I have had the pleasure of having 3 root canals in 1.5 weeks. I keep going back for pain. I have even been to the ER twice. I was on Vicodin and now they got me on percocet. I go back to my endo monday, but the pain is spread all over my mouth and unberable.
Any suggestions.

you seem to be taking too many pain pills. you should be on antibiotics to kill the infection.

you seem to be taking too many pain pills. you should be on antibiotics to kill the infection.
I have just finished my SECOND round of antibiotics. both my endo and dentist say there is no infection. They say it is nerve pain (referred).

Sometimes it takes awhile for the tooth to settle down. After the antibiotics have resolved the infection, inflammation still results. This needs time to heal.

I have had 2 root canals. It took about a year and numerous times adjusting the bite and nightguard to finally feel "normal" for the first one. The second one I had in February hurt for about 3 weeks and now only aches every now and then.

If chronic pain persists for more than one month I would see the endodontist again.

It is horrible! The percacets only work ummm for maybe 2 hours. I slept on a heating pad last night and I think it hurt more than help. the funny thing is......it is hurting on the clear opposite side now. There are 2 teeth over there that need some attention, but gee!
I go back to my endo today. He swore to me that I would be in no more pain after today. I may have to to to a surgeon to remove one of these teeth that they believe is causing all this pain. Wish me luck!

I can certainly relate to this thread. I had a root canal on a cracked bottom molar three weeks ago, and I have been in as much pain (if not more) than I was before I had the root canal (which is a lot). My endodontist has tried two different antibiotics; today I went back and he re-cleaned the tooth (he hasn't filled it with gutta percha yet), put anti-bacterial medication inside the tooth, and doubled my antibiotic dosage. He said this should provide some relief in a few days--but then, that's what he says everytime I see him! By now I am starting to wonder if I shouldn't just have the tooth pulled!

Mike

It is horrible! The percacets only work ummm for maybe 2 hours. I slept on a heating pad last night and I think it hurt more than help. the funny thing is......it is hurting on the clear opposite side now. There are 2 teeth over there that need some attention, but gee!
I go back to my endo today. He swore to me that I would be in no more pain after today. I may have to to to a surgeon to remove one of these teeth that they believe is causing all this pain. Wish me luck!


I have been frustrated about this root canal saga for over two years too. After RCT and retreatments, numerous bite adjustments, my two upper front teeth still very sore. I don't know if the pain would go away if I just have them taken out; if they can guarentee that then I probably would. I saw a dentist mentioning nerve pain and that scares me a lot. How old are your gingerbread? I asked because I read reports that women in their mid-forty have a tendency to develop neuropathic pain after root canal treatment or surgery. You said it is now hurting the clear opposite side, what do you mean by that? Is it just the opposite arch of where the problem teeth now started to hurt? Which teeth are bothering you? It's strange for me too when my upper front teeth hurt a lot sometimes my lower front teeth for no apparent reason hurt also. Please keep us posted as to what happen. Good luck.

I am 26. I just got back frome the endo . When i said the clear other side, I meant the left and right were now sore. My endo thinks that the majority of my problem is from grinding my teeth in my sleep. My left side was is so much pain that I relied too much on my right side. They adjusted my bite on the left side to where the teeth did not touch until they put the bridge on. So he thinks that I started grinding my right side. There is a tooth over there that is pretty bad also. I am going to my regular dentist tomorrow. He took me off the percs because my mother said that I was screaming peoples names and jumping all night. He gave me vicodin to take as needed, he numbed me up, and told me to take one of my xanax (anxiety) 2 hours before bedtime, and if I wake up during the night with pain, or cant go to sleep, to take a vicodin. And I may have to take one tomorrow until I go to the dentist. The dentist is suppose to make me a retainer tray to sleep in. Soooooooo hopefully he is right and this is it. I am glad that I got some theory! My endo is awesome! He said that grinding sore/infected/bruised teeth is like hitting someone in the nose after a nose job. :o

Hope you get better soon, gingerbread85. Do keep us posted on your progress.

Well things are getting better. Went to the dentist todaay and he talked to my endo. He filled 2 cavaties on the left side and told me he saw no reason why I have a throbbing pain over there, I told him the endo said I was probably grinding. Anyway he made me that tray and it wont be ready until tomorrow. So I will probbly be sore in the morning. I only had to take one pain pill this morning. So I am glad about that, the top molar is really sore though (that is one of the root canals). I havent eaten all day, but I am about to try to. My problem is, is that they have not taken a XRay of my bottom tooth. When he was drilling today it hurt so bad! When I told him he said he did not understand why and just kept giving me shots. My regular dentist is really starting to make me wonder. YOU know when you are in pain! Especially when someone is drilling in your mouth. I have developed cracks in my lips on the side. What does that mean? Anyway I hope that this is about the end of my teeth drama because I have got to get back in school. I am going to try to go back tomorrow. We will see. Thanks for all of your support. I just wonder if I shouldnt get a second opinion on my bottom teeth. After all my dentist told me there was nothing wrong with the 2nd tooth tht I ended up going to the endo and the tooth was hot and spewed when he drilled in it. So, maybe my dentist isnt right for me.

Hiya,

I know exactly what you're going through! I had a root canal finished at the beginning of this year and it still hurts when I eat hot and cold foods. I didn't have any pain until I had the root canal, so it's a bit strange.

I'm not one for taking pills, so I just try and put up with it. Easier said than done. I go back to the dentist in June, so I'm gonna ask her about it. I hope everything goes ok for you and the pain eventually goes :)

Yeah it sucks. I went back to school (cosmotology) today and I did well. Except the 2 molars on top got really bad by the end of the day. I had anhour left of school and the teeth were POUNDING with pain everytime I moved. I cant miss anymore school or another hour, so I too a hydrcodone and it made it better. I got the mouth piece today and it is suppose to make the pain go away!! So lets cross our fingers that it works!!!!! The cracks that were on the side of my lips are now big white blisters. Why is that? They are sore also. But so far as long as the molars dont get infected I am getting there!!! Thanks

Great Im back in pain again!!!! On top of one of the root canals I had there is a huge knot between my gums and cheek. Or better yet at the top of my gum. My face isnt swolen but I am afraid it is about to be. I am relly getting tired of all this. A girl in my class told me it could be scar tissure or an abcess. I told her I had already taken 2 z packs. The knot started off small after the canal. What could it be? It is hurting in my face, teeth, and not to mention a nice headache. Any advice please???? I fdont have any dental insurance so my parents have paid for 3 root canals 2 fillings and a mouthpice all in 3 weeks. Not to mention all the medicine. Any suggestions PLEASE!!!! I have to get out of pain and my life back to normal.
Michele

Oh Michele! You poor thing! My word. If your parents can afford it, I would go get a 2nd and even 3rd opinion before you do anything else. I wish I had before I let my dentist of 13 years touch me. Not sure what the cracks/blisters are. Maybe from having your mouth open so much for so long? Are you using some good chapstick? Good luck and keep us posted!

They can afford it, it is just I feel bad. I slept all day today. My mouth is still in pain but I am trying to take my med as little as possible. I really am thinking about getting a 2nd opinion. The knot almost has a part sticking out that is in the shape of a vein. Anyway thanks for caring!!!!
Michele

Hi Ginger,
Thats so hard to be in so much pain. Do some research on root canals on the net. There can be many problems with them. I have had at least 5 or so and have had no
problems, but I count myself blessed!

Recently I had a tooth that was beyond a root canal and the pain was excrutiating. I let it go to long and it effected the nerve in my face. It was still painful even after haivng it pulled. It took weeks for the nerve in my face to stop hurting.

I wish you the best in deciding what to do. I was taking viciden every 4 hours.....

After reading this thread I must add my two cents. Not that what happened to me is common, but I do want others to be aware of what can or might happen with a bad root canal. I had my first root canal done last December, had a lot of pain, everything you all have been talking about. (Vicodin didn't work, among others....) After weeks of no resolution, and inflamed gums, pain, fevers, etc., several different dentists, endodontists (and three rounds of 10-day antibiotics) I finally made it to a doctor (oral surgeon) at a teaching hospital in a different city, who was finally able to help me by taking a biopsy...and my infection had moved into the bone of my jaw (osteomyelitis) which is why I wasn't getting any better. Bone infections are very serious if left unchecked for long periods of time. Long story short, I had to have surgery to remove the infected bone (fortunately a small area) and then I had to have 6 weekes of IV antibiotics (4x a day, through a pic line in my arm.) I have been an amazingly healthy person my whole life, I'm a fitness instructor, eat healthy, am not overweight or have any illnesses or other conditions that would have predisoped me to an infection. The best advice I can give if you are not getting proper care and resolution is to go to a teaching hospital ideally with a dental school, and go to an oral surgeon or specialist there. It is now May and I am finally going for the crown on that same tooth this week. I am finally feeling back to normal, back teaching my classes, and feeling great. Good Luck!

Well the pain is not as bad, and I havent had to take pain meds (they depress me). The lump is still over my gum though. I am going to give it to the end of the week and if it hasnt gone down I plan on going to get a third opinion. Thanks for the warning.

Well I know yall are tired of hearing this, but I am back in pain again!!! I started my 3rd round of Z pack and had to take my pain med today. I am really getting depressed, and tired of this. I think I am going to make an appointment with an oral surgeon. I just cant miss anymore school. The knot is still there also and the referred pain has came back.

Gingerbread--How are your root-canaled teeth doing now? Any improvement?

It is funny! TOday the hot tooth started hurting again, but not bad. Go back to the endo next wed. I have been dehydrated so I am still under the weather a little bit, thanks for asking.

Hey Ginger....I've had 3 root canals and had one similar to yours although my pain wasn't quite as bad. I had a lump on the side of my gum below the root canaled tooth and had to see an oral surgeon about it. Bottom line the endo had pushed too much material down into the root which ended up forming that lump below my gumline. Fortunately the materials eventually dissolved over time and the tooth is now fine. This may be a potential source of that lump that you are having.

Hope you get some relief soon. No fun being in pain thats for sure.

Robb

Cyclecat:

Where did you have your osteo treated. I'm trying to find an OS to biopsy my jaw....no luck.

I had 5 root canals with no problem then last Monday, 1 root canal and the next day was horrible pain. The endodontist gave me a medrol dose pack (prednisone) and penicillin, within 48 hours the pain had lessened. He tells me the more infection in the tooth you have going into the procedure the more chance you may have pain afterwards. You can get what they call a flare up, it is infection that still needs to be released from the tooth and gum area. Hang in there and give it a chance, but let the dentist know instead of going to the ER. Motrin or naprosyn would be the best choice for pain control along with antibiotics and possibly medrol dose pack. :rolleyes:

Okay, went back to endodontist today to finish off the last root canal (the one that started this pain), and I am in horrible pain again. I can not take hydorcodone, my stomach can not handle it. I have some mepergan left over from a previous surgery and it has eased up the pain but not much. If he finished the root canal on this tooth how can it hurt so bad. It hurt a little still, but nothing a little advil if any couldn't handle. I hope it goes away tomorrow!!!! This sucks, I can not go through this again.

Hi! I just had my first root canal about amonyh ago. And it had to be done twice, the second time was so bad that I literally cried through the entire 3 hour ordeal because they could not keep me numb. My dentist finally had to stop after only cleaning out 3 of the canals. I then had to go back and have the last canal done, but he gave me valium before the procedure and it went better. But after all of that it triggered a flare up with my TMJ. Ihave either called or been in the dental office every week since, with some sort of pain. He gives me vicodin and soma, a muscle relaxer. I had a couple of good days and then yesterday started having intense pain in another tooth. I feel like I am ahypocondriac and am worried that I could become addicted to the pain medication. I am going back today to get the temporary crown put on the tooth that had the root canal, and I am very anxious about this. The pain never completly goes away with the meds it just gets less intense. Has anyone had similar problems?

Hi, tmart. I went through a saga earlier this year that sounds kind of like yours, although I hope that yours has a better ending. I had a cracked molar (which hurt frequently and badly). I had root canal treatment done on it twice, a crown put on it, several rounds of antibiotics and painkillers, and nothing helped. Finally, I had it extracted, and it turned out that the tooth had a fractured root, which explained why the root canal treatments failed. This doesn't necessarily mean, of course, that your tooth has a fractured root, too, but often times, if root canals fail (which is supposedly only 5-10% of the time), then a cracked or fractured root is the culprit, and the tooth will have to come out. On the other hand, some people on this board have posted stories about how their root canals have just taken a long time (like months) to heal. But if it's healing, it should get steadily better. Anyway, good luck.

I had my root canal completed almost 2 months ago now and still have some discomfort on and off. Xrays show no infection but my dentist says that the tooth is still healing since the work was quite extnesive. I had half my tooth removed right down to the gum line and a new one put in its place. Not fun! I am getting a crown soon and that should help with comfort since my tooth is very delicate.

Good luck, I hope everything turns out well for you.

I went back to the dentist wed. to get my temp. crown, they gave me the valium again, but did not work. They also gave me nitrous, but I guess I was too anxious about it and had another terrible experience. My dentist says that the pain and discomfort during procedure is caused from my tmj. So thurs. I went to my chiropractor and he adjusted my jaw,which helped alot. And the temp. crown also helped, by taking the pressure off my other teeth. But I woke up in the middle of the night last night with terribl pain. I got up and looked in my mouth and it was covered in blisters, and my gum behind my tooth with temp was swollen and inflammed. So I called and they gave me some stuff to rinse my mouth out with,it helped somewhat . Then when I was brushing my teeth earlier my temp. crown came off. I just put it back on and callrd dentist,well of course he has gone out of town. The dentist who is on call just said not to worry about it and see my dentist next week. It is still hurting alot! I just don't understand why I am having so much trouble, but I am glad to find people who have had trouble and understand. Hopefully things will get better.

Bless your heat. I ended back up in the er the other night. Demoral didnt even cure my pain. Went back to the dentist and once again they adjusted my bite. They put me back on Vicodin, I have stayed on top of it pretty well, every 4-6 hours. But I hate it because it depresses me. I am going to switch to Motrin tomorrow. I just cant let the pain get out of control again. Good luck!

Good luck with the motrin hasn't done athing for me ,went back to vicodin. Maybe it is the constant pain that is depressing you,because every time a new problem comes up I just sit and cry! Good Luck to you, hopefully there is relief in sight for us all.

Hey Ginger, What kind of day are you having? Mine has been bad I now have a sharp shooting pain in the tooth I had canaled. I finally got in touch with my dentist who is out of town, he told me to use some toothpaste as a temporary cement for the crown. That was a huge mistake,the pain was unbearable. Called him back and he said just leave it off until he returns later today! Hope you are having a better day.