Constant Mouth Pain--HELP!!!!

I know there are several of you that can relate to the idea of constant mind numbing pain.  I have chronic pain in my back and neck.  I have occasional pain in several other parts of my body including knees, feet, shoulders, sinuses, etc.  I'm just venting.  My jaw hurts so bad I could cry.  Well, I actually have cried a few times.  Sometimes it is almost more than I can bare.  Then I remember what labor induced by pitocin felt like and I guess my jaw isn't so bad compared to that.  But it's all the time super bad pain for over a week now.  At least labor ends at some point.  The dentist said I probably need a root canal or two, and referred me to an endodontist, but I'm trying to figure out what my share of cost will be and you know how insurance games can be sometimes... I should have it figured out in the next two weeks at the latest. 

So until then I am taking my super duper strong back pain pills for my mouth My pain prescription from the dentist ran out already.  Ugh......I know all about back pain.  But this jaw/tooth pain is a new deal for me and I do not know how to handle it!!!!   Do you think something like an ice pack or heat pack would help?  I think it would make it worse because tooth sensitivity doesn't do well with temperature changes.  I just don't know how to deal with this.........
Edited: Actually when the pain pills completely wear off, the pain is pretty close to being like labor with pit.  It actually is almost that bad.  Anyone else had to have a root canal and lived with the pain for a few weeks?

Ugh - this was me last summer. I was camping on 4th of July and bit down wrong on a piece of lettuce - the pain just about killed me. It wasn't until 6 weeks later that I acutally made it into the Dentist and started the root canal process. I lived off of a combo of 200mg motrin and fast relief tylenol. I can't remember how much of what I took, but they told me it was the equivilant to vicodin. I am wishing I would have taken care of it sooner..... I took so much motrin over the 6 weeks that I was having blood clotting problems!

Do you have a dentist that will work with you and take payments? Mine did - (I have had him since I was 5) because my share was $1600.00 (1 root canal, crown, & 2 other fillingswhich he knocked down to $800) and we were also going back through IUIs again.

Well maybe I'll get flamed for this, but I am taking 800mg Motrin, Vicodin, and Neurontin (which helps with nerve pain).  Sometimes I take different variations, like I'll skip the Motrin one time and only take the other two, or I'll skip the Neurontin and only take the other two.  But for the most part, this is what I am taking.  I know it's not good for my tummy to take Motrin, but oh well.
My dentist takes payments, but he doesn't do root canals.  He referred me to an endo.  I am sure I could find one that would take payments, but I am figuring out the insurance junk first before I get started....I am in the process of switching insurance and just to get it cleared up before I get into a bunch of dental debt.
Thanks sweetie for your response.  Hope you're doing great.

I wanted to reassure you about the NSAID's. When I had my miscarriage in March my surgeon actually said it was ok to take NSAID's for a short period if I needed to, but to also take something to protect the pouch(prilosec, prevacid ect).  I ended up needing something stronger for the pain anyway. Good luck getting your pain under control.

Sounds like you do need to get into the endodontist ASAP hon.... I had to have 2 root canals myself and went thru similar pain for weeks...

I know we're not supposed to take NSAIDS (ibuprofen, etc) but when I get bad achy pains such as this I HAVE to use them to deal with the pain... It's the only thing that helps me at all...

I hope you get in soon and get some pain relief... Once the root canals are done, you will feel 100% better than you do right now, guaranteed.....

I admit I've been taking NSAIDS.  Thank you so much.  I hope I get my insurance issues cleared up soon.  It's good to know that when I get it done, I will be feeling much better.

ya know what.... i had to get a root canal... and i had no idea i even had a cavity... and my labor didnt hurt.... i think something is wrong with me... anyway... i hope your drilling gets done soon

I don't think there is anything wrong with you, I think there is something RIGHT with you!  You have a super high pain tolerance.  You are soooo lucky.   Thanks, I hope so too.  :)

Pain this bad is not normal and it really sounds like you have an abcess in a tooth. A few days on antibiotics should clear it up and help with the pain. I can't recommend taking Motrin of course but I did take prescription strenght 800 mg (4 regular pills) with food when I was having a wisdom tooth pulled after Riley was born. I did not want to be on narcs while nursing.

If it is a back tooth you might want to consider having it pulled. My dentist charges $80 to pull or $550 to cap.

Sorry, I left out some details.  I am already on amoxicillin actually.  I'm almost done with the course.  Ok, here's more of the story...
What happened is I got two crowns put on a week and a half ago (two Thursdays ago).  I had some pain, but I figured that was normal for getting my teeth worked on.  A few days later (last Sunday to be exact) is when this insane pain started.  I woke up and bam!  I couldn't believe the pain.  I remembered they had said I was bleeding a lot during the drilling of my teeth and so I figured they must have given me an infection.  So when I had that pain I called the dentist and got an antibiotic this past Monday (the pharmacy was closed by the time I called on Sunday). 

So I have been taking that along with a host of my own pain medicine.  Then on... I think Wednesday, I was still in tremendous pain, and decided to return to the dentist and tell him.  He looked at it, was surprised at how much pain I was in, gave me a prescription for Vicodin (not very many, but luckily I also take that for my back so I had some more at home), then he said I must be in need of a root canal, though the xray doesn't really indicate it, the level of pain I was having does.  So that's the whole boring story...I had paid $550 out of pocket each for two crowns and he said he will re-do it for free after I have the root canal(s), if need be.