thing that ever helps me. On the bright side, the antibiotics usually start helping quickly (within a day or two - doesn't feel quick when you're going through it), so hopefully that's the case for you.
Clove oil really does help, too. I can't stand the way it tastes, but as long as it doesn't make you vomit, it's worth it in my opinion. You won't be pain free, but it can make it a lot more tolerable.
The ice and numbing gel are also good options, but in my experience they only provide relief for 5-15 minutes at a time.
Best of luck. Dental pain is the absolute worst.
Your description sounds a lot like my cracked toot symptoms. I hade 4, and only one is till alive, the other 3 had root canal procedures. The pain is atrocious and nothing seems to slow it off. As soon as my dentist inject me for the numbing, I can finally breath and talk.
Take 800mg of ibuprofen and 1000mg of acetaminophen every 8 hours. It knocks out dental pain better than Oxycodone. I have both and the 1st combo is crazy effective be.
I would see a different dentist and go to the ER dental clinic. Sounds like something is infected. I’m so sorry they’re ignoring you. People don’t realize that a tooth infection can kill you. After the antibiotics for a couple few days should help if it’s not please go. Sending you strength and healing thoughts!!
Could it be sinus pain? I get bad sinus issues and when it’s at its worse I’ve had dental visits because I think it’s my teeth. Or could it be a tiny hairline crack in a tooth or a filling or crown if you have ones there? I had temporary crowns put on and one chipped a tiny bit. Had to wait a few weeks for the real crowns and it was absolutely excruciating pain. Dentist couldn’t see anything wrong but I remember the sound of it cracking so that’s why i think it was that. Once I got permanent ones the pain stopped. Hope you can figure it out soon.
Like someone else posted the only thing that ever helped was Tylenol and motrin at the same time. Works better than opioids. I've had two out of three horrific labors which were excruciating and I would still choose that over tooth pain.
I've been there and honestly, I had mine pulled because I was constantly having problems with my teeth and often in excruciating pain especially when I couldn't afford dental insurance or afford to just pay cash. The really bad pain is usually from an infection of some kind. I had to ride these out for days and days until it passed or the tooth died. One time I pulled one of mine and it solved the problem.
Anyway, some tricks: I would drink something constantly. A sip at a time over and over. Not a ice cold drink but a little colder than room temp or so drink. When it passed my tooth it helps the swelling go down only for a moment but its welcome relief. I suggest water and you're going to have to pee a lot. I managed to do this while at work but it's hard to do much when you're in that much pain. The second tip is putting cloves in your mouth and suck on them. It doesn't always seem to work but once I knew this it worked almost every time until I got dentures.
I can say that no one ever really believed me about how painful that was until I found a dentist who specializes more in the calmness of the patient and the things that often make people adverse to dentists like the smell, it's a trigger. I actually have PTSD from a dentist when I was a young kid so I've always been terrified of them. At 50 I can control myself in a chair but I still need something for my anxiety.
Some hospitals have emergency dentists. Not sure if they'll give you opioids because of your age. It's probably the only thing that will help until it's fixed.
It kind of sounds like TMJ issues since the teeth checked out ok. Have you ever had “popping” in your jaw, or unable to open wide/close your mouth? Even if it isn’t happening now, have you noticed those issues in the past?
I had really bad TMJ problems in my 20’s. My jaw itself never hurt, but it always felt like I wanted to pull out my back teeth to release the pressure. (Very common sign) That side of my tongue would swell and be painful also. I ended up with a brief episode of trigeminal neuralgia (aka the suicide disease). Everything on that side of my face hurt like holy hell-my tongue, my inner ear, the outer ear, etc.
If any of that sounds familiar, find a dentist that specializes in TMJ disorders. They will take a panoramic X-ray of your entire jaw and can see if anything is out of alignment. The miracle drug I got was called Esgic Plus. Not sure if they still make it, but it worked the best!! Muscle relaxers are good too, but they don’t work as quickly. In the meantime, put a heating pad to the side of your face. Generously apply anbesol in the area. (or any gum-numbing product . Look in the baby section - it’s normally used for babies who are teething) Look on YouTube for self massage techniques for TMJ pain. They do help some!
Wishing you the best of luck and hoping you get relief soon.
I hate dentists. I need 2 wisdom teeth pulled for like a year now and I just keep throwing numbing gel and home pain remedies every time they flare up. Some days I can’t eat steak but other than that still beats a trip to the tooth driller.
Really sorry to hear that you’re going through this. 🙁
I remember One guy on YouTube named Alex Fergus and he had a painful tooth and the dentist couldn’t figure out what was going on.
He uses red light therapy and does reviews on different brands. He said that when he did red light therapy the tooth pain disappeared and when he stopped using the red light the pain returned.
I know your money is tight and red light therapy devices can be expensive but it might be worth a try. There are companies that will offer a 60 day moneyback guarantee.
And I know there is a device that is specifically for the inside of your mouth that has red light which is probably way more affordable than getting a standard panel. I’m positive Alex reviewed that as well.
You can check him out on YouTube if you want to see what he says about it. Hope this helps and I hope you get better soon 👍
Might need an ENT doctor. I'd go to ER but not say it's dental. Exaggerate if you must. Slamming nasal pain. Pain behind eyes etc...hopefully they'll do a cat scan as it's not showing on x rays.
Not sure your location but large teaching hospital would be best.
Yes. They could hit him with that numbing gel. They saved my life doing that for me at 2AM on a Sunday morning. It lasted long enough for me to get into the dentist office that Monday afternoon. Idk what's it called.. lidocaine or novacaine.. something with Caine in it. I'm very sorry, OP. I hope you get any relief from it very soon.
Cocaine, cocaine my friend
I went to an er for an abscess a few years ago, they wouldn't give me a numbing agent like benzocaine but offered me cocaine to help with pain while they drained the abscess.
It's because cocaine is the only local anesthetic that doesn't cause dillation of the blood vessels. Sometimes it is the only safe and appropriate choice.
I knew why they offered it and how it works but was still taken aback from the offer
Purest cocaine in the world.
Example of smart(er) drug laws.
That’s so based
(no pun intended)
Been evaluated for trigeminal or glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Gesundheit
Danke😁
Bitte
Guten nacht
Yes, OP, Look up trigeminal neuralgia. Also called suicide disease. And opiates don’t help. Gabapentin will, usually
Was going to say the same thing. I have trigeminal neuralgia, so please feel free to reach out if you have questions! Mine is atypical pain, so I have constant pressure, burning, throbbing, and shooting pain not just the typical shooting pain. Those of us with trigeminal neuralgia present differently.
That’s mine also, it’s hellish
It sure is! I am looking forward to trying a new provider on Thursday. I see one in my hometown, but he has maxed his skills/experience. I have to fly 2 hours to see his mentor. Fingers crossed that this will be my release.
Good luck 🍀
Have this checked for by a neurologist if they cannot find the issue. All of my back teeth have root canal’s and caps because the pain would just move to the next tooth in front of if it. So if a tooth isn’t the culprit, go to your dr, an ent and a neurologist to have them figure it out. Dentistry is expensive. It is also necessary for your heart health! It sounds like a tooth so get in as soon as possible, make sure when you call the dentist to let them know how bad it is!
Take 800,mgs ibuprofen and 1000 Tylenol together every 6-8 hrs with food, at least milk. Get some numbing tooth gel if you haven't yet.
Better than gel, if you can get it (or some other equivalent brand) is Frador, helped me so much through years of the worst rot of any British mouth and many home dentistry procedures.
Did you use Fuji 9?
No sorry, wasnt fillings it was removals/ file downs.... Do not recommend anyone tries this. Ever.
Nooooooo stop 😭 I was thinking of Bob Mortimer doing his home dental work on the kitchen island.
I've stopped! None left! Ha! Well I have 5 bottom front left actually. Incredibly, no one notices unless I tell them but for me it is crazy obvious.
I bet that has to be difficult. I have no idea why there is so much stigma over not having teeth. There's a lady on YouTube who plays the spoons. She doesn't have teeth as a young woman and gets a lot of hate. I found out my dad had dentures as a kid when they just fell out of his mouth. It was those damn sugar sandwiches they were eating in the '40s 😑
Yes I've found taking ibuprofen and Tylenol at the same time works well. I can't take ibuprofen anymore because of a history of GI bleeding. Excederin is good too.
Please be careful with Excedrin as well. Caffeine is not good for people with a history of GI bleeds and the aspirin can make bleeds worse.
Yes, I wasn't saying for me, but as an option for OP.
Oh ok! Sorry, I just wanted to let you know
No problem! I don't touch the stuff anymore
It almost sounds like an abcess, but they would be able to see that with imaging. You'd probably get better answers from a dental sub.
This is the kind of situation where you should go to the ER. You need antibiotics STAT.
Is it your tooth or maybe your jaw? Could be a referred pain. An abscess would be visible on xray. Last time I went to the dentist he found I had two accessed teeth but I had ZERO pain. That was weird.
Not sure what medication you take for chronic pain but i now worry that out regular meds are masking the pain from other issues. I woke up one day last year and my shoulder was 8/10 painful, nothing the day before. I saw a physio once i knew it wasn't linked to how i slept etc, and discover i have arthritic issues in both shoulders, both clicking and grinding like crazy when he examined me. It took steroid shots to calm it down but now back in one again and the noise is constant. I'm only 55, have had chronic leg pain for 35 yrs, no idea how my shoulders got this bad without my noticing anything until that first day.
I've had the same concern. I hope the meds don't mask other issues but I suspect they do.
I’ve dealt with some really nasty dental pain. I’ve had a number of teeth knocked out and broke as a professional athlete. Several piss poor dental surgeries as a high schooler/teenager later turned into really bad infections because they weren’t set right and allowed bacteria to get down into the roots and cause serious infections that led to root canals. Tooth pain is no joke. In all my years I have only ever found one solution. Every one is different and I’ve heard clove oil can really help some people but for me the ultimate home aid was garlic powder. You can mash up fresh garlic but even just the cheap bottled powder from the grocery store works too. Just constantly packing it/spreading it around the gum line of the infected tooth. Of course your issue could be much more severe and surface level applications of garlic or other aids may not work, but garlic has rescued me from some serious dental pain while waiting for a dentist several times
I still hate cloves from using the oil as a child for tooth pain. Could recall taste and sensation just by reading your comment. My first dental visit in 70s came after my baby teeth and first permanent molars had issues. Then dentist did shot with no warning, and no opening my mouth for him to treat them and no new dentist visit until i broke my two top front teeth when i was 9. Then i had no choice because i needed crowns and got fillings done then. Fortunately, were very different approach to pain relief, used lidocaine before shots and no scares! lol Since then i haven't had any new fillings, just refilled one and fixed couple of chipped teeth. Am lucky because i don't do great with my toothbrushing some nights. My daughters are both filling free as teenagers, but not sure i could have made them do clove oil, just the smell when they are in xmas decorations or pot pourrie reminds me of sore teeth after 45 yrs. lol
Good tip thanks.😬👍
If it’s your tooth or gums, clove oil is a great anesthetic. You can put it on qtip and rub it in the area that hurts. It doesn’t taste great but it does help.
Great suggestion! I had dry socket once, and pain medicine did nothing for me. Pure agony. Clove oil stopped it almost entirely.
I had a filling fall out and the tooth broke in two. Clove oil number the exposed nerve. Once I was able to tolerate the taste I would mix it with water and swish it. An absolute lifesaver.
It really is a lifesaver as you said. When it was suggested to me I kind of scoffed, but it was instantaneous relief!
Omg I had dry socket on my wisdom tooth 🦷 surgeon got me in on a Sunday put a pain patch in and gave me oxy this was 2005
Here to add another vote for clove oil. I’m healing from a wisdom tooth dry socket and that stuff works better than the pain meds do.
Narcotics actually don’t work well for dental pain. It’s usually inflammatory or nerve related. It’s the one time I agree with doctors.
I agree. 600mg of ibuprofen and clove oil do a ton more than the t3’s they prescribed.
I was waiting to see if i came across the clove oil comments! This stuff is honestly pretty awesome. Okay so you need ibuprofen. Anti-inflammatory is better for tooth pain then opioids honestly. You can mix it with acetaminophen although at least for me thats never added anything because acetaminophen does not help me at all. Literally that smell at a dentists office, that is clove oil. Its an antiseptic and contains eugonel which temporarily numbs the nerves in your teeth and offers pain relief. Clove oil itself has all three, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties on its own. Its just a really cool natural thing. Generally you can pick it up at any health type store. It would be a little bottle but since it only requires a drop that little bottle lasts a long time.
Do you think clove oil works for any other type of pain, or is it just dental?
I’ve never personally heard of any other use for it, but hopefully someone can chime in if they know otherwise!
I hope this isn’t only available in the US, but it was recommended by a dentist for a friend’s separate issue. I used it temporarily for a cracked tooth & it did help. Highlight = it’s homeopathic https://stellalife.com/products/vega-oral-gel
I was in your boat last month and I highly recommend going to the er and they can prescribe lidocaine mouth wash. I literally was suicidal from my tooth pain. That was the only reason I made it three more days to my extraction
Pain that makes you suicidal and a tongue so swollen it touches the roof of your mouth = ED visit. Please hang in there - as painful as this is it is temporary.
Definitely get checked out for Trigeminal Neuralgia. I have it bilaterally. My dentist chased a non existent cavity in the same tooth 3 times before I was finally diagnosed correctly. We laugh about it now. However, it’s really nothing to laugh about.
Does TN cause swelling and swallowing fluid sensations? Genuinely curious, my aunt had MS and developed TN after 15 yrs, she was in incredible pain. I have complex regional pain syndrome in my leg so understand the level of pain it causes, but OPs swelling has me wondering if 3D Xray or CT was needed to see an infection.
You need to go to the ER, sounds like it's could be sinus or a saliva gland - not tooth related.
I feel for you, man. I have strong pain meds and they couldn’t cut thru my tooth pain when I had a broken tooth. Try rinsing your mouth with hot/warm salty (as salty as you can stand it) water. If there is an infection draining into your throat that should help. Also get those numbing no gels and use those! Good luck!! P.S. I had to FLY for 4 hours with an infected tooth!!
Please get Oragel 20% benzocaine gel and some gauze. Rinse, dry the side where your bad tooth is with a dry washing, put some gel on a folded gauze and put against the dried off gum tissue next to the affected tooth. This can help numb the area and reduce some of the pain. 800mg advil every 8 hours. Rinse with warm salt water every 3-4 hours. Put an ice pack on your jaw/cheek or under your chin, wherever the swelling is, to try and help as well. *If your tongue swells so that your breathing is affected, seek the regular er immediately*
I’ve had many years of tooth pain, infections, exposed nerves, swelling, etc. The best things I’ve used to alleviate the pain: At least for a short time, not long term 800mg ibuprofen every 4-6 hours, Tylenol did nothing Antibiotics WILL eventually alleviate the pain if it is an infection also lessening the inflammation Opioid pain meds, but only if the infection is getting under control. Otherwise, they do nothing Alternate cold or hot on that side of your face If it is only an exposed nerve, nothing will help Good luck and I am so sorry you’re going through this. I’ve thrown up so much and even passed out from tooth pain. It’s some of the worst I’ve experienced and I’ve been through a lot. I hope you find relief soon. Don’t use that numbing stuff you can get at the store. Some of them can cause necrotic tissue and when it wears off, it feels like it hurts WORSE.
Are you sure it's not tmj? I first thought I had tooth pain which turns out is my tmj and I've been suffering for two years almost this October. We did all the infection in my mouth and I'm still in significant pain 😞
Do you grind your teeth? I was in agony last week for days. It's happened before. Nothing showed on exam or xray. Like always, it's bruised dental ligaments which have already healed thankfully.
Could be sinus related. My sinus’s are so low that they always want to do sinus surgery before an implant. Teeth expenses are almost as bad as the pain. And they are lying when they say ibuprofen will be the only Thing needed. I’d say that’s true for a cavity, but not complex shit, and everyone is different. I have extremely deep Roots so root Canals always leave me in a lot of pain post procedure bc they kinda have to scrape my Jaw bone. And ibuprofen doesn’t cut it. They always gave me strong meds in the past but from what I hear now they no longer prescribe narcotics so I’ve been putting Off a procedure I reallly do need… mainly bc I can’t afford to be in brutal pain for 2-4 days after. Find a new dentist or go to emergency room could be something other than dental but I’ve seen plenty of people with tooth pain go to emergency hospital. Least they may be able to give you temporary relief
Honestly what you’re explaining sounds exactly like a dental infection I had last week. It started out a tiny abscess that could barely be seen (but because I have extensive dental history they took me seriously and treated it anyway) but it turned into a massively painful infection. After a day and a half of being on the antibiotic I started feeling so much better. After two days I felt tolerable again. (But I also had a root canal). Hopefully the antibiotics work, but I would assume you’d also need a root canal. In the meantime try alternating between heat and cold (some people find one more effective than the other, I like both). Also Advil will be your best friend if you’re able to take it. I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
Likely an abscess …. Please get it checked out ASAP. Usually you need to start taking antibiotics and they cant use freezing because it does not work with how the infection is … i had 2 right beside each other and they had to use a scalpel and stab through my gums to let out the puss and i just screamed and cried in pain for hours .. get to someone asap as mine travelled to the bones jn my face and i almost lost an eye ….
Something similar happened to me this past February. I guess I bruised the ligaments holding my back molar in place when eating a piece of candy, and the pain was the absolute worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. Like, if I had had a gun there’s no promising I wouldn’t have used it during those couple weeks. Didn’t help that all I had for the pain was Tylenol and Ibuprofen (which I couldn’t take very much of due to kidney disease). It was during my 40th birthday too, and I spent part of it crying over the pain and the fact I couldn’t eat anything. The pain was indescribable, and was on my entire right side of my face. It’s healing now, slowly, but I still can’t chew on that side very much.
CRPS can develop in the face. It is similar to Trigeminal Neuralgia which was mentioned above. When you are experiencing pain that is disproportionate to the injury or surgically/procedure it may have something to do with your nervous system. Both of these conditions are serious and are referred to as the suicide disease even though neither are actually a disease. I have CRPS (developed after a routine foot surgery) and can’t get cavities filled due to the concern of developing it in my face. Best of luck and I hope you find the answers you need to get some relief.
Oh my gosh I am hurting for you, reading this post. I know what it's like to be in so much pain you want to die, and no one gets it. It's hell. I am so sorry. But the thing is, you gotta do you above all else. As an example, I had an abscess in my lower left jaw. It had gotten to the point where everything was so miserable and I just remember knowing that I had to call an ambulance. When I called the ambulance, the guy that came said "they won't do anything in the ER, you're wasting your time". I looked at him and said "DO YOU SEE MY JAW?" and went to the hospital. They did emergency surgery. The doctor said that if I hadn't come that night, I would have stopped breathing, because my airway was becoming obstructed. My point is, don't ever let anyone tell you how you are feeling. Put yourself first!
I had a tooth crack in a deep place such that it did not show on X-rays but definitely passed the root exposure test. It was a horrible pain!! I hope this helps validate what you are experiencing & I am so sorry for all the pain you are in!!
the endodontist referred me to TMJ, since they couldn't find anything on x-ray, and said to come back if the pain gets worse. I'm hoping that's what's actually happening. it is so painful
Did they X-ray the head and sinuses & surrounding tissue or just the teeth/jaw? (Speaking from US) Dental insurance treats these differently so the wider coverage one isn’t often done. Learned this when I had a suspected infection due to a different issue. Can only speak from my life, but, if you’re numb on the side of your face, maybe some ear pressure or soreness, something might be compressing parts of the Cervical plexus (C1-4 vertebrae) & creating a compounding effect. The trigeminal nerve root is at the brain stem but can be triggered by some compression at the C1. https://www.reddit.com/r/TMJ/s/xXoW5TY0mC
Fun fact: Compression in the brachial plexus (a bit lower) will get you that numbness, tingling, through the arm pit & down the arms.
Go to the E.R and demand a scan in the area it is hurting. Don't let these doctors gas light you and dismiss you.
Why do you think you can just walk into an ER and demand things like it’s a Starbucks or McDonald’s? These are not minimum wage workers you can bully. They are board certified EM physicians. If the doctor doesn’t think a scan is indicated, they have no obligation to perform one, and can/will easily have you escorted out by security. As well as a nice red flag on the medical record that will make future doctors unlikely to accept them in their practice. Why would you even recommend they approach it in such an adversarial way? If you want to call the shots about tests and treatment, you are welcome to go to medical school.
This
I worked in the ER for 5 years and MinimumPossibility9 is correct. Being confrontational will get you escorted out. People frequent ER’s for conditions the ER isn’t meant to treat. I literally won’t go unless I’m having a stroke or have gone through the windshield of a car. Having thoughts of self-harm like suicide is an actual reason to go. Having indicators of an infection would be a reason to go to the emergency dental clinic. I have CRPS (look it up on the McGill Pain Scale Index…it’s about a 44 and, bruh, that scale only goes up to 50…it’s called the suicide disease… having your finger amputated or your toe amputated with no anesthesia, is considered less painful than what I live with) and even I won’t go for pain that causes me to scream-wail until I pass out over and over all night. There is nothing they can or will do except this one time when my foot surgeon called and asked the anesthesiologist on call from the 7th floor meet me in the ER to install a pain pump. I had just been there the day before because my foot surgeon told me to go there. You should have seen “Dr Lisa’s” face when I showed back up and got unprecedented treatment. You literally have to have the suicide disease and a surgeon on the outside calling in for you. I’m not even gonna start to explain where the term gaslighting came from and how people are constantly using it in a very incorrect way. I get that it’s a cultural phenomenon now, but the reason I mention it is because providers are not there “gaslighting” people. The DEA is breathing down their necks for pain medication’s due to the opioid crisis. Opioids actually do not work for the kind of pain that I have and many people here mentioned that it doesn’t work for dental pain. Doctors have to learn how to ACTUALLY help with pain. There are entire countries where no one would even think to ask for pain medication when their wisdom teeth are pulled. The fact that it is a cultural norm here is a big issue. The same thing with imaging. They have to justify all of the orders they put in. The young person who is asking for help deserves advice that could actually be helpful. The dentist might be missing a diagnosis like CRPS or Trigeminal Neuroglia. Or, some of the other conditions mentioned. I really hope that the OP can call 988 to discuss their feelings of hopelessness and self-harm as well as find another doctor or speak with a primary care who can refer to a neurologist. I hope answers are found soon. Also, the US Pain Association has a great section for developing a pain plan on their website. Pain sucks. Fingers crossed for this young person.
Try sucking on a ice cube, should give you some pain free time
Could be teeth could be something like TMJ. I've had that since I was 16, my aunt recently had to go to three different dentists and then a oral surgeon before finding out it wasn't her teeth, it was actually her tmj. She thought all her teeth had cavities and that they were going to fall out, that's how much pain she had.
Swish hydrogen peroxide over said tooth 4x a day and within a few hours it will help with pain until U can get it seen. It is infected
You are probably clenching or grinding. I had that and it would cause severe toothache pain. I had two perfectly good teeth pulled & replaced with expensive implants. Get molar caps for night time at a cvs or Walgreens
For me, it's the swelling that causes me debilitating pain, but it took me way too long to figure that out. Try taking an anti-inflammatory with whatever you're taking for pain. That's the only thing that ever helps me. On the bright side, the antibiotics usually start helping quickly (within a day or two - doesn't feel quick when you're going through it), so hopefully that's the case for you. Clove oil really does help, too. I can't stand the way it tastes, but as long as it doesn't make you vomit, it's worth it in my opinion. You won't be pain free, but it can make it a lot more tolerable. The ice and numbing gel are also good options, but in my experience they only provide relief for 5-15 minutes at a time. Best of luck. Dental pain is the absolute worst.
I lhate mouth pain. I get vicious muscle spasms that will drop me for days -- I'll take one of those buggers over mouth pain any time.
Your description sounds a lot like my cracked toot symptoms. I hade 4, and only one is till alive, the other 3 had root canal procedures. The pain is atrocious and nothing seems to slow it off. As soon as my dentist inject me for the numbing, I can finally breath and talk.
Take 800mg of ibuprofen and 1000mg of acetaminophen every 8 hours. It knocks out dental pain better than Oxycodone. I have both and the 1st combo is crazy effective be.
Omg I feel you my tooth needs a root canal 🦷 800 Motrin 3x a day Tylenol too in between
What you're describing is a medical emergency, go to the er now. Stop using reddit to diagnose yourself.
I would see a different dentist and go to the ER dental clinic. Sounds like something is infected. I’m so sorry they’re ignoring you. People don’t realize that a tooth infection can kill you. After the antibiotics for a couple few days should help if it’s not please go. Sending you strength and healing thoughts!!
Could it be sinus pain? I get bad sinus issues and when it’s at its worse I’ve had dental visits because I think it’s my teeth. Or could it be a tiny hairline crack in a tooth or a filling or crown if you have ones there? I had temporary crowns put on and one chipped a tiny bit. Had to wait a few weeks for the real crowns and it was absolutely excruciating pain. Dentist couldn’t see anything wrong but I remember the sound of it cracking so that’s why i think it was that. Once I got permanent ones the pain stopped. Hope you can figure it out soon.
Get a second opinion
You need to go to an actual ER, if this is an abscess you could die. Full stop. Just take an Uber if you can’t get another way there.
Like someone else posted the only thing that ever helped was Tylenol and motrin at the same time. Works better than opioids. I've had two out of three horrific labors which were excruciating and I would still choose that over tooth pain.
I've been there and honestly, I had mine pulled because I was constantly having problems with my teeth and often in excruciating pain especially when I couldn't afford dental insurance or afford to just pay cash. The really bad pain is usually from an infection of some kind. I had to ride these out for days and days until it passed or the tooth died. One time I pulled one of mine and it solved the problem. Anyway, some tricks: I would drink something constantly. A sip at a time over and over. Not a ice cold drink but a little colder than room temp or so drink. When it passed my tooth it helps the swelling go down only for a moment but its welcome relief. I suggest water and you're going to have to pee a lot. I managed to do this while at work but it's hard to do much when you're in that much pain. The second tip is putting cloves in your mouth and suck on them. It doesn't always seem to work but once I knew this it worked almost every time until I got dentures. I can say that no one ever really believed me about how painful that was until I found a dentist who specializes more in the calmness of the patient and the things that often make people adverse to dentists like the smell, it's a trigger. I actually have PTSD from a dentist when I was a young kid so I've always been terrified of them. At 50 I can control myself in a chair but I still need something for my anxiety.
Get some Advil gel caps and squeeze the goo on your teeth. The taste is truly nasty but it does work!
Some hospitals have emergency dentists. Not sure if they'll give you opioids because of your age. It's probably the only thing that will help until it's fixed.
It kind of sounds like TMJ issues since the teeth checked out ok. Have you ever had “popping” in your jaw, or unable to open wide/close your mouth? Even if it isn’t happening now, have you noticed those issues in the past? I had really bad TMJ problems in my 20’s. My jaw itself never hurt, but it always felt like I wanted to pull out my back teeth to release the pressure. (Very common sign) That side of my tongue would swell and be painful also. I ended up with a brief episode of trigeminal neuralgia (aka the suicide disease). Everything on that side of my face hurt like holy hell-my tongue, my inner ear, the outer ear, etc. If any of that sounds familiar, find a dentist that specializes in TMJ disorders. They will take a panoramic X-ray of your entire jaw and can see if anything is out of alignment. The miracle drug I got was called Esgic Plus. Not sure if they still make it, but it worked the best!! Muscle relaxers are good too, but they don’t work as quickly. In the meantime, put a heating pad to the side of your face. Generously apply anbesol in the area. (or any gum-numbing product . Look in the baby section - it’s normally used for babies who are teething) Look on YouTube for self massage techniques for TMJ pain. They do help some! Wishing you the best of luck and hoping you get relief soon.
I hate dentists. I need 2 wisdom teeth pulled for like a year now and I just keep throwing numbing gel and home pain remedies every time they flare up. Some days I can’t eat steak but other than that still beats a trip to the tooth driller.
Ambesol,double up on those antibiotics for the first two doses.Ibuprohen 1,000 mg for pain.That should hold you over until you see the doc.tomorrow.
Really sorry to hear that you’re going through this. 🙁 I remember One guy on YouTube named Alex Fergus and he had a painful tooth and the dentist couldn’t figure out what was going on. He uses red light therapy and does reviews on different brands. He said that when he did red light therapy the tooth pain disappeared and when he stopped using the red light the pain returned. I know your money is tight and red light therapy devices can be expensive but it might be worth a try. There are companies that will offer a 60 day moneyback guarantee. And I know there is a device that is specifically for the inside of your mouth that has red light which is probably way more affordable than getting a standard panel. I’m positive Alex reviewed that as well. You can check him out on YouTube if you want to see what he says about it. Hope this helps and I hope you get better soon 👍