Got one wisdom tooth extraction, jaw pain

[crysania]

Hi folks. I avoided the dentist for some 13 years until I started to get pain on the right side of my face along with jaw pain about a month or so ago. I went for an exam and they found one of my upper wisdom teeth very decayed and possibly infected. I was sent home with antibiotics and an appointment on 4/4 to have the tooth taken out.

At the time they also noted that the molar next to it was quite decayed and that it would definitely require a filling and MAYBE need a root canal (which, for me, would mean extraction as I cannot afford that and nor would I want to for a back tooth). I discussed with the oral surgeon and he thought there was a CHANCE to save the molar, so didn't want to extract it at the same time as the other one.

The extraction on 4/4 went fine. It seems to have healed well, no dry socket. I'm back to doing all my usual things (including playing clarinet).

But this weekend my jaw started to ache again and I'm starting to get pain from the same place the other tooth was. Has anyone ever gotten jaw pain as a tooth extraction continues to heal (I know there's bone forming and so all I can think is "growing pains?") or is it likely that the other tooth is going to have to come out too and that's why I'm getting pain again?

I have an appointment set up for Thursday (5/3) to take a look at everything and see what might be going on. But I'm scared that there's going to be a lot more work that needs to be done that could have been done when they knocked me out for the wisdom tooth.

 

[Enarete]

Hi crysania, sorry you got no replies till now. I am not a dentist and won't take the risk of guessing this time, but your appointment was/is today so I wonder how are you doing and what did they tell you?

 

[crysania]

Thank you for asking! It's...not really good news. It turns out that the molar that has the bad cavity (which is not the one right next to the wisdom tooth, but the next one in), has gotten worse for whatever reason and now I'm looking at either a root canal or getting THAT one extracted. I knew I should have pushed to just get it taken out a month ago!

I have an appointment on Monday to have it looked at by the endodontist to see if a root canal is possible or if they recommend extraction. I'm not really sure which I want! Some of it may come down to money, sadly.

 

[Enarete]

Sorry to hear that Do not judge yourself for having waited that month, you never know if it really played a role and honestly, if we were able to just go through treatments and make logical choices when it comes to dental decision, than it wouldn't be dental fear..

You now have few days to sort your thoughts and think of your preferences. I will keep my fingers crossed for you to get some good news on Monday and find some possibilities to deal with the payment..

All the best wishes and keep us posted

 

[crysania]

So update...

I went to the endodontist on Monday. He doesn't think it need a root canal, so thinks they should try to fill it first. So there's the good news. I felt ok Monday and yesterday. A little achy but nothing I couldn't handle. I've been trying to get the office to set up an appointment and now they're talking about cleanings first and the like. Which seems crazy to me as the cavity is DEEP and I feel like the longer that goes on the worse it is for me.

And it's especially bad today. It was great yesterday. Today there's a lot of pressure and a lot of pain, throbbing on both the outer part of the tooth AND the inner (which is new). I feel like someone socked me in the side of the face and a part of me just wants to tell them to take this stupid tooth out.

The big worry is that I have a concert next week. One more rehearsal (5/14) and a concert on 5/18. And I'm terrified that I'm going to be in too much pain to play. I was hoping they could get the cavity filled at least to stop some of this pain so I can play. But yesterday they didn't call me back. And today everyone I need to talk to apparently is out of the office? So now I wait another day. And this time I'm in a lot of very worrying pain. I'm worried it's infected. I'm worried that I won't be able to play. It's just all very confusing and frustrating.

 

[Enarete]

Sorry to hear that you are still in pain Wanting to do a cleaning before they treat your tooth that is causing you acute pain is really weird. And also the fact that they didn‘t call you back.. I do not know what your possibilities are and how realistic this is, but could you go somewhere else? I cannot grasp that a dentist would let you in pain or wanting to do a cleaning first in the state you are in..

 

[crysania]

I thought that was really weird too! I guess the doctor isn't there today, so I just don't know. When I called yesterday the woman said she needed to get with the dentist to find out what kind of filling (why is this important? do the cheap silver one!) and then they'd get back to me to schedule.

Now they're talking about doing a cleaning first. Which would be fine if it was a minor cavity or I wasn't in pain. But at this point I just REALLY want to get the cavity filled and then we can talk about doing all the rest of the work.

I feel like I'm being jerked around a bit because I haven't been to the dentist in years and they keep changing things on me. First I went for a comprehensive exam and as soon as I mentioned some pain, they switched it to a limited without telling me. They extracted the wisdom tooth (upper right) and everything was ok for a couple weeks. They did note the deep cavity but suggested trying a filling after the extraction site healed. They said it MIGHT need a root canal but they wouldn't know until they got in there.

Then the pain returned. I went for a REAL comprehensive exam after finding out they only did the limited. It turned out there's another wisdom tooth (upper left) that has a cavity and will need to come out. And then they said they thought the deep cavity would need a root canal. They sent me to the endodontist who said he didn't think it was that deep. I mean, it was deep, yes. But he didn't think it was hitting the nerve. He suggested the filling and said that they MIGHT hit the nerve, in which case it's either extraction or root canal (I'll be doing the extraction because I cannot afford a root canal AND the other extraction).

Now I call to get the cavity done, figuring maybe I can get it done NOW and then do the cleaning after my concert, and then they're talking about cleaning first. I just want to NOT be in pain.

I don't know about going anywhere else. It took all my nerve to just call THIS place and they've been great to me except for this weird back and forth about what this tooth IS.

 

[crysania]

Just an update. I'm muddling through. They've set me up an appointment on Tuesday for a full cleaning and filling of that cavity. I admit I am completely terrified of the whole process. I hated cleanings back in the day (X-rays were the part I hated the WORST so that's over at least!) and I have never had a filling so the whole thought of them jabbing me up with shots in my mouth makes me nervous.

 

[Enarete]

All the best wishes for Tuesday. Shots do not have to bee painful, chances are that you won't feel anything at all. Unknown things are always worse in imagination than in reality, believe me.
You said that your dental teem have been great to you so far (if we forget the chaos from the last days) so I hope they will put you at ease and guide you gently through the treatment.

 

[crysania]

The procedure was relatively painless. But...now that the novocaine is wearing off I don't feel ANY different. I still feel like someone punched me in the side of the face and I'm still getting a lot of pain there. Is that normal? The cavity was pretty deep so maybe the nerve was irritated and needs to calm down? I don't know. I'm worried that I feel exactly the same as before I went in for it.

 

[Enarete]

How are you doing now with the tooth? Did it settle?

 

[crysania]

It was pretty bad yesterday but today it SEEMS to be? It's hard to tell. I went to the dentist and he seemed to indicate the pain was not normal and just shrugged it off. Wait and see, next step root canal or extraction if it doesn't get better.

Right now it's not terrible but it's like I KNOW the tooth is there and something is not 100% right.