A Teen Says a Toothache Became the Worst Pain She Had Ever Felt, but Her Mom Got Angry When She Started Crying
A 17-year-old person shared his story about a dental problem that had been building for months before it suddenly became unbearable. They said they had always taken good care of their teeth, but their family had a history of serious dental problems, including teeth that seemed to deteriorate from the inside. A couple of months earlier, they noticed a hole in one of their back molars and immediately told their mom.
At the time, the teenager assumed getting an appointment would be straightforward because the family was financially stable. They asked their mom to arrange a dental visit, but weeks passed without anything happening. Whenever the teenager asked about it, their mom would reportedly roll her eyes and ask why they had not reminded her.
The Appointment Finally Happened
The situation changed once the tooth started causing noticeable problems. Eventually, the mom made an appointment with a new dentist, and the teenager was finally seen for an examination on a Thursday. The dentist determined that a root canal would be needed, with the procedure scheduled for the following Tuesday.
Until then, the pain had been uncomfortable but manageable. The teenager thought they could get through the few remaining days before treatment, especially since they had already been evaluated. Then, almost overnight, the situation changed dramatically.
A Busy Weekend Made Everything Harder
The teenager was involved in marching band as well as speech and debate, so the weekend was already packed. After performing at halftime during a football game, they left and began a three-and-a-half-hour drive with their dad to a speech and debate tournament. Unfortunately, the tooth pain came along for the entire trip.
The pain became especially intense when the teenager tried to sleep. They took ibuprofen as often as they could and eventually managed to cry themselves to sleep around 3:30 in the morning. By the time morning arrived, the pain was so severe that they could not participate in the tournament.
The Trip Home Was Anything but Relaxing
Instead of competing, the teenager returned home with their dad and continued trying to manage the pain. They took more medication and eventually used 3 mg of oxycodone that had been given to them by their mom. Even after everything they had tried, the pain remained difficult to ignore.
For a while, the teenager managed to distract themselves by playing on an iPad. They also slept on and off for about two hours, apparently hoping that rest would make the situation easier. But eventually, the distraction stopped working and the pain returned to the center of their attention.
The Pain Reached an 8 Out of 10
The teenager described the pain as roughly an eight out of ten, saying it had become impossible to simply push aside. They texted their mom and asked whether there was anything else they could take. Their mom gave them the other half of the oxycodone and brought them something intended to numb the area.
The teenager then tried to open their mouth, but the movement caused another wave of severe pain. They immediately began crying harder because they could barely tolerate what they were experiencing. Instead of receiving comfort, they said their mom became frustrated and told them they were panicking.
Their Mom Wanted Them to Just Open Their Mouth
The teenager tried to collect themselves before asking their mom why she always became frustrated when they reacted that way. They explained that they had struggled with severe anxiety their entire life and had always cried when experiencing intense discomfort. According to the teenager, they deliberately kept their voice as calm as possible because they were worried that their mom would become angry.
That did not prevent the argument from escalating. The teenager said their mom yelled that she understood about the anxiety before stomping downstairs and slamming the door. What had started as an attempt to get help with unbearable dental pain had suddenly turned into an emotional confrontation.
The Teenager Admitted They Had Raised Their Voice
There was one part of the story the teenager wanted to clarify. They admitted that they had raised their voice slightly when their mom repeatedly told them to open their mouth. However, they insisted they had not actually yelled at her.
From the teenager’s perspective, the reaction seemed difficult to understand because they were dealing with what they believed was the worst physical pain they had ever experienced. They felt as though their crying was being treated as misbehavior instead of a natural response to severe discomfort. That left them wondering whether their mom believed they were exaggerating.
The Reaction Reminded Them of Childhood
The argument also brought back memories from much earlier in the teenager’s life. They said they had experienced severe anxiety since childhood and had always been prone to crying when something caused intense discomfort. According to their story, their mom had become irritated by those reactions even when they were very young.
That history made the current situation feel bigger than one bad night. The teenager was not only dealing with a painful tooth, but also with an old pattern they felt they recognized. Instead of feeling reassured by a parent during a crisis, they felt as though they had to manage their emotions carefully to avoid making the situation worse.
The Dental Procedure Was Already Scheduled
One detail became important as people began responding to the teenager’s story. The teenager had already been examined by a dentist, and the root canal was scheduled for Tuesday. They also said they had started taking an antibiotic after the pain became severe.
A response from a person urged the teenager to contact the dental office as soon as possible because severe dental pain can sometimes accompany an infection. The teenager explained that they had already started an antibiotic but could not be seen for the root canal until Tuesday.
The Medication Raised More Questions
The medication situation also became part of the discussion. The teenager explained that their mom had given them oxycodone because they were desperate for enough relief to sleep. The medication had actually been prescribed to their dad after he had fourteen teeth removed, but he had never needed to use it.
The teenager said they had taken two separate halves of the medication on the previous day but did not take any more afterward. A response from a person questioned the situation because prescription pain medication belonging to someone else is not generally something another person should take. Another response suggested that pain this severe could warrant urgent medical attention.
People Focused on the Infection
Several responses centered on the possibility that an infection was contributing to the sudden increase in pain. Some people warned that dental infections can become serious, while others encouraged the teenager to contact the dentist about a cancellation or earlier appointment. The teenager repeatedly clarified that they had already seen a dentist and understood that the tooth needed treatment.
One response from a person pointed out that the teenager’s full story showed they were already under dental care. The teenager agreed, explaining that they had been following the situation closely and knew enough about dental problems because of their parents’ previous experiences. They also said that alarming statements about infections spreading had the potential to frighten someone who did not already understand what was happening.
Then the Antibiotic Seemed to Change Things
Something unexpected happened after the teenager began taking the antibiotic. They said the pain improved significantly after only two doses, which made them believe an infection had probably been contributing to the sudden escalation. The improvement was noticeable enough that they were able to sleep through the night.
The change gave the teenager some breathing room while waiting for the scheduled dental procedure. They still understood that the underlying tooth problem had not simply disappeared. But after spending a night unable to sleep and struggling to function, finally getting some rest felt like a major victory.
The Responses Became More Reassuring
As the teenager continued explaining what had happened, some of the responses became less focused on frightening possibilities and more focused on encouragement. One person told them they were glad the pain had eased, while another expressed sympathy for what they had gone through. The teenager continued answering questions and clarifying details as they came up.
Eventually, one response from a person told the teenager they seemed smart and wished them well for the future. The teenager responded by saying they appreciated hearing that. After such a painful and emotionally exhausting ordeal, that small bit of encouragement appeared to mean quite a lot.
The Tooth Was Not the Only Thing Hurting
By the end of the story, the dental problem was still waiting to be treated, but the teenager had at least found some temporary relief. The most painful part of the experience, however, was not simply the tooth itself. They were also struggling with the feeling that their mother had dismissed their reaction to pain even though they had been dealing with severe anxiety for years.
What began with a small hole in a back molar eventually turned into a sleepless night, a missed tournament, medication questions, and a painful argument at home. Yet the teenager’s updates offered a small twist to the story: after all that misery, the antibiotics appeared to bring enough relief for them to finally sleep. Now, with the dental procedure approaching, the teenager was left waiting for the problem that started months earlier to finally be dealt with.
