I had a root canal done jan 3rd and was experiencing burning in my face for the weeks following. I had the tooth extracted 5 days ago and since have been in increasingly worse pain.
The pain started at the site of extraction and it still is very tender but then the surrounding teeth began to feel sore. The the teeth on the other side began to feel sore as well which I know is quite unusual. Ibuprofen doesn't seem to help.

Can anyone comment on this? I am scared that I went from a minor burning sensation to unrelenting pain. (Though it does get better at times for a short while and is ok while I sleep)

Scared I have nerve damage.

Hi montos,

The pain that you are currently having.... is it sharp, shooting, burning, throbbing, does it radiate to other areas of your face/neck/head?? Do you have any twitching or pulsating feeling in your face? Describe the pain as best as you can and when it starts and stops.

Frequently when a badly infected tooth is removed, it is then very normal for the surgical site and surrounding area to be very tender for several days to a few weeks afterwards. There may also be some varying degrees of pain, tenderness in other areas of the mouth due to the trauma of the oral surgery, due to the way you are now chewing, could also be an accumulation of plaque building up if you are not thoroughly brushing and flossing all of your teeth. I know plaque seems like something insignificant but it really can cause your teeth and gums to hurt if it is not removed.

Every one heals differently but there is no reason for you to assume that you have permanent nerve damage. This will take time to heal. To leave an infected tooth in your mouth is never healthy and there will always be consequences with keeping it. So you did the healthiest thing you could by having that tooth removed.

Bryanna

The pain is an ache in the teeth. Mostly in the front teeth. I have 6 porcelain crowns on my top front teeth and when I had then prepped I remember it hurt like this but at least that pain responded to ibuprofen.

Does it ever happen where a person's nerves just get irritated and take a long time to settle down? What about atypical odontalgia?

It went from a minor annoyance to bad pain that doesn't respond to ibuprofen or dexamethasone.

My doctor wants me to try a tricyclic antidepressant for the pain since they are useful for nerve pain.

Have you ever heard of this and if so, can it get better?

Montos,

It sounds to me like you may be grinding or clenching your teeth. Either of those things would cause your teeth to ache. Could you be doing that?

By any chance are those upper teeth root canaled?

Bryanna

Oh, I grind the heck out of my teeth. Hence the crowns, my teeth were worn down. As far as root canals I may have 1 but don't recall.

Wouldn't pain killers like ibuprofen help if it was just grinding? Also, it gets better at night and starts up during the day, isn't that opposite as well? I had thought about it since it started after about 3-4 days. Can teeth shift and throw the bite off?

You have a lot of experience have you ever seen this before after an extraction? Unrelenting pain other teeth. I'm really quite scared here.

Montos

Montos,

Yes, I have seen what you have described countless times and for a variety of reasons.

Grinding your teeth can causes inflammation along the (very) vital periodontal ligament that acts as rubber band allowing the teeth to move while chewing and also helps to hold each tooth in the bone. It is similar to wearing braces on your teeth and the constant movement of the teeth causes several areas of the mouth to hurt. The only thing that can help alleviate this kind of pain is to take the pressure off of the ligaments. With grinding sometimes a night guard is helpful but it has to be worn every night. Some people have to wear a splint (similar to a night-guard) during the day if they are grinding then too.

Generally pain killers do not relieve this type of pain. Muscle relaxers actually work better to reduce the inflammation.

Yes, teeth can shift and throw off the bite just enough to cause certain teeth to hit abnormally and cause pain. Did you have a normal, comfortable bite prior to the problems with that tooth? Did you wear a night-guard previously?

The pain can be intermittent or occur at certain times of the day depending on when you are grinding your teeth. Not all bruxers grind their teeth when they sleep... some do so during the day. By any chance do you chew on the inside of your cheeks?

Bryanna