Having severe pain still a week after having abscessed molar extracted

[Susan415]

Hello! I can't take this pain any more and found this site for help. I'm 62 years old and have had a lot of dental work done. The past several years, due to a medication I took that had dry mouth as side affect, I developed a LOT of tooth decay. Every time I went into the dentist, there was more decay. I just couldn't stay on top of it, no matter how good my hygiene was. The dry mouth did a number on my teeth. So I'm now at the point where I'm needing to have some teeth extracted. The latest were two left lower molars. They both had root canals a few years back w/o having crowns put on as I was waiting for insurance to kick back in. I had paid SO much out of pocket, I decided to wait till first of the year but there were always other teeth that became decayed. Then these two molars became badly infected (abscessed) which I didn't realize until I felt the pain and there was actually pus that came out! I had these two molars extracted exactly a week ago. The dentist put me on pain killers and Clindamycin antibiotic along with other instructions such as warm water salt rinse. I called the dentist a few days ago when the pain was so bad, I felt I needed him to look at it again. He put me on a higher dosage of Clindamycin (from 450 mg daily to now 900 mg daily or twice as much). I read that this is one of the stronger antibiotics for infection. Is there a better one for abscesses? Should I wait for the higher dosage to kick in? Is this normal to have so much pain following extraction of abscessed tooth? Any suggestions would be very appreciated. This pain is making me crazy It "lets up" some from the constant intense throbbing to a dull ache but is never completely gone. Thank you!

 

[ker11]

Hi Susan,

I'm so sorry to hear you are in pain! Tooth aches can be absolutely debilitating.

I'm not sure if this works with a tooth that's already been extracted because I don't think you are supposed to put this directly on your gums, but I SWEAR by clove oil. It is the only thing that helps me when I have throbbing pains from a tooth ache. I actually put it on my gums and tooth, but I don't want to tell you to do that and have it cause more damage. However, it has a numbing effect and works instantly. I mean INSTANTLY. I have tried Orajel in the past, and it doesn't work for me at all, but clove oil is amazing. I purchased it at a local vitamin shop.

I'm not sure where you are located, but it's nighttime here. I would recommend sleeping sitting up, or sitting slightly in an upright position, as lying down causes toothaches to be even more severe, at least for me.

I hope this helps. Sending hugs!!

 

[Susan415]

Dear ker11
It's hard to figure out computer things at 3:30 in the morning and with severe pain but I wanted to reply to YOU so I hope I did this right!

I came right to my post (after taking more pain medication)to see if anyone had replied and was so happy to see your post. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I think that just knowing there is someone out there who understands your pain, really sympathises, doesn't say things like "you must have a low tolerance for pain" and gives you some suggestions... somehow helps the pain. I am grateful to you. Though the Rx pain med only helps for a while and just takes away the intense pain, I do feel it taking effect now. The thing is, the med only lasts for maybe 3 hrs or so and then that horrible throbbing comes back. And I'm afraid I'm taking too much of it.

You know, when I was only 18, I had my wisdom teeth out and I remember getting up in the middle of the night (like this) and throwing something down on the ground that smashed as I couldn't take the pain anymore. I was living with my mom at the time and she called the oral surgeon the next morning. All he could suggest was a different pain med but my mom said that "cloves" helped her when she had tooth pain and she bought some. Now I'm 62 and she did this when SHE was younger so you can imagine how long ago this was. When we applied it with a cotton swab, I felt immediate relief!! So yes I am tempted to buy some tomorrow but the dentist said it looked red in one area like a "chemical burn" and said not to apply anything on the tooth. He said don't use any rinses except the warm salt water solution. So I'm trying to follow his directions but am so tempted to get the oil of cloves. I mean, this is natural, so how could it possibly make this any worse?

This can't possibly be right, to be in this much pain a week later! I'm either going to see someone else tomorrow morning or go to the emergency room of the hospital. I wonder what the ER would do. You know it's pretty bad when you're thinking of going to the ER. But I'm really thinking of getting that oil of cloves!!
I can't go through this another night!

Thank you again for your thoughtfulness in writing to me. It was good to have someone to reply to in the middle of the night.

Susan

 

[ker11]

Hi Susan,

That's what we are hear for! You'll love this support group - it's been a life saver for me.

I sincerely hope your dentist is able to prescribe something a little stronger to take away the pain or is able to figure out why the pain is still so intense a week later.

Keep us updated! Best wishes.

 

[Susan415]

Hello again to ker11! I am sorry I took so long to get back but I did want to tell you why I was in so much pain for so long. I ended up going to see the partner of the dentist who pulled these two molars and HE was the one who diagnosed it correctly. It wasn't an infection, it wasn't a chemical burn...it was an ULCER on the adjacent tooth due to injury from a dental instrument! The dentist who actually caused this injury was trying to tell me it was some chemical burn when it was something he did, not purposefully of course but it upset me that he couldn't be honest with me. Finally knowing what was causing the pain actually helped alleviate it. I wanted to share this just in case it might happen to someone else. Knowledge is good!
Thank you again for being there for me. You were the only one!