Painful Extraction

[cinders112]

I developed an absess on my bottom let molar and the doctor prescribed amoxillian, during the course of anti-biotics the absess didn't get any better. I went back to the dentist and they gave me another course of amoxillian.

The dentist then did root canal root and ;put a temporary dressing on.  I am 5 weeks pregnant so she wasn't able to take an x-ray.  After that treatment i was in terrible pain so went back to her.

she said I shouldn't have still been in pain so she took the dressing off and did some more root canal work.  I went home and spent the night in pain, going back to her this morning.

She then said she would take the tooth out as it also had a small crack in it and we probally couldn't save it.  the tooth was extracted and I came home, I am still taking my antibiotics.

It is over 12 hours now since the extraction and I am still in the most terrible pain.  My gland in my neck has come up and under my arm but mostlyit is the pain.  I am taking paracetemol every four hours.

Is the pain an indication that something is still wrong, or will it start to subside.  This is my second day off work but mainly the pain is my biggest problem.

Your answers will be appreciated, thanks.

[moonpiebaby]

Oh you poor girl. I had a dry socket. I cried it hurt sooooooo bad!! They are worse than the tooth ache! The pain killer they gave me,put me in the ER higher than a kite! lol! I have to have 7 teeth pulled on the bottom.In 2 weeks.  Am so freaked out! I just pray, I don't have that issue again! So am alittle pain killer shy after that.

[sijanise]

Alright Im glad you are feeling better. No one I know has has dry socket and they think I was exaggerating the pain...seriously I thought I was gonna die! Pain killers normally dont work for dry socket and i couldnt even find out though cus turns out i was allergic to just about all of them, and that was the worst time to find out too! I can say w/o a doubt, there is no pain like it. Worst yet, it was like my body had to get over the flu or something!!! I was dehydrated from not wanting liquids, weak from losing 8 pounds (im tiny i only way 94, so 8 pounds is tons) from not eating, and when i did eat I threw up from the pain (my body doesnt like to hold food down when im in agony, who knows why?), i was anemic...its been 3 weeks and im still not in tip top shape...i figure itll take me a while to get back to full stregnth...i had the tooth extract and 3 days later i got the dry socket for 7 days...so i was in agony for 10 days...it still has flair ups from time to time...ill get some off the wall pain in my jaw, im sure from all the nerve trama...i just know that from now on...all pain is comaparble to it. Im not kidding i didnt leave my house even to go outside for  10 days.. i went from bed to sofa, sofa to recliner, recliner to floor and floor to bed for 10 days...heck the world outside could have been cold, hot rainy, and i wouldnt have known it.

sleep 8 hours eh? man isnt that the best feeling, i took sleeping for granted until dry socket..i was never so happy to have restful, pain free (kinda) sleep in my life!

[cinders112]

Yes, you were right I do have dry socket and I agree it is the most terrible pain I have ever been in.

  I have been going every two days to the dentist and he has been packing it.  It has been 6 days since the extraction and I am still not back at work but very slowly it is beginning to get better and today for the first time I managed to sleep for 8 hours and I have started to cut down my painkillers slightly but it seems to take a long time to heal and until you feel you can face the world again!

[sijanise]

could you have dry socket? I had a root canal done on dec the 28th on my bottom farthest back molar number 31. Well the dds perferated the tooth (it had a calcified canal and was funky inside)...anyways it couldnt be saved after he did that so out it went. the next day i was in pain but not horrible, about what youd expect. then on the 2nd day i was like "HOLY COW"...it started hurting like mad! i went to see him on the 3rd day and i had developed dry socket...sometime, somehow i dislodged the clot and had exposed boone and nerve. he had to treat it daily with some spongy stuff but i was in the worst pain of my life for 7 days until the tissue covered the exposed bone...maybe you have dry socket?...even now...3 weeks later i still have some pain in my jaw but they said it would take 6 months to heal completely and the healing will be delayed due to the dry socket

[cinders112]

Many thanks for your comments.  I went to the doctor yesterday and got some pain relief that was stronger than paracetmol and that has made a difference.  He said to stick with the amocillian.

I decided to pay for a private dentist and went to see a lovely man yesterday who did take an x-ray just to make sure but has diagnosed me with dry socket and has packed it and I am going again soon to have it packed again.

I am feeling better although I beleive it is going to take a little while.  
I am determined now to go onto a dental plan so I can go private, I will never do NHS again in my life, I think my last dentist was a bit of a bucher, she was very rough with my mouth and didn't speak very good english so I did struggle to communicate with her.

A very painful lesson learnt!  This webiste has been a godsend for me in the middle of the night, with not a lot of information and trying to desperately understand what has happened to me.  I feel better now that I know and just have to rest and heal!

Many thanks

[StratRebel]

First, if Amoxicillin did not work the first round, it is not going to work the second.  You should have been put on a different medication, ESPECIALLY if you are getting neck and arm swellings.  Clindamycin or Azythromycin are common drugs in place of Amoxicillin.

Second, with a lead apron, there is nothing that says you cannot have limited x-rays while pregnant, especially in an emergency situation (intense pain = emergency).  Doing a root canal or extraction without an xray is not standard of care, you need to correctly diagnose before such treatments.

After an extraction, you should have near instant relief if you were in that much pain.  Post op pain is common, but not to the point of keeping you awake.  Something is not right.

I would suggest getting a different antibiotic, and then finding a second opinion.  

[cinders112]

Thanks for that, I am still up at 2.00 am the pain is so intense.  I can't take ibruprofen as it affects my asthma - phoned the doctor who saidI could take co-codecil.

I can't believe it should be this painful (defo the most pain I have ever had) and am thinking about going back to the doctor tomorrow as concerned the anti-biotics are not working - it doesn't seem to be getting better, I have had three days off work and can't see an end in sight.  

[scottma]

post extraction pain reaches maximal intensity in the first 24 hour period.It tends to settle down as time goes by. paracetamo + ibuprofen can yield much better analgesic effect.