On August 19 while chewing gum I felt something different on my back tooth; I looked at it in the mirror and noticed the filling on top had cracked (a crack running across the top). Approximately 8 months prior I was chewing gum and something similar happened and the side part of the filling chipped off, which left a type of hole in the side. This tooth never bothered me though, no pain. I did have a treatment plan done several years ago and that dentist wanted to do a root canal on that tooth because they said there was an infection in it; I didn’t believe them because there was no pain.

I made a appointment for the next day. (8-20-09) This was an old filling and just needed to be replaced. After getting this tooth and the one behind it re-filled (mouth was open for a little over an hour)I started having pain that night and especially the next day. I went back to the dentist a couple days later and they took x-rays and found nothing wrong, put me on penicillin just in case an infection was starting. (8-25-09) Still no pain in the tooth or the one behind it; but severe pain in the jaw and ear and glands in the neck. The dentist wasn’t very optimistic about a root canal and said that was an option or having it pulled, I chose to have it pulled; but wasn’t sure which tooth needed pulled. She said the one that had a cracked filling; the tooth might have a crack in it. I had that one pulled (8-27-09)and still have the same amount of pain or more; even went to the ER (8-30-09) thinking it might be a ear infection which it isn’t. No dry socket either. Is it a jaw bone infection? After I had the tooth pulled I was put on clindamycin. I went back to the oral surgeon (8-31-09) because the pain is so bad and he said it is healing nicely and gave me Percocet and said to give it a couple more days. It has been a week since I have had the tooth pulled and the pain is getting worse. I am taking 2 Percocet (325) every 4 hours and that isn’t taking the pain away. Only lasts about 2 hours. I can’t live like this, it is terrible. I don’t know what to do. I don’t think there was anything wrong with the tooth in the first place, I think the pain started when my jaw became infected while the first dentist drilled out my old filling and put in the new one. Not to blame anyone, I just think that is what happened.

Any advice on what I should do, or what is going on?