Severe dental, mandible, & maxilla pain

Hello. I hope this message finds all of you in as little pain as possible. I used to post frequently on HW in the chronic pain forum for ongoing issues with very severe pain caused by stage 4 endometriosis. However, after 7 surgeries, one in Atlanta where the lesions were removed from both ureters, my pain improved greatly, requiring much less to hardly any pain meds.

But over the past 2 years, a new medical issue has popped up that is causing equal if not worse pain than the endometriosis. Due to several factors, all of my teeth began breaking down, causing significant infections in every tooth. Over the past 6 months, the infections have spread to the mandible & maxilla. Most of the time, I am screaming in agony. My local dentists don’t want to touch me due to the severity of the case. They referred me to the dental school three hours away. I only have ibuprofen to take for pain, along with Tylenol. But they do not touch the agony of the pain, even with mega doses of ibuprofen. Because my pain is SO severe, I have been taking 2800mg ibuprofen at a time. Only at that huge dose is there a very slight improvement in pain. I know it is harming my kidneys, but I am trying to survive the impossible. I take 2 extra strength Tylenol every 6 hours, along with rinsing my mouth with lidocaine. But that does nothing for the deeper severe pain. My family doctor, who I just started to see, gave me an antibiotic script after I suggested it to see if it would lower the inflammation. Unfortunately it did nothing but give me an upset stomach.

I have been to the dental school twice & had a very upsetting conversation with my assigned student last night. I explained how I can’t sleep, eat, or drink from the pain. He asked what has helped my pain before. I told him that Norco has helped short term, at least enough to sleep, eat, & drink. Well, you would have thought I said that a highly illegal drug has helped me. He ripped into me, treating me like an addict. He said pain meds only help for 1-2 hours & actually cause more harm. I replied that it lasts 6-8 hours in me & gives me a quality of life that makes life worth living. He just got more nasty & not understanding as time went on. He told me that they prescribe no pain meds after they pull all of my teeth. He made me feel like an object & a cadaver.

This AM, he left a message that I could go to the ER 3 hours away, but as many of you know, ERs frown on people in pain, particularly in dental & mandible pain. And I refuse to go to the ER here because they always discount my severe PTSD.

I have an appointment with my family doctor to see if he will help me get through this wave of pain. But given the narcotic paranoia, I am scared he will treat me the same way. Do any of you have any advice on how I should approach this doctor? I am now so scared of seeing doctors in pain.

Thank you for reading my post. And I thank you in advance for any replies.
I wish you all the very best.
Take care.

Have you considered seeing an oral surgeon your own? If you have infection in the bone you really do need to be on antibiotic. If this were me, I would get on the computer & start looking for an oral surgeon. A friend of mine just went through having all of her upper teeth pulled. Her issues were a result of having to be on antibiotics long term for another condition. Her teeth started crumbling within 6 months.

You are so right about going to ER for pain medications. I live in a very large city & they tell all patients up front, we do not prescribe narcotics. This is said without a patient even mentioning something for pain. The so called opioid crisis has created huge issues for people. This is why the student got so nasty. Regardless, it's your decision but I wouldn't waste my time with that hospital. I hope you can get some relief.

Oil of clove is worth giving a try as Pitmom suggested.

Hi Luvdogs I had some major dental work done over the past 2 years at the UK dental school. Everything from fillings, to crown removal and replacement to tooth extractions and dental surgery involving the opening up of the gums and shaving down the bone on the lower jaw. And permanent and temporary bridge work. On several occasions I spent up to 4 hours in the dentist chair at one time and doing that 2 and couple times 3 times in one week! Although on several occasions the dental student that was actually preforming the procedure recommended I be sent home with a script for an opioid pain reliever, the over seeing doctor ( instructor or professor) would not approve it and I was told to take normal Ibuprofen. Which by the way did very little in relieving or controling my pain! However I would go home and I would alternate taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol (example take Ibuprofen evert 6 hours at the 3 hour point I would take a Tylenol the 3 hours later another Ibuprofen and 3 hours later a Tylenol.....etc) and also during that time I would alternate using a ice pack for awhile then for a short time use a heat pack. Alternating back and forth using the ice pack more. Also rinsing my mouth with warm salt water seemed to help some too!. This past May I am happy to report they finally finished up with fixing all my dental problems. Now I only have to go back there for teeth cleaning every 3 months! But I was assigned a new dental student (as mine graduated just after finishing up my new bridge the middle of May) just in case I have any more dental problems arise. I am happy with the quality of their work. But I feel that their policies on controling and relieving dental related pain are not near adequate. One of the Doctors (dental intructors or professors) told one of the students that was working on me, that I didn't need pain meds at all because I had that implanted morphine pain pump and that would take care of all my dental pain. Which was completely wrong! And I had to give the dental student and his instructor an lesson on what the implanted pain pump would and would not do! Mine is only to relieve and control lower back pain and sciatica!

Anywau now days it seems like many of the doctors or dentist are not willing to prescribe any pain medication that is opioid based, or any thing that will adequately treat ones pain. And I must say that I found that particularly true at the dental school!!! Lovedog I don't know what Dental School you have been going to, but personally I would NOT tolerate any dental school student to talk to me in the way that you described the student talked to you!! That's just not right!!

I am sorry that your having such a problem with dental pain! I do hope you can find some relief soon! Good luck to you! And I wish you all the best!

White Beard