How long is too long to wait for treatment of an abscessed Tooth?!
Question: I have a tooth that has a closed abscess and will not drain. My face has now swelled to booble head stage. It has been about three days and I cannot afford to go to a dentist as I don't have insurance, have 5 kids here at home, and it is the holidays. I know that this kind of infection is dangerous especially since the location of the abscessed tooth is in the front so it is affecting my sinuses, my left eye, and my jaw as well. How long can I wait before I am in real trouble (danger stage) with this infection? The pain is worse than childbirth, but my pain tolerance is Real High. I know that for many of you this is a stupid question, but for the majority of us out there without health insurance this is a valid question as costs for medical care has skyrocketed. Can I wait until after the holidays is over or should I get treatment sooner? Sooner will effectively hurt my children's christmas and I am a mom whom puts them first at any cost.
Answers: I have a tooth that has a closed abscess and will not drain. My face has now swelled to booble head stage. It has been about three days and I cannot afford to go to a dentist as I don't have insurance, have 5 kids here at home, and it is the holidays. I know that this kind of infection is dangerous especially since the location of the abscessed tooth is in the front so it is affecting my sinuses, my left eye, and my jaw as well. How long can I wait before I am in real trouble (danger stage) with this infection? The pain is worse than childbirth, but my pain tolerance is Real High. I know that for many of you this is a stupid question, but for the majority of us out there without health insurance this is a valid question as costs for medical care has skyrocketed. Can I wait until after the holidays is over or should I get treatment sooner? Sooner will effectively hurt my children's christmas and I am a mom whom puts them first at any cost.
I can relate to not having the money, but sweety. you really need to get some antibiotics SOON. Once the infection is under control the swelling and pain will be as well. Try an Urgent Care, they treat not so emergency situations, and, they might be able to bill you.Do you have a credit card? Are your parents, siblings around? Ask for help, this will only get worse. Once the abscess becomes visible, you can use a sterile needle to pop it, and get relief, however, if it never comes out, then it will continue to infect the surrounding areas. Do you have any antibiotics in the house? It isn't recommended, but, if you or a friend has anything like penicillin or eyrhromycin hanging around, as long as you ARE NOT ALLERGIC and you KNOW that you aren't it wouldn't hurt to take one or two to start getting the infection down. My advice, as a medical person, and, having had this pain before, is seek MEDICAL attention. Even if you have to promise your first born to the doctor, you need to get treated. Ask the receptionist/admit. person at the Urgent Care if there are payment plans, or something you can do. Please, get attention soon. You won't enjoy Christmas and neither will your babies.
I was kidding about the first born thing. but then, having been in the exact pain before...I was tempted!
Good luck
Ask someone you know to help you out with some money...it isn't that hard, see your church elder...perhaps there is something they can do.Allot of the times, there is a free clinic for dental problems, but, they are awfully hard to get into.
Be careful taking someone else's medications....make sure you are not allergic to it. It is illegal to take some elses medication
As for pain, take 3 ibuprofen and one extra strength Tylenol , but, you can only do this at the most 2 times, as it will cause liver damage.
Go today.
the soonest the better,how can you serve and love them if your already dead. Sorry but you should be well enough to be able to be with your children as they grow old.dont take it easy because its dangerous you might be infected and you know what happens if....
Do it as soon as possible. You may think it's expensive but the longer you wait the higher the cost will be. To include removal of the abcess, antibiotics, pain medication, and much more. Being a thoughtful mom entrails taking care of ones self as well. Think about that
You need to go to an ER NOW. RIGHT NOW. You could DIE. If you put your kids first, you will go to an ER. They are better off having one lousy day over the holidays then living the rest of their lives with no mother. GO NOW.
ETA: A. fib. may be a pain, but it is not a big deal. An abscess with that much swelling is a life-threatening emergency. I hope by now you are at the ER. Money is just money. Your life and health are more important.
i really can understand your position , but a perfect mom has to be healthy and fit to take care of her children ...
an abcess it self is a stage where u need immediate care and attention , and u say it has caused swelling ...
pl get the abcess drained by your dentist , if you leave it untreated the infection may spread to your bones and it will be a threatening situation then ...and on top of everything it will cost more for your treatment...
Find a free clinic close to you. There are free clinics in every major city. They should be able to start treating you. You NEED antibiotics. The infection will continue to spread and cause more damage. Like others have stated, you are no good to your children if you are not good yourself.
Good Luck.
I know a guy that had an abscessed tooth. It swelled up as big as a softball on the side of his cheek. I am not exaggerating. It was huge. When he went to get it checked out (he did not have insurance either), the doctor could not do anything until that swelling went down, since the infection inside was so deadly.
An abscess tooth is something that is dangerous if left alone. It can spread. I was watching a program (a real show, not a reality show) the other day where this woman was doing an autopsy on a man and she was trying to figure out what his cause of death was. People thought he died from a heart attack, but he let an abscess go to the point of it interacting with something else in his body (I forget what) and it ultimately killed him. So, this isn't something you want to let go because it could cause some serious problems and then you may not be there for your kids at all. A part of being a mother is taking care of yourself too. I'm sure the dentist can work something out, just let him know your case. Good luck to you!