RA Dunk

As soon as I experiance any kind of pain nowadays I make straight for the Dentist to save myself a whole world of bother.

You can kid your self on, take as much painkillers as you can swallow or put it to the back of your mind for as long as you want, but at the end of the day you will always end up at the dentist with it, maybe not in the short term but often in the long term it never goes away completely sometimes it will go away one day and come back months later.

Tooth ache must be the worst of all pains known to man.

RA Dunk

I got one out last year, can't remember the price exactly but I 'think' it was around 70 quid, if your in pain that bad you'll find it's the best 70 quid you've ever spent!

Allan S

iTrader: (2)

Yeh dunk, im going straight back to the dentist tomorrow so hopefully get it sorted sitting gargling cold water for tonight.... the joys lol

David Lock

Sounds like an abscess and surprised dentist didn't give you a general purpose antibiotic like Amoxicillin for a week. But a GP can also give you this for tooth pain.

This should settle things down and dentist can than advise best course of action and there are umpteen options depending on circumstances. A bridge can often be used if adjacent teeth are in good shape.

Note I am not a dentist or gp but have experienced similar and know a little about this.

Hope pain eases.

dl

jods

To the OP. I have had exactly the same situation recently with lower left molar.
It started off with a dull pain on day 1 and by day 21 it was an unbearable pain that pulsed almost in time with my heartbeat. I spent three sleepless nights even with taking 20 paracetamol plus 20 ibuprofen during the day and sleeping tabs at night. ( Working for a pharmaceutical co - I should have known better ). Went to the dentists and he scolded me quite roundly for allowing myself to go thru 3 weeks of pain.

He did loads of tests including electric shocks to the teeth to check nerve activity.
He put a "Sedative" filling just before Christmas and I have been pain free since then. I need to go back again after an interim visit in the new year. As the pain is gone he is going to put a more robust top onto the sedative filling but he won't guarantee that I won't need a root canal in future. The sedative will work for years apparently. All I can tell you is that it has transformed my state from debilitating pain to blissful peace.

Good luck.

Mark

Allan S

iTrader: (2)

Cheers david, dont think the dentist was caring, old codger!

Dr Hu

You need to find some amoxicillin asap to fight the infection, pain should then subside.
Best over counter painkillers for toothache is neurofen plus, have to ask the pharmacist, but no probs purchasing, just can't actually pick them up off the shelf.

I keep various bottles of amoxicillin in the meds cupboard for just such emergencies!, from various visits to dentists/ doctors etc

nyscooby

iTrader: (12)

Dr Hu... amoxicillin and neurofen.....? what med school did you to?

This will prolong the infection.... subdue but not erradicate.

sssssteeeee

just like to announce i had an abcess is that spelt rite? last wk ended up in ANE loaded with tramodols which are excellent, after 3 hours had my antis and its happy days again, for how long i dont know, anyway i read clove oil is a good thing on cotton ball at the site of problem. tooth ache is certainly a bitch !.

dpb

So this seems like bad practice on the part of the dentist

Abscesses don't just come up over night??

Dr Hu

OK - I'm prepared to be educated here - I don't confess to having any major knowledge.
I always thought Amoxicillin was a general spread spectrum antibiotic to fight infection...

The neurofen was just for pain relief.

David Lock

Does tooth hurt more when you bite on it? If yes this is another indicator of an abscess which needs calming down before tooth is given the once over. I stand by my earlier comments about amoxicillin which should ease things within 2 - 3 days but finish the course. Where is tooth - front or a back molar?

I repeat that this is an armchair layman's comment but I don't think it is far off.

dl

David Lock

Please explain as I don't think this is correct.

dl

hodgy0_2

this approach worked on my Abscess

Leslie

It would be worth getting a small bottle of Oil of Cloves from the chemist. It you put a drop of that on your finger and dab it on the tooth and gum it will usually get rid of the pain very quickly. You will have to put up with the taste,I don't mind it but you might not like it-better than the pain though.

Does not mean that you won't need more dental treatment though.

Les

Ellie*

Amoxicillin or metronidazole (or both ) is the usual approach for dental infections.

You could try nurofen plus, but it's just a total rip off.
Personally I'd take co-codamol and ibuprofen 400mg.
Alternate them every 2hours starting with the cocodamol. So then 2hours later take ibuprofen, 2hours later co-codamol etc.
4 doses of co-codamol in 24hrs and 3 of the ibuprofen.

Turbohot

Ellie, is there any difference between the big brand
paracetamol, ibuprofern etc. to the Tesco's/Boots own ones? Tesco/Boots ones are much cheaper, so I was just wondering. People say they are same things in different packaging; just the cost is different?

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

No difference at all, the active ingredient (Ibuprofen) will be labeled the same for both.

Amoxicillin (now meant to spell the American way) and Metronidazole are both used for spreading dental infections. Depends on which dental school you went to as to what you prescribe LOL.

I tend to stay off Metronidazole because of it's adverse (Disulfiram) action with alcohol. Find it hard to condemn people to a total lack of comfort if they feel the need for a small libation.

Any news on the tooth?

Shaun

nyscooby

iTrader: (12)

metronidazole is a far more direct and specific antib for this kind of infection. Amoxicillin is very generalised and will not clear up this infection.

Only trying to save this guy a lot of hassle.

metronidazole is generally not to be repeated over and over as a course of treatment but it does do the trick.

It also has a strong effect on the bodys immune system if take to much.

The dude with the tooth.... EXTRACTION....!

Stop being a ***** and get it ripped out...

nyscooby

iTrader: (12)

"is there any difference between the big brand"

Yes, they have different additives and stabilizers, this makes the delivery of the drug different and for some more responsive or less responsive.

I find Boots own paracetamol and codeine work within 20 mins. Others are slower to release.

Turbohot

Thank you, Shaun. I shall continue to buy cheapo painkillers with confidence.

Turbohot

There was a bit of a hoohaa about cheap multi-vits from supermarkets not long ago, that they were harmful etc. That's why I wondered if any supermarket's own cheap painkillers were dodgy or what TBH.

nyscooby

iTrader: (12)

Dont worry, you wont die with Boots own!

Allan S

iTrader: (2)

well thanks for all the replys guys, back to see the dentist today and he has now replaced another filling behind the one he done yesterday but it is still agony tonight so im going to see my own dentist on fri when i get home.

So far the dentist here has replaced two fillings and checked my teeth twice should he not have spotted something by now? As i type this im sitting with ice cold water and a spit bowl this only lasts 2mins max each time i do it!!!!! Its really annoying me now, had to take 4hours off work today and the whole of friday now.

Turbohot

Ok. Thanks for the tip (not the literal one in the grave ).

Ellie*

Turbohot- as the others said, the active ingredient is exactly the same so own brands will be just as good, for a fraction of the price.
The delivery of the drug isn't going to change massively, unless you go for something like nurofen express which are gel caps, or the melts. They might have a quicker effect but ibuprofen is ibuprofen, it's going to do what it does regardless of how fancy they try to make it.

Ellie*

Have you had an X-ray yet?
An infection might not be visable from just looking in your mouth but it'd show up on X-ray.

Turbohot

I do read the label for checking active ingredient, Eliie. It's still useful to check with the experts as the price difference is astonishing, and if there's any issue, then the medicine experts would know. Sometimes its the coatings of the tablets etc. that have been in question- mythically or realistically, I don't know.

With Tesco's current horsemeat controversy, I think it's natural not to trust blindfolded what their label says.

Thanks to Dr. Shaun, you and nyscooby.

Allan S

iTrader: (2)

yeh he said there was nothing untoward showing on the xray

ScoobyWon't

They're putting horse in the pain killers? I thought it was the painkillers that had been put in to the horse which was the worry...