27m. Nonstop tooth pain. I was never taken to a dentist as a kid and I know it’s partially my fault regardless for neglecting to brush often. I haven’t been to the dentist since I was around 4 yo. Over 20 years. I finally sucked it up and got over the dental anxiety and little bit yesterday because the pain is just so fucking much. It’s messing with my mental health extremely hard. I’ve had battles with depression in the past and I feel like I’m slipping right back into the same state of mind. Well, I went to the dentist and they actually said they can save all but 2 of my teeth. It’s the 2 that are so painful right now. But, jokes on me because I have fucked up roots. They can’t extract those with the roots being twisted so I have a referral to an oral surgeon. Can’t get in there until October 30th. Idk how I’m going to last that long. Mentally, I’m broken. Physically, I’m hurting. I can’t eat. Can’t sleep. I’ve lost 18lbs in the last 2 months.
If anyone has any kind of advice or help, I would more than grateful to hear it. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Comments
Usually the pain is due to an infection. Did they order antibiotics for you to take?
They didn’t give you an antibiotic or any kind of pain meds at all??
Did they give you some medication like antibiotics? Also, just try to stick with soft foods like yogurts or protein shakes so you’re not chewing.
Call around this is an emergency situation
I have this cavity in a wisdom tooth that’s fucking me up. I had got this Dentek toothache relief kit from a CVS and it helped out a TON. Its basically an over-the-counter anesthetic and I swear by it.
Yea definitely call around
Call and beg for an emergency appointment. Tell them everything you have told us here. Tooth pain is next to none. I’m so sorry!
Orajel mouthwash and ointment. Ibuprofen AND acetaminophen.
This is way beyond the scope of a dentist. Very close to an emergency situation. You need to be referred to an oral surgeon that can take you ASAP
Call back surgeon, attempt to make closer appt if no luck, callback dentist and get referred to a surgeon available NOW
don’t sit on this if you want to stick around
Clove oil. It tastes nasty and smells nasty but it has saved my ass more than once. Waaaay better than Orajek.
They didn’t give you anything for pain. If not I would find another dentist.!!!
By the numbing cream and use it till then. Plenty in walmart. Oral reliever i believe its call.
As others have said you absolutely have to hound them to get you in sooner. In the meantime, I wrapped ground clove in a ripped up coffee filter and shoved it on my busted tooth until i could get it pulled. It tastes awful but it works better for tooth pain than any pain reliever I’ve tried.
dude that sounds brutal, tooth pain is no joke. call the oral surgeon’s office and see if they can put you on a cancellation list, spots open up way sooner than you think. in the meantime, keep painkillers on schedule, cold compress on your jaw, and try rinsing with warm salt water. it won’t fix it but it might make surviving till surgery a little less hellish.
Just be aware that poor oral hygiene is linked to cancer and stroke.
https://www.aaosh.org/connect/15-health-issues-caused-by-poor-oral-health#:~:text=Oral%20systemic%20health%20refers%20to,directly%20linked%20to%20artery%20inflammation.
Try clove oil on the painful teeth, it’ll numb for a bit of relief
Not sure what state you’re in. Here in NC a lot of patients see their PCP for pain meds while waiting for the oral surgeon. Most dentists won’t prescribe anything to help. It’s a big contrast to the dentists in NY where they had no issues writing for norco and had oral surgeons writing for dilauded.
I never heard of a dentist turning away a patient in pain for months. I have had a same day root canal. Post where u live at and I bet there someone who is a dentist or know a dentist that can help.
Xanax can help with the pain. Sounds like you have anxiety. I learned this from. Child that was in dentists office with downs.
Anbesol
Cocaine if that dont work
My Grammy swore by powdered bullion (beef or chicken). Pack a little on the painful part. Also, mint teabags can be chewed (or just held in the mouth).
Sending love❤️🩹
I went to Walgreens and got the Kanka gel. Apply it to youe gums and it will numb them. Give you some relief for a bit. I just kept using it until I was able to make an appointment. Not sure how good that is for you but I know that tooth pain is the worst. Cant even put a simple thought together.
My confession: I have a fear of the dentist and my wisdom teeth came in crooked and instead of getting that fixed, and it was on a wierd angle so it developed a cavity….I just would take a Panadol and try to sleep off the pain 💀 ( it wasn’t minor – pieces of tooth was falling off) I still have the tooth but I think the nerve died and it doesn’t hurt anymore 🤩
Make an appointment immediately! My father had a huge lack of dental care the majority of his life. He had a brain aneurysm that was from an abscessed tooth and needed surgery to drain and remove the abscess as well as a complete and full mouth tooth extraction.
I’m not trying to scare you, but implore how critical dental health is.
When I have a tooth that’s needing a root canal that pain is unbearable. I feel ya. What I do is take 3 advil every 6 hours and if needed add 1 extra strength Tylenol in between. It was my endodontist who did a Root Canal who told me that taking two Advil and a Tylenol is better than any pain meds he could prescribe me. Hope that helps.
If the pain is that bad and you can’t eat or sleep, call the oral surgeon’s office and explain the situation. They might get you in sooner if there is a cancellation. In the meantime, ask your dentist or doctor about stronger pain relief options to hold you over. Do not try to just tough it out, you need support until the surgery date.
Brother losing 18 lbs is a serious sign of how much this is affecting you. You need calories and nutrients to fight this infection and cope with the stress. Since chewing is impossible go for:
Smoothies, protein shakes, meal replacement drinks (like Ensure), bone broth, and creamy soups.
Add protein powder, avocado, yogurt, or nut butter to your smoothies.
Most important part:
Dehydration makes pain feel worse. Drink plenty of water.
I’m not a dentist, but i used hydrogen peroxide to tide me over until o could get an infected, broken tooth pulled. Brought me a lot of relief
If the cavity is open you can get over the counter tooth pain numbing gels and creams at CVS or walgreens to help with the pain. Have you tried any of those?
You might want to try clove oil.
Just swill some Whiskey ( spit out or swallow) it really works
Look for anbesol or any oral liquid numbing agent with lidocaine or benzocaine in it. Will numb it up. Inlived on that shit for 2 weeks until i could get into the place for a root canal.
Tooth pain is the absolute worst! Have you tried different oral surgeons? Perhaps someone else could get you in sooner.
Hot water bottle or a heat pack on the side of your face. Helps with the blood flow and gets the pain killing endorphins and medicine to reach the site.
Clove oil is meant to be good or you can use baby teething gels (they do adult versions called Anbesol liquid in my country-UK)
I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth surgically removed as they all grew in impacted and one exploded in my mouth due to infection. Never want to experience toothache again! I feel for you!
Is going to Mexico an option? There are really good clinics just over the border.
Safely using hot packs and ice packs on the affected areas can help to kill the infection faster.
Using one kind for the time suggested, then giving the affected area a break to recover to temperature, then going the opposite way.
Infections have a hard time with heat and cold, and this won’t kill some really resilient infections but can help with others.
Also, using a salt water rinse like a mouthwash and gargle after most anything food or drink goes in can sweep things away and leave less in your mouth to feed the infection, and this is useful all times, not just during tooth infections.
Not pain related, but you may also want something antidiarrheal for side effects of the antibiotics, and to take probiotics after the run.
I’m glad you’re finally getting your teeth taken care of. A hot pack on the cheek of the side most painful might help. If that does nothing, try a cold pack
I am so sorry you are going through this. Ive been dealing with tooth pain the past year and I think tooth pain is about the worst pain there is. I would be calling around to every oral surgeon within a 100 mile radius to see if they can get you in sooner and also calling your surgeons office every day to see if there are cancellations. As far as food I’ve done pudding, applesauce, mashed potatoes, jello, soups like tomato, squash and bone broths, protein shakes, smoothies, even ice cream. I hope you are able to get some relief soon!
Your nearest dental school will fix your teeth for cheap. This is almost always the best option when you are struggling to pay. They will charge based on your ability to pay, and they really don’t have to have the money anyway, so they’re not going to upcharge or anything.
That fucking sucks I’ve been exactly where you are a couple years like that will put anyone on the fucking brink for real. You’re already making steps just bare with it that pain will be gone soon. Don’t be afraid of the dentist was fully awake when they finally did the work pulverizing the root and yanking the tooth out of my head and the second that shit was out the pain was gone in an INSTANT. I literally teared up. You’ve been in pain for so long I promise you it feels like bliss. Also local anesthetic really is sufficient for most dental work. Really wasn’t that painful.
Buy so cataflam s
I hope you’re doing okay! Your story sounds similar to mine, my parents never took me to the dentist so my teeth have always been pretty messed up.
My first grown up job after college, I finally made a dentist appointment. I’ve had all sorts of work done since then, a lot of it is anxiety inducing (and I still kind of fault my parents -who doesn’t take their kid to dentist?).
That being said, I’m relieved I went and had the work done, and still begrudgingly make my followup appointments.
Hope you go eventually and get everything taken care of, it sucks but it’s worth it (life too) ; )
First of all, you have my complete sympathy. Tooth pain is NO JOKE.
Second, if you spike a high fever, go directly to the ER. Do not pass go, etc etc. Tooth infections can travel to the brain reeeeeallllly fast.
Finally – go buy some hydrogen peroxide. Pour equal amounts of that and some water into a little shot glass and rinse your mouth with it. There should actually be instructions on the bottle. A decade ago, I had a MASSIVE toothache, but I was pregnant at the time. Couldn’t take much of anything for pain relief, and I couldn’t get the tooth yanked for months until after baby was born. Swishing hydrogen peroxide around my mouth, especially pulling it so it would go between the teeth, is the ONLY way I survived.
It’s not directly a painkiller, but it cleans out a lot of the infection and gunk that is causing the pain and keeps it calmer and less raging.
You should see if there are reputable dental schools near you, usually they can offer free or low cost options. Idk how well that will work for your situation but if it’s an avenue you haven’t explored it’s worth a shot imo
Someone recommended Anbesol – it’s 20% benzocaine so that (or something with lidocaine) rubbed on your gum should help.
I had a cracked tooth that had to be removed and had gotten infected. The thing that saved me while I was waiting was this lidocaine gel I’d gotten. Tasted gross, but numbed the hell out of it. Basically what your dentist did with the novocaine shot.
Call another oral surgeon and explain the urgency. Call every oral surgeon you can find until you find one with a little compassion.
I’m glad you went to an actual dentist, because some of these suggestions in the comments are fucking crazy. Do as your dentist instructed, but also be honest with him about the unrelieved pain, and ask if there are other options. Also, understand that free advice is usually only worth what you pay for it. Good luck.
Orajel has a mouth wash for numbing tooth pain!
Set up a dental appointment anywhere around where you live, tell them you’ll pay out of pocket. It’ll probably take 3-4 visits for them to fix all of your teeth, but once they are done just throw your bill away.
I hear you sister
Im so sorry if this is stating the obvious but in terms of making it until the end of october, smoothies and meal replacement drinks may help? So you can maintain weight without the pain of chewing. Ensure shakes are often used in professional care settings for those who can’t eat/hold down solids so I would think that one is pretty good. Super sorry to hear about what youre going through and hoping for nothing but the best 🙁
I ended up in the hospital on an IV because of teeth pain waiting on two months for my extraction. You need a call up every oral surgeon in your area and get them taken out next week. Put it on care credit if you have to and pay out of pocket.
I don’t want to say you’re playing with life or death, but you could end up in the hospital like me if you’re not careful.
Edit: Call your main place back and tell them to call you AS SOON as there is a cancellation. You need to get in there. Most places have a cancellation list.
Oragel type can irritate your gums. They have something for sore throat called magic mouthwash that is not so irritating but does kill the pain. Maybe you can ask for a prescription for that.
Just rub a lil cocaine on it….
Pure vanilla extract. Dip a Q tip in it and put it right on the area that hurts! It works!
The antibiotics will stop the pain
DO NOT APPLY ANY ORA GEL. That stuff will destroy your mouth. Google the dangers of it and be thankful that you did read about it.
Can you find another oral surgeon?
And is it wisdom tooth pain? Or which teeth are we talking about?
sucks dude, tooth pain right up there with back/spine pain
Warm salt water
If there is anyway you can get to Los Algadones Baja Mexico they have the cheapest dental care. Fly in to Yuma about a 10 minute Uber ride. I would recommend The Art of Dentistry
Smoke a little meth helps
Been there mate. Was on antibiotics for ages and the pain never went away until the wisdom tooth was removed. If you haven’t already, take ibuprofen (unsure where you live as it has different names) as it’s anti inflammatory and helped almost more than the high strength pain killers I was given. Salt water gargle also helps. And surely there’s an emergency dentist who can extract them? Are you waiting because you want to be put under? I did it awake with local and it didn’t hurt (felt horrible but no pain).
Omg I’m so sorry 🙁 i had bad teeth pain/ jaw pain and lost 10 pounds in a month (135-125), it is horrible.
Clove oil is a natural anesthetic!! Don’t apply directly to your gums or mouth, dilute and rinse with it!! Or apply to the painful teeth, please read up about it more before using it but it used to be used as an anesthetic for oral surgeries in the past. Herbalism subreddit has some good advice on other natural sedative/anesthetic herbs you can buy at the store
Drink protein shakes, lots of them, they have the most calories in the least amount of effort.
Wishing you the best 🙁
Gargle with jack Daniel’s, clove oil
Call the dentist office daily asking about cancellations. Also try ibuprofen + acetaminophen together for pain relief.
Nothing works but tylenol (acetaminophen) with caffeine…apply for Medicaid then go to a Medicaid dentist and get it done. Medicaid can retroactively cover up to 3 months of medical bills so you dont have to wait just ask for your #so they can be billed afterwards.. If not maybe try a pro Bono dental place. Good luck I know that pain sucks 😕
you can try an oral anesthetic. most drug stores should have them. i think they usually use benzocaine
Put some black seed oil on the affected area . Get pain numbing gel from Walgreens.
from someone experienced in a ton of tooth pain, rinse often with peroxide, obviously dont swollow, also if you can get Vernors Gingerale, fill your mouth with cold Vernors so the tooth bothering you is submerged for aslong as you can, dont ask me why but it helps immensely, I assume because of the ginger
Did you tell the dentist you were in pain? If these teeth are abscessed you need an antibiotic.
Call the oral surgeon, tell them what’s going on. Ask them to put you on the call list if there is a cancellation.
I trained at a dental school. Instructors check all their work. Perfectly fine.
Are there still Dentist that will prescribe pain med???
I work in the oral surgery space – definitely call another place or three. They all usually have emergency spots built into their daily schedule for cases such as this and you don’t need to use the office you were referred to. Good luck!
Edited to add: you can also try to have the dentist call the oral surgeon on your behalf and vouch for how much pain you’re in. They may listen to the dentist more than they do you.
I’m going to tell you this, so listen to me.
A friend of mine had a tooth infection and ignored it.
He died from sepsis after being in a coma for 2 weeks.
Go to the dentist and get that fixed.
But seriously, how close are you to Mexico?
Drove about five hours to the border got there early in the morning. Had a bunch of work done drove back home all in the same day. Excellent work everyone was able to communicate with me.
I was a solo female, and the only thing that scared me was all the people I told before I left that I was going I was not fearful one moment. I was there I could see the border guard and the turnstile from the front step of my Dentist Office.
10/10 will do it again.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this, I have a similar childhood dentist story and I’ve been through that kind of pain multiple times so I know how you feel. I’m sorry I don’t have any additional advice to offer because many people already said a lot of things that could help, just wanted to say I really hope you can get the help you need as soon as possible to feel better.
Call every oral surgeon you can and take the earliest appointment. Ask to be called for any cancellation. Tell them you are in a lot of pain. Go to a Dental School Clinic
For the unpopular opinion: get your ass to Mexico and get it done.
In the United States, dental professionals perform client management of dental needs, with many visits and many seperate procedures, optimizing something and being extremely careful to only work on one thing at a time.
In Mexico, dental professionals provide dentistry. When they need an x-ray, they grab the wireless, hand-held dentistry x-ray machine and x-ray a single tooth. They check the bite and grind it down as part of a cleaning. In my case, a molar went bad and, because of a large overbite, figured out it never affected by bite.
The delta cost for work in Tijuana or one of the other ‘dentistry cities’ is high enough that flying down, and taking a week in a hotel, just for a single root canel is worth it. It’s not the cost though, its the quality and speed that make it valuable. You can usually get an appointment the next day and multi-step items can be done the same week.
I recommend: add a “deep cleaning” which cleans below your gum line, pick only near perfect Yelp scores, ask about a cash discount, and pick a hotel really close to the dentist office. Usually, you get wiped for a day after dealing with a bad tooth so it is nice to be right down the block.
Dental pain isn’t just pain, it’s torture. You’re not weak for struggling anyone would be. Proud of you for facing it head on
I had a similar but less intense experience. parents never took me to the dentist after 13. I was afraid to go as an adult and apparently just genetically have bad teeth. prone to cavities. you did the right thing by starting the journey of getting these teeth fixed. it sucks right now. but youll be very glad you did.
I spent many nights up in horrible pain awaiting appointments. its torture. it really is. for me, sometimes swishing alcohol (rum, vodka) around in my mouth would help ease some of the pain. it was like the only thing that worked when I had teeth that needed root canals. nerve pain is hard to treat unfortunately
Clindamycin is a wonder drug for tooth pain. Get your dentist to prescribe you some… like yesterday!!!
Call everywhere you can and get them pulled. Even after a root canal it will be hard and painful. You can always get implants later once youre healed
Yeah this is why when young people ask for advice for the future, I always tell them “Fuck everything and take care of your teeth, hearing and vision” you’ll have a much better adult life in the end.
Is there anywhere that’s a further drive you could get into sooner? Dental pain is so miserable. Best advice I can give for the mental aspect is don’t stress about previous choices or anything that’s currently out of your control. Soon, maybe not soon enough but soon, you will have dental care and you’re going to feel like a whole new person and this nightmare will be in the past. Boost drinks might help keep your weight up. If you’re spiraling give yourself like 30 minutes to over react. Cry, yell, hit a pillow, curl up in a ball. Set a timer. Then get up and accept it is what it is right now, there will be help and relief in the foreseeable future, just have to suffer a bit right now and you’ll feel AMAZING once it’s all handled. You’re tough and can do this. 100%.
Floss your teeth everyone! Its more important than brushing tbh
Get an aloe leaf from the store. Peel it rinse meat from inside real good. Add some clove powder Lay some on the teeth that hurt. Just let it sit for a bit. Get coconut oil and mix with some of the meat from aloe. And clove powder. Brush with it as much as you want and swish it in infected area. The swelling and pain and infection will subside. Will not go away but it can make it tolerable. Im no doctor this is not a cure.
I have messed up rooting too. I feel your pain. I’ve used this many time and has worked for temporary relief. But those teeth need come out ASAP!
Sake helped me when I had to wait a couple of days before I got a tooth pulled.
I would warm up a bit of Sake in the microwave. Then swish it around in my mouth like mouth wash, then try and soak the bad tooth with it.
I did this a couple of times a day.
i am very sorry. the advice here is pretty sound, so all i’ll say try not to be too hard on yourself. i spent my life savings getting my teeth fixed up after years of self neglect, so i understand the mental torment it can cause. your guardian neglected to take you to the dentist as a child, so this is not your fault. you’re doing the important work now by getting it fixed, and it will pay off soon. i hope the other comments’ advice works and the pain stops. soon you will have healthy teeth and a fresh start
Red Cross toothache kit with eugenol.
Works to brilliantly numb teeth and gums, also kills germs. Same liquid used to numb gums before a shot at the dentist. Made from cloves.
Also, alcohol will make it worse. Kills all your good bacteria. Reduce sugar consumption. Make sure you’re getting your B vitamins in as well as zinc & copper, C, D.
wake up, oil pull (swish coconut oil around your mouth for 20 mins), spit, brush. after the last meal of the day, chew 4-5 whole cloves (swallow). alternatively, mix 2 drops of clove oil into a teaspoon of coconut oil, dip a cotton ball in it, and then place on affected teeth. brush before bed. bonus points for using miswak while lounging. good luck!
31 here and have 1 molar left and exactly 12 teeth left, only on the bottom. i was in your exact spot. crying to my girlfriend on the phone during work breaks because the pain was unbearable and i was literally sick from orajel. i was involuntarily committed at one point during all of this and even then it felt like no one took my pain seriously. the only one that can stick up for you is you. if they are not taking you seriously you make them take you seriously even if it means you have to have a mental breakdown in front of everyone. in June I finally had an extraction and bone graft for a tooth i had a root canal on ~15 years ago, that my usual dentist told me he wasn’t going to mess with it because there should be nothing wrong with it. it was the source of so much of my pain, it used to be my 13th tooth before i was at 12 left.
I live in NC and my surgery and consult altogether were <2000$ without insurance. Im in North Carolina so if you would like the names of the places just send me a DM. If you cant afford that, try calling a clinic. Thats what i did to get the majority of my teeth pulled, it was very unpleasant and painful, as they dont do as much as a regular dentist would.
you need to take care of the teeth, it can exacerbate into so much more like you’ve already experienced, but not only that it will eventually kill you sooner than later.
Depending where you are, there might be a university dental school near you. I can’t say enough good things about my experience. Once you are past the current crisis, take better care. And I think it isn’t your fault.
If you live in US , head to Mexico which is the nearest. Otherwise Go to Asian countries Like Thailand, malaysia or India . These countries will definitely buy you cheap and better doctors.
Tooth pain is some other worldly pain shit. Have faith that you are young and will heal and can find your own happiness. Let this be a lesson and take better care of yourself.
Maybe look into garlic? I know it helps with cavities, idk if your case itll make any difference? I used to be in a lot of pain from cavities so my mom used to mash up garlic into mush and put it in my cavities. It took away my pain for the most part. Idk how well itll help without issue, or if it might make worse? Definitely worth doing some research and seeing if itll help?
Also. Maybe some numbing cream? My dentist used oral numbing cream on me before. Rubbed it on my gums and waited about 10 minutes and the whole area went numb. I have no idea if its available to the public though.
I hope you find a solution soon! Im so sorry youre going through this.
Dentist here. Can you get a private referral somewhere sooner on the basis of your distress?
Honestly bro you should just fly to Mexico and have them remove all your teeth