to think severe pain is just that - whatever's causing it and to refuse help is disgraceful?

[youarekidding]

Will try and be brief. Have had an experience lately (friend and her DD) which made me question the NHS 'care' - when or 10 days a child was brushed off with a 'virus' (temp, rash, not eating) to be eventually blue lighted to hospital with strep pneumonia and suspected cause was untreated scarletina.

So this week I have had a bad tooth - given AB by OOH dentist after just tapping tooth, then own dentist upped the dose after another night of no sleep. After another night of no sleep and severe jaw pain caused by the nerve, constant vomiting and body spasms caused by nerve pain I went to A&E as pain couldn't be controlled. They didn't want to know as 'dental pain' and referred me back to the dentist. When I turned up there the dentsit was in the state that they had sent me away. She gave me aneasthetic in the nerve and put a dressing on the nerve in the tooth but I was in so much pain she said if it didn't work she'd refer me to dental care at hospital (maxillo). So the aneasthetic wore off and severe pain, sickness etc returned. She rang maxillo who said I could only attend as an emergency through A&E so was sent there and dentist rang to inform A&E I would be on my way and was for maxillo referral.
2 1/2 hours after arriving saw dental surgeon who was a patronising arse - telling me why hadn't I tried antiemetic for sickness, putiron, alternating painkillers regulary. Obviously I had tried painkillers correctly but he kept going on about how my dentist couldn't have contacted maxillo, how she was lying and that they are always referring the cases they couldn't be bothered to deal with. BTW this wasn't the case my dentist was concerned about how ill I was.

So I go home again and ring my own dentist who said to pop back yesterday to see her if it hadn't settled. It had and I went to work, rang dentist who agreed dressing and AB obviously working. Until 9pm last night.

Cue the most horrendous pain - vomiting continuosly, and vilontly, body spasming, and me screaming in pain. I took antiemetic, omeprezole, dioryolyte, puriton, painkillers and AB (when I'd stopped vomming) but unable o control the pain or spasms. My friend tried OOH dentist (none after 9pm), OOH GP, NHS direct (5 hr call back for dental nurse) but no-one would help because it's 'just dental pain'.

I turned up at dentist at 8.15am - they don't open until 8.30am, they took one look at me and opened up and took me in, gave me lucozade (serious BS problems by this point), aneasthetic in nerve and he was concerned my body was going into shock. He then spent 2 hours removing the tooth and stitching me up. The dentist who does the Thursday emergency clinic works at the hospital normally and was they had left me Tuedsay in the state I was in and allowed it to continue. I have also been given a muscle relaxant to stop the spasming!!

So AIBU to think pain and resulted illness should be treated and the source of the pain is sometimes irrelevant and that as a hospital does have dentists they shouldn't refuse to complete dental care. Basically I became needlessly ill because of the lack of basic care.

Oh my God. That's all.

Er, I would complaining to the NHS Trust that's responsible for your hospital. And PALS - all the way!

You are right, though: emergency dental treatment in this country = total nightmare.

Thanks revolting. I did point out I was in less pain when I gave birth but just kept being told it was 'just' dental pain. I don't see how somebodies fingers turning white and spasming is just dental pain.

The dental receptionist was ringing the PCT to complain - she couldn't believe they refused to treat me.

fucking hell!! you poor thing. you are totally right. wht is the point of them having dentists at the hospital if tehy are jsut going to send people away?? i fdont get it. pain is pain and yours was extremem pain!! definitely an emergency. why they sent you away is beyond me.

That was it exactly booyhoo it was extreme pain. It was in the nerve causing my ear and head to feel like it was exploding. I was literally screaming in pain . I couldn't even move my head. I spent from 9pm last night until 8am this morning pacing the flat screaming. Even on the phone to various 'helplines' when I was screaming in pain they just kept saying to see my dentist. Taking the infected tooth out this morning was so painful the dentist said they should have done it under GA Tuesday - and the fact there was no swelling so they wouldn't was a cop out. He works at the hospital usually and had a meeting there this afternoon and was going to be bringing my case up - he said pain overrides cause when a patient becomes so ill with it.

good that he's going to bring it up at the meeting. i agree you need to complain to whoever necessary. it is unacceptable that you were sent away in that amount of pain.

Thanks. I was in such pain I was worried I was being unreasonable about it. I felt that it was the pain they should have been dealing with.
The problem is that most dental surgeries - including my own are bookable appointments. There is nowhere for emergency dental treatment unless they do what they did today and make booked patients wait. This system is shit.

I will speak to my dentist and see arrange for complaint to be sent in.

Aaargh I had a sneaky abscess last week - I quite literally feel your pain! Fortunately the dentist was eventually able to find and treat it. But like you it triggered pain across my trigeminal nerve on that side of my face and it was quite hideous.

I have no advice but lots of sympathy.And the reassurance that a week later everything has healed well and I feel fine!

i would complain i think in this instance - i am not usually a complainer but i reckon this one warrants it.

i hope you are feeling better soon.

I would definitely get this down as a complaint in writing to the Chief Exec of the hospital and copy it to PALS (who will ensure that it is dealt with).
For some reason dental pain is treated very lightly - my DH once had an abcess at the weekend and was in agony. The OOH dentist took ages to ring back and when my DH rang them to chase was told "Mr Bus - no one ever died of toothache!!!". He felt like he was dying!!! The dentist was on the golf course!
My DD who is severely disabled was also found to have an abcess on her tooth. The could not treat her under local anaesthetic as she does not understand she needs to keep her mouth open so would clamp shut as soon as anyone tried to touch her. They gave her anti biotics which seemed to help but clearly did not get rid of pain completely. It exacerbated her epilepsy - so they upped her anti-convulsants. The local hospital would not take her on day surgery as the anaesthetist said she was too complex, so she had to be referred to our Regional Children's Hopital 50 miles away. We waited 2 weeks for an appointment to see the consultant and a further 2 weeks before they extracted the tooth. She was in pain all that time. You wouldn't have treated a dog like that - to do it to a human being is disgraceful.
In fact next time I am ill and need treatment, I might think about consulting a vet - they treat their patients a lot better!
Hope you are feeling better OP now you have had the offending tooth removed. But COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAIN so hopefully it doesn't happen to anyone else

Much sympathy OP - hope you recover soon.

DS had a problem with a tooth abcess over the Christmas vacation - no-one wanted to know - OOH dentist or GP. The course of antibiotics he was given was too short, he was still in pain and swollen, but by this time back at uni, and no-one in Sheffield would help him - even the dental hospital. Our own dentists eventually started the root canal filling, and then half way through decided it was too complicated, and she couldn't complete it. The referral to Birmingham Dental Hospital would have taken 18 weeks - and that's with a half treated tooth!

It's costing us £600 to get it sorted - well worth it for DS - but bloody annoying all the same.

big on your DD's behalf. I work in PMLD/SLD school and know how much pain our pupils face day in and day out and hate that they are treated as a little more pain is just a little more pain. It infuriates me that they'll up epilepsy meds because pain/fever can trigger a seizure without actually thinking how serious a seizure could be and treating the problem.
I agree with your dog comment!

Thanks everyone. I am glad that my feeling leaving someone is so much pain was unreasonable is entirely valid. I agree that it felt like they thought it wasn't life threatening so therefore just put up and just up.

There definatly needs to be a system where by they actually treat dental emergencies OOH (ours just triages and advises) or a system whereby they treat the symptoms of illness caused by the pain even if they cannot treat the actual problem.

The tooth has actually been removed. No abcess showed up on the xray so the dentist said it was the root decaying. My dental history shows that since my first ever molar at 5yo they have abcessed. All my No6 teeth have abcessed and all have been removed over the years to prevent further problems. luckily I'm overcrowded so this hasn't left gaps iyswim? This tooth was a no7, I have recently had the no 5 on the top removed due to the same problem. None of my other molars have nerves because they have removed them to prevent this problem. This tooth was due to have the same soon. He had to use a scalpel and cut the tooth out and the pain as he pulled it caused me to scream I am now the proud owner of 6 stitches

Hope you feel better soon, what a dreadful experience.

I had a wisdom tooth extraction last week that's gone a bit mank (dry socket which of course flared over a weekend) and I agree that emergency dental treatment is something of a joke. Fortunately I (against all advice) tend to stockpile any prescription strength painkillers I get along the way in life so I was able to tide myself over before begging my own dentist to see me on the Monday .

It varies so much by PCT. The trust where I live has made all of their dentists redundant so they rely on outsourcing. The trust where I work has OOH dentists but the pay is rubbish. I did an emergency session today & by the time I've paid my petrol & parking I will take home abt £15 for a three hour session. I need the money and I enjoy the work but if I didn't have a huge student loan to pay off, I wouldnt give up my time for that pay. Especially on Sundays.

YANBU, that's terrible! I hope the complaint is taken seriously and you can put this behind you.

Oh Grumpy I do not in anyway blame the (my) dentists. They have been brilliant. I really hope the one who treated me today makes more than £15 - it took 2 hours and some shear force to get my tooth out!

It's the whole system that is wrong - your right about it lying at the hands of the PCT. That's who my dental receptionist is going to contact because she needs to know where to send patients in emergencies if they are advised to send them to maxillo via A&E (by maxillo) but they won't actually treat - unless there is swelling and draining to be done. (ludwigs angina? or something). I was basically told that uncontrollable pain and continuos vomiting, is not a reason to take up a bed.

smeth I have co-drydomol from previous abcess (not tooth) and even that didn't knock me out stop the pain. Apparently the only way to stop nerve pain is to remove the pressure.

I knew how you feel. I've been getting bad neck pain since last September, stiff neck, muscle spasms, pins and needles, numbness, weak arm, unable to move.

Prescribed naproxen and co-drydamol. It settled. Came back with a vengeance in January. 3 weeks of pain, on so many drugs including diazepam. Referred to physio who said I had been lazy on maternity leave Came back again 2 weeks ago. Saw OOH doc who gave me a days worth of diazepam and said it would settle. Saw my own doc the next day who prescribed me 21 tablets to take a day, said it would settle in about 3/4 days and to stay as active as possible. Couldn't cope so went to see another doc. Finally some answers.

She sent for an x-ray, signed me off work for a few weeks, reduced my drug intake. Turns out, I have very little cartilage between 2 bones at the top of my spine. Muscle spasms are holding it straight when it should be curved. Said I was too young for it to have occurred naturally so I must have sustained it from an injury. The only thing I've ever had happen to me was being run over when i was 3. Doc says that's most likely it. Having an Mri in a week or so to see the extent of the damage and may need surgery.

If they had done all this earlier I could be fine by now. But instead I had been fobbed off with pill after pill and being told I'll be fine. I'm just glad I can now have it sorted.

pyscho Sorry to hear you've had such problems. I agree with you about pills not helping when treatment is needed. I wish you luck and a speedy recovery.

I sympathise with dental pain-which can be very very sore. DH is a nurse and had to call off a shift and get his tooth extracted as he couldnt sleep after nightshift.30/500 co codamol and 600mg brufen didn't even touch it.

And I would complain on how you were treated-ridiculous.

youarekidding I couldn't agree more. The system is so pants, more people should complain to PCT and to MPs and get the topic talked about.

50% of calls to NHS direct are about dental pain I heard on R4 today!!

YANBU, how awful that you were left in such a state in so much pain, and no one would even try to help . Sounds like one of those situations where NHS policy overrides common sense and empathy! I would complain, that's the only way these things are changed.

YANBU - serious complaint needed and complete arse kicking. I am always shocked at what tax paying citizens of this country put up with in the NHS - sometimes it seems like unless you are dying they have no interest.

'just' dental pain 'JUST' dental pain, are they having a bloody laugh? There is no pain like dental pain.

I can't believe the lack of help you got. Yo are so completely NBU. Do complain.

Thanks everyone it is good to know my indignation at being left is justified

I just cannot believe when my dentist referred me due to concern about how ill I was the maxillo just kept insisting she didn't/couldn't have and its her job to deal with it. SHE WOULD HAVE it I wasn't so ill. She felt at a loss for what to do - poor woman. She was brilliant and helped all she could. Thing was as he dicharged me to her I said dentist was closed now but he just said see her in the morning then - I did point out that meant another 14hours of pain with no relief. Somehow though it did stop hurting that evening and was fine the next day so me and the dentist agreed that the nerve dressing must be working and to start doing anything to the tooth could have agravated it. And of course when there's no pain it's not an emergency - flipping vicious circle!

Does anyone know who I complain too? Is there a link you could put here? Oh and anyone could at writing complaint letters?! Do I stick to facts or do I need to out how I felt about it as well?

YANBU. Severe dental pain is just about the worst pain you can get alongside childbirth, earache, gallstones.

I remember being in severe pain and had to make my way to the emrgency dentists in Notting Hill. Carnival weekend. I got there, no answer. He was running late. I was slumped in the doorway when he arrived. But he injected the anaesthetic and removed the tooth. If I hadn't been dribbling all over the gaff I'd have snogged him.

shakey I'm sure he wouldn't have said no despite the icky mouth! I told the lady on the phone I'd been in less pain during childbirth! And I swear if one more person said - I know how painful toothache is, I've had it, take X it helps I was gonna scream louder.

Yes it hurts, but when it's pressing on the nerve painkillers will not help - and when someone is vomiting constantly clearly they are not going to digest them. ERRRGGG!