I wanted to hear stories from anyone that has post dental extraction pain. I had an upper tooth out last Summer 2018 & ever since then developed throbbing pain above extraction site. Had lots of imaging to make sure everything is healing correctly & so far all looks good. It’s a deep ache. It started about 10 days after extraction. If I put my finger on the bone It is tender & can trigger pain. So I get nervous something didn’t heal correctly. In Feb. I will get another cone beam scan. I am currently on Leviquin and that is an antibiotic that is used to treat bone infections so maybe this is nerve pain after all since the antibiotic didn’t stop the pain? Currently in 40 mg duloxetine… also did anyone have any dryness in their sinus from nerve medication? Odd question but my nose is severely dry
I have pain that followed an extraction about 3 1/2 years ago. Actually, there was an odd “zingy” feeling in the tooth and area before the extraction, not really pain, but quite annoying. Then I had the extraction (which went quite well, and I have an excellent dentist). But the area never really seemed to completely heal from the extraction, and the pain after extraction never left.
Currently I manage without any drugs, and without any topicals. In fact I try to avoid pain killers as the rebound pain is worse and I believe they damage nerves. I have a good diet and lifestyle routine that keeps pain down to a fairly manageable level. Though I have to admit I can’t really remember what it was like not having it.
Keep up the investigative work, always best to rule out any possible other causes. Nerve pain has distinctive patterns such as lessening or disappearing at night, ramping up in morning and certain times of day, getting much worse with stress, not responding well to most pain killers, etc…that should help you make a determination.
Hi Lala,
I have the EXACT symptoms you do. I have had many tests including ct scan and mri. Ive been to the dentist multiple time and ive had sinus surgery. Nothing seems to get rid of this pain. I’ll have good days followed by horrible pain days. It usually feels best in the morning but then starts to become painful as the day wears on. If you ever find a solution, I beg you to pls share with me!
Thank you all who replied. I will post updates! I just get mad at myself everyday for pulling that last tooth because that just added to my issues. It’s emotionally draining & expensive! Again right now on 40mg of Duloxetine (however u spell it). I am definitely On the low side. It’s just a deep ache that can come on strong & I have ok times where it’s not as noticable. I am able to sleep ok & am perfectly fine when asleep. I just wish I knew this was nerve or that the tooth didn’t heal correctly. One time I drank a very hot coffee & before I drank it I was ok in that area but the hotness set off the pain.
I am able to sleep at night but I woke up early and was trying to get back to sleep & that area above extraction was acting up. It comes & goes. I have said this numerous times but I am so mad at myself for getting that last tooth pulled! It’s also tender if I touch that area. The tooth socket & gums don’t hurt. It’s weird it’s like above the extraction site or just deep in the site. I have had oral drs look in my mouth and they do not see any inflammation indication of any issues & the scans I have had don’t show anything yet I just can’t accept this is nerve related. I just wish they would open up the site to check but good luck finding a dr to do that. Sorry if I repeated myself I am just venting. The extraction was over a year ago. I will be getting another MRI soon & with contrast & they will compare it to the other MRI I had earlier this year. In February I will get another cone beam dental scan. Joy!
You might try wearing a bite gaurd, even one of those cheapy “heat and form” ones that you get from the drugstore. It sounds strange, but wearing this really seems to “settle” the nerve. I can’t sleep without it now. You can get a better quality one from a kit that you buy online. I’ve had them but my dog keeps stealing them, so I go back to the cheap ones.
I have had a lot of imaging as well. I even went to a dental school but they do not believe it to be anything serious even though I tell them over & over something is wrong! I am not convinced this is nerve. But I do hope I am wrong. The pain varies in intensity & I can sleep at night but when I lay my head down on pillow I can still feel pain it doesn’t keep me from going to sleep. More imaging I will be doing.
Leviquin has a black box warning to NOT take it if you have any nerve pain or damage.
https://www.goodrx.com/blog/levaquin-nerve-damage-side-effects-fluoroquinolone-antibiotics/
The worst flare I ever had was when given Levaquin, it lasted 8 month and was so serve I now wear a medical alert tag to not give that category of medication to me.
I am just losing my mind over this pain & am feeling hopeless about my situation. I wanna cry at the pain how do people do it for years & years?
For me the anxiety as well as to what’s going on is a huge factor. Been eating my feelings! Anyway just venting… they say if I had an infection from the tooth extraction over a year & 1/2 ago it would show up but I know that’s not true. It’s been a year since I had an MRI w/contrast so they can compare. I will also get radiated again with a dental scan. I just wish they would open up site to make sure. These drs just always assume nerve when it could be more. Right now I just need to know there’s not an infection or that it healed correctly. The side of my nose hurts left side. Ugh deep pain. It is always there but it can be milder at times. If I press the bone it hurts. My freaking nose hurts so bad. Is this connected or a nose infection? Tooth 12 is close to nose but not directly under. All of the oral surgeons & dentists never heard of nose pain from extraction & the tooth that was extracted is not under nose so they don’t think it is connected. Ok I vented a lot thanks for listening!!
Went to tons of ENTs for nose & a sinus CT a year ago. Tried antibiotics & am on one now. Swelling next to side nose. No one notices. On treadmill earlier and can feel it. Swelling I read lots of people with nerve pain have but also can get if there’s an infection or something from extraction.
You might want to give up on regular Dentists and look for a Facial pain doctor or clinic . Duke has a Facial Pain clinic staffed by dentists and doctors that take this complaint seriously .
I had horrific dental pain for years tha began after a root canal . Prior to that I had pain in other Facial areas that was diagnosed as Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia. . The dental pain lasted for years . The only relief that really helped after I tried seizure meds was getting a V2V3 block every three months . Then there was an accident and my pain doc was no longer allowed to do this procedure . About a year later various specialists decided the involved tooth might be broken .After removal I had about a year of complete pain relief in that area .
So my suggestion are to try and find a pain doc who will look into whether a V2V3 injection will help your pain and to have hope because sometimes you do get a break in the pain
Thanks. Interesting about your tooth. So I have written on this site about my upper left jaw issues. Ugh. I never mentioned my lower jaw. I have an area that hurts underneath an area. It comes and goes but that jaw is sensitive if I touch it. I have had tons & tons of dental X-rays- multiple specialists in the dental field look at that area. This one molar got a crack in it. If I ate a chip the wrong way it hurt but could still chew on it. I let it go months. Finally went to an endo who crates tooth said I did not need a root canal & to just put a crown over it and maybe that would help with pain. I didn’t want to spend the money because I was sure it was something more. Well a long time went by & a dentist re-did the filling & had some decay and he said this should help. It didn’t. If you feel my gum area by th root of this tooth it’s very sore to touch. He said that could just be inflammation not infection as x-rays look good. He ended up doing a root canal & everything looked good on the inside just some calcification. That was done last Oct. I just got my permanent crown. That’s the first time a crown hurt me. That tooth was so sensitive for a while & I had bruising on gum. I went to another Endodontist the other day and he felt that area in my gum & when I squirmed he said I needed an apiodectomy. So next month that’s what I am getting. My regular dentist told me of it was him he would pull tooth but I already pulled 2 teeth on my upper jaw last year. I don’t even know what the right answers are. I am just sticking with the endo treatment. Point to all of this is- if it turns out it is something when he opens it up that will explain over 2 years of discomfort in that area. Many drs, x-rays and money. Now not sure if that tooth is more cracked like u had. I was told that tooth had gingivitis on it as well. Anyway- it’s so horrible what we all have to go through to get answers.