Vacation and toothaches

During our trip I had a toothache that had started the day before we left. I figured it was as I have had before sinus pain affecting my teeth or maybe due to pregnancy. Taking Tylenol was helping but by the third day I had increased the amount I was taking to cut the increased pain which had now moved into my jaw. By the end of our sightseeing day even that wasn't taking away the pain. I ended up calling an OB nurse and she was able to have my doctor prescribe me something stronger. While I typically do not like taking medication for anything I especially did not want to be taking this while pregnant but my pain was so intense and I had begun waking in the night in pain. Normally I can handle pain fairly well but I find that when it is anywhere in my head forget it. I ended up on the couch that evening with an ice pack and again thankful not to be camping but in a nice comfortable place.

By the next day I knew I couldn't handle the pain any longer as the prescription wasn't even taking away the pain. So I got online and started looking for a dentist in the area which was no small task being that it was a holiday weekend. I am very thankful to have found one that was open and I could get in to see mid-morning. John and I went but ended up waiting longer because of other emergencies.

I did end up in more pain as the assistant was tapping on my teeth and hit the sore one and I about jumped out of my chair. She apologized profusely and was careful thereafter. All they ended up doing was taking a photograph of the tooth with a mirror and the dentist insisted that I would need a root canal and there was nothing he could do except "knock the tooth down" if I could "brace myself". (The tooth wasn't level with the rest.) I wasn't sure if he was serious or not but that was not an option I was going to take. He did prescribe an antibiotic for me which would not kick in for at least another day. So, I guess I would not be relieved of my pain.

For the rest of the trip I tried to keep the pain at bay with ice packs and the meds wishing I would have seen my own dentist before we left on the trip. My worst day was actually when we were traveling home. I think just being cooped up in the van with children who were kind of grumpy and wanting to get home didn't help but I was in horrible pain from time to time. It wasn't consistent but I never knew when it would come on and at times I was in tears it hurt so bad and I wanted it over with. John tried to help but not much he could do except drive. By the time we got home I lay in bed the rest of the night with a heating pad and rested and by the next morning the antibiotics had finally kicked in and the pain was gone, hallelujah!

I did visit my dentist later that week and it turns out that he thinks that the problem was with my gums and not the tooth itself as it looked fine. Without taking an x-ray, which they wanted to avoid, he couldn't say 100 % but most likely it was a combination of pregnancy hormones softening my gums and possibly something small like a popcorn hull getting caught between my two back teeth being that I have been putting off having crowns and so the fillings are not up to par.

The infection is gone. I am pain free and waiting for the new year to have crowns put on. As my dentist said, "I guess you decided to have a baby this year instead". Yup, a much better investment I'd say.