off work with toothache

System

Just a tip, my friend had really severe toothache and swears by gargling gin.

For the first week you should have been able to self-certify.

Not sure what else, hope it gets better soon.

There_Goes_Trouble

Rinsing with Corsodyl mouthwash 3 times a day helps, also my pharmacist said to take 2 ibuprofen followed 2 hours later by 2 co-codamol, and keep alternating them every two hours. It did help.

I too know how horrible the pain is, and if my dentist had not been able to fit me in when she did I too would have been off work with it. The pain is just so all consuming and unrelenting... when I went to the pharmacist I was in tears with it!

As someone above said, you should feel better once the anti-biotics kick in.

hannah-j_3

I can totalty relate to tooth ache, i had something called 'dry socket' after an extraction and remember driving to my dentist to beg him to help me, completely overdosed on painkillers and having to pull over and get out of my car in tears and call a friend to take me, it was the worst pain ever and i also have had children!
as for a sick note i believe you have to self certificate after 7 days but i believe now you can get a 'fit note' http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1062.aspx?CategoryID=190&SubCategoryID=1903 from your gp now? it's quite confusing as no longer are they called sick notes but fit notes!

escortg3

Have you tried Orajel extra strength. Oh my god. what amazing stuff. its gives the same result as having a injection at the dentist. got mine from my local pharmacist. Not cheap 4.99 but worth every penny. you have my sympathy toothache is the worst.

pulliptears

pinkshoes wrote: »

Perhaps being at work would distract you from the pain?

Nothing can distract you from the pain of severe toothache. The problem is also compounded by the fact it is virtually impossible to sleep through the pain so you are up all night and cranky all day until you reach a point of exhaustion.

To get somewhere near to combating it OP would need to be taking Co-Codamol or some other such high strength painkiller. Of course the side effect would probably be OP virtually knocked out so still unable to go to work (and rightly so if their job involves driving, operating machinery etc).

robpw2

how about some string and a door handle get someone to slam it hard , that usually solves toothache

pulliptears

robpw2 wrote: »

how about some string and a door handle get someone to slam it hard , that usually solves toothache

might solve the toothache but it will also lead to a whole load of other problems.

Fang_3

pulliptears wrote: »

Nothing can distract you from the pain of severe toothache. The problem is also compounded by the fact it is virtually impossible to sleep through the pain so you are up all night and cranky all day until you reach a point of exhaustion.

To get somewhere near to combating it OP would need to be taking Co-Codamol or some other such high strength painkiller. Of course the side effect would probably be OP virtually knocked out so still unable to go to work (and rightly so if their job involves driving, operating machinery etc).

This. For 19 years I didn't take a single painkiller, and I'd never had severe toothache. Then I got it. I was knocking back paracetamol and aspirin like there was no tomorrow. I now know that I'm allergic to aspirin but the stomach pains and rash were worth it just to have an hour without the pain.

Even the pills that the dentist gave me didn't make a dent in the pain. So I found taking one of those, two paracetemol and every time the pain comes back holding a shot of whiskey in your mouth and swirling it around for two minutes works absolute wonders. Also I found that having a wheatbag helped immensely.

pulliptears

Fang wrote: »

This. For 19 years I didn't take a single painkiller, and I'd never had severe toothache. Then I got it. I was knocking back paracetamol and aspirin like there was no tomorrow. I now know that I'm allergic to aspirin but the stomach pains and rash were worth it just to have an hour without the pain.

Even the pills that the dentist gave me didn't make a dent in the pain. So I found taking one of those, two paracetemol and every time the pain comes back holding a shot of whiskey in your mouth and swirling it around for two minutes works absolute wonders. Also I found that having a wheatbag helped immensely.

There is no worse pain (and I've had 2 kids). Orajel helps and fortunately I saved my late Dad's high strength Co Cods because my fear of ever being in that sort of agony again is very real.

I seem to recall being told though that applying heat was a bad idea as it encouraged infection? No doubt toothsmith will appear and confirm or deny this lol

I know on the morning the tooth finally came out I could have danced my way back home

Toothsmith

Fang wrote: »

Also I found that having a wheatbag helped immensely.

NEVER EVER EVER hold anything warm against an aching tooth!

Warmth will incubate the bugs involved in infection, and make the whole experience 20 times worse than if you'd not used warm to try and sooth it.

It will counter the effects of any antibiotics, make swelling worse and would make it more likely that the swelling could get to such an extent that it would put pressure on your airway and kill you.

Using a COOLED wheatbag could be helpful to any swelling, but the old cartoon image of a hot water bottle strapped to the side of a swollen face really will do an awful lot of harm!