I think I have a dental abscess.?!
Question: I think I have a dental abscess.?
I've just joined a new dentist and I have my initial check up tomorrow. My question is, if the dentist discovers I do have an abscess, will they make me rebook an appointment or do they usually drain it then and there.
Don't think I can bear to wait for another appointment, I've waited for 4 days on this check up. All the while, being unable to eat solids and only getting through the days on a mixture of painkillers.
Also, I can't afford root canal so I would have to have the tooth extracted. Does the dentist do this in one appointment or do they treat the abscess first and remove the tooth on a separate appointment.
Thanks.
Answers:
You most likely have a dental abscess...the feeling of a 'raised' tooth or filling is a main complication.
At your check up, he will give you antibiotics and pain killers...he won't have you go home without treatment.
They cannot pull a tooth that is abscessed until the infection is eliminated because the bacteria will get into your blood stream through the wound of extraction and you can get jawbone/blood infection.
Just have the sucker yanked out...IMHO, root canals are a waste.
I let my abscess go too far, because I kept on getting antibiotics and didn't get it taken out after the pain was gone.
Today, I went to the ER because the infection spread down into my neck. My tooth barely even hurts anymore, but the hard, golf ball sized abscess under the right side of my jaw is killing me!
I can't open my mouth, can't swallow without severe pain and cannot talk. They put me on Clindamycin, which is the acid of all antibiotics, and Vicodin.
Let me see if I can address your questions and concerns. As someone who has had an abscessed tooth in the past, I can tell you that it is something that you do not want to wait or fool around with. Since your appointment is tomorrow, I will not pressure you to go to the emergency room, but if for any reason your appointment gets cancelled, then you need to go to an emergency room. If your tooth is in fact abscessed, you can get a severe infection which can spread to the brain. The infection can even turn deadly. It is not a laughing matter and nothing to joke around with. I am not saying this to scare you, I am saying this because I dealt with abscess pain not knowing the side effects, and I ended up on antibiotics for a very long time, with a very bad infection, and my cheeks swollen out like chipmunks, and then after the procedure, a severe secondary infection.
You could have an abscessed tooth or you could have an impacted tooth. Whether or not they will try and save the tooth will depend on your dentist. Some dentists will want to remove the abscessed or impacted tooth while others will treat the abscess or infection and try to save the tooth. Remember that it is your mouth and if you want the tooth removed, you need to insist to your dentist to remove the tooth. Many times a dentist will be hesistant to remove a tooth, as they say it can affect surrounding teeth, but sometimes they insist on a root canal, and if its a problem tooth the root canal fails and you end up losing the tooth anyway, after a lot more pain and hassle.
For now, wait it out until you see your dentist, and see what your dentist says. If your dentists plan is unsatisfactory to you, go to the emergency room to seek treatment for the infection (if there is one). In the meantime, before your appointment, don't put Ambesol or Orajel on the tooth. Hold a hot wash cloth on your cheek near the hurt tooth for 20 minutes at a time. Be very careful when brushing your teeth, avoiding the tooth that is hurting. Rinse your mouth out three times a day with hydrogen peroxide.
Hang in there and good luck at your appointment tomorrow!