Dental issues getting me angry !

[Poppy101010]

Just here to have a rant and would welcome any thoughts or advice.

In March 2020 (just at the start of the first lockdown) I got terrible toothache and couldn't eat , sleep or do anything due to pain. I wasn't given an appointment as it wasn't classed as an emergency but I'm being honest when I say it's the worst pain I've ever experienced. I was eventually given antibiotics which helped the pain and told someone would call me back when dentists were allowed to open again.

Fast forward to early 2021 and I was allowed to have my tooth seen (I had intermittent pain and abscess on the gum between then and March). Was told my tooth was very infected and I needed either root treatment or extraction. Told neither could be done at that point and sent home with more antibiotics.

Since then I have seen the dentist 5 times for the same issue waiting on root treatment. This week the dentist "cleaned the tooth" and applied a temp filling . This has caused the whole side of my face to swell (I look like I've had a stroke !) and so much pain. Huge pockets of puss and pressure on one side). Again more antibiotics and I'll finally have root treatment in 4 weeks.

The pain I've experienced this week alone is enough to make me wish I just had the tooth removed from the start. The dentist was very keen for me to keep the tooth (as was I as it's quite near the front) but if I knew it would take 2 years to fix I would have just said goodbye to the wee bugger ages ago.

Now I'm not having a moan about the dentist at all. They can only do what they are allowed to do under Covid rules. But I just can't believe that so many ppl would have went through something similar and are still in pain. I wasn't even aware that private dentists were allowed to do treatments otherwise I would have considered that as an option.

I don't want to complain to my dentist as it's not their fault . But I'd be concerned if this ever happened again (not just to me but to anyone).

What should I do about my swelling and massive abscesses ? I am only 3 tablets into my course of antibiotics. Should I encourage them to drain ? Or leave them alone .... I'm so fed up with it all now

I had something similar albeit nowhere near as bad. The pain is awful! Have you asked your doctor for prescription pain killers?

Which antibiotics are you taking? Are the the same and have they worked before? An emergency dentist I saw because abscess was coming back one Saturday and I wasn't waiting til Monday gave me both amoxicillin and metronidazole combined which really helped. I had the final appointment two weeks after that and so far so good! That was October. Good luck I hope you can keep the tooth after all this

It's the worst ! I asked for stronger painkillers and they said no - just give the antibiotics a bit of time to work 😣.

I was given Metronidazole (fingers crossed). I can't have any penicillin type antibiotics as I was given this when I was in a for a minor surgery last week in hospital (really not having any good luck am I?)

The pain has lessened a bit . But I can't eat or talk now due to the swelling.

An abscess was the worst pain I've ever experienced. I can't imagine living with it for two years. Dentistry was already in crisis pre-covid and is on its knees now. I believe the government announced measures yesterday to help reduce the backlog - money to pay dentists to work evenings and weekends I believe, but that doesn't help you now.

I hope your tooth is sorted soon. In the long run you will be glad that you saved the tooth. If you don't get relief after a few days of antibiotics make sure you ask for a different prescription. The first ones I was given didn't work. Painkillers and anti inflammatories, alternated, worked best for me as pain relief.

I remember warm salty water rinses (forcing water through my teeth quite strongly) giving my some relief. Do you have clove oil