The Half Tooth Lingering In My Mouth
Yesterday was almost bearable with the tooth pain. I took aspirin, tylenol and ibuprophen, rotating them. Went to bed and finally turned the TV off at 11:30. The searing pain woke me at 4:30 am and I have yet to find relief. How much Orajel is too much to ingest? Should I be worried? It doesn't help much, but gives a brief respite.
My appointment was today. I arrived with time to spare and had the X-rays done and then the dentist came in, asking about the left side of my mouth. The broken tooth is on the right side. The last root canal and crown I had done is infected!! He said it looked like it never completely healed and this was done over 2 years ago.
Having established that, he took a peek at the broken tooth and said it would need to be handled by the oral surgeon. Okay, I already knew that. I used my finger to trace the area in acute pain. From the middle of the top teeth and up to the eye orbit and over to my ear and down to my neck and back up to the middle of my mouth on the bottom. It is throbbing and screaming with pain. I was looking forward to some novocaine!
No needles, just a referral. How soon can someone see me? Not until Thursday ...... in Tennessee!! For a consultation. I will pick up a release for surgery from my cardiologist tomorrow, so why can't they cut it out Thursday? Are there no oral surgeons in North Carolina? HeWho has been dispatched for my antibiotic, but no pain meds. This morning at 4:30, I would have committed a crime for just one pain pill!
The dentist was going to confide a secret to me and told me that I could take 2 ibuprophen and 2 tylenol every four hours for pain. I already knew that trick, but what will those drugs do to my kidney and liver function? I already stopped taking my meloxicam because my kidney numbers were a little high.
I know there is an opioid crisis, but not everyone abuses them. He told me to take two penicillin tonight and I should feel better tomorrow. Really, antibiotics do not work that fast and will do nothing for the exposed nerve screaming in pain.
I wanted to cry and pitch a small fit, but that would just make me look desperate for pain pills. Nothing to do but get on with life and make it until the tooth is finally out. Soon .... I hope. It has already been 2 weeks so what's another week or so?
There's nothing like a toothache to ruin your life! It's a shame you have had to wait so long.
ReplyDeleteI am still wondering why there are no oral surgeons closer that 90 minutes away! I have high hopes for tomorrow, since I secured the release form the cardiologist and they have it in their system now.
DeleteI have had similar dental problems at 73. I am not a drinker but in order to sleep I bought a bottle of vodka and had a stiff drink before bed and sometimes in the middle of the night too. It is very frustrating that I need to rely on self medicating like it is 1723 instead of 2023.
ReplyDeleteI was amazed at the pain control in the hospital, they stayed right on top of it and kept it under control. Maybe I should be admitted until the extraction! I tried a good stiff drink, well, more than one and it just made me dizzy, then nauseous. On my 4th tube of orajel ....
DeleteYikes, that sounds just awful. A cousin of mine also had to have a removal, but before she could have it done, was just given antibiotics and sent home to work for a week (somehow she did get to work with Tylenol and Ibuprofen to sustain her) and eventually the antibiotics helped the pain subside. I'll just say she had a bit more than a tooth pulled, and all the details wouldn't make you any happier. Have you tried alternating cold and hot therapy (outside your mouth)...but not just hot because if there's an abscess that's not good, I've heard.
ReplyDeleteThe dentist offered no other pain solutions other than the tylenol/ibuprofen. I tredt icing my jaw, but that made the pain scream louder. Tomorrow I see the oral surgeon. I am sure the bill will have HeWho in pain!
DeleteThis is horrid! I am sorry there was no local place for referral.
ReplyDeleteWell, on the bright side, we will be visiting a place we have never been. I just hope I can leave this half tooth there.
DeleteOY!
ReplyDeleteThe dentist in Warrenton gave me hydrocodone in 2021. I don't know if rules are stricter now or if the laws vary from state to state.
DeleteThe pain is caused by the infection and the antibiotics will kill that so you should be feeling less pain by the second day of taking them. I hope so anyway. I can't get over the lack of care in your country. A prescription for only 3-5 opiods would help so much but not be enough to get addicted. I hope the removal of the tooth is quick and easy once it happens.
ReplyDeleteThe penicillin doesn't seem to be having any effect on the pain. The infection is on the opposite side of my mouth. I am sure there is a lot more to the dispatching of opiods that I know, but the dentist who did my root canal and crown gave me hydrocodone while I was waiting to have it done. I cut them in half and that was enought to take the edge off, that's all I want.
DeleteI hope you can get some sort of satisfaction from your next visit! Makes me wonder what doctors ARE prescribing pain pills for. I guess Hick was lucky to get 20 of them after having screws, plates, and cadaver bone put into his back. That was five days' worth. Your tooth probably hurts more than his back did.
ReplyDeleteI expected them to be cautious with the amout, but sympathetic. I took the tylenol/ibuprfen combo over an hour ago and it did nothing. My left ear is throbbing and the end of my chin feels like someone is chiseling it. Makes it hard to sleep. Toni must have known last night, she crawled up to my pillow and tried to cradle my face against her belly. It helped to distract me by me trying to get her fur out of my nose and mouth. She tried.
DeleteHydrogen peroxide and water mixed together make an antibacterial mouthwash that reduces inflammation and relieves pain from a toothache. Mix a 50/50 solution of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide in a glass of warm water and use as you would a regular mouthwash, swishing it over your teeth and spit it out
ReplyDeleteTried it, also tried the warm water with salt to swish around. The nerve is exposed and nothing will make it stop hurting until they extract it.
Deleteomg. tooth pain is the worst. my sister had a broken tooth. dentist here couldn't take care of it, sent her to Victoria an hour away and even that guy had trouble getting it out. it was a pretty horrible situation for her. I hope the oral surgeon gets yours out without complications. you'd think dentists/oral surgeons would accommodate someone in your situation but no, they can't feel a thing. and then you have to have the root canal redone?
ReplyDeleteIt is like never ending labor pains, but you do not get a baby in the end ..... not that it would appeal to me to become a mother at my age!
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