To be in A&E

[lordsandladies]

Really not sure!

I have dental pain. Been coping on ABs for 2 days but tonight! I'm maxed out (probably over) on paracetamol and ibuprofen (which I probably shouldn't be taking as bf and asthmatic). Pain is intense. Up to my temple round to the back of my neck. I feel sick hot and shaky and dizzy.

Called the dental OOH, no dentists on (so dead useful) and they told me to take myself to A&E.

I'm here but feel like a fraud! It's a tooth. Other than dose me up so i can rip the fucker from my head myself what can they do??

Is it infected? It sound horrific. If you've been advised that A&E is the best place for you by OOH, then it is the best place for you.

I hope you get some treatment soon.

You're in too much pain to self medicate?

Option 1) overdose
Option 2) get thee to A&E

Sounds reasonable. Yanbu

I think there is a chance in my panicky state I've done both 1 and 2

Thanks both feel slightly less fraudulent. Yes it's infected should have had a root canal in December but my appointment isn't until next Monday this is my 2nd infection.

Bleugh think i might be sick and now not sure if it's the pain or tablets.

If you are in a&e and have taken more than the allowed amounts of otc painkillers there is definitely nothing they can do. They have to get your dosage below prescribed levels before anything else. Tooth pain is horrendous but please don't take too many painkillers as it really inhibits your options.

However please do sit in your dentist reception from the moment they open waiting for an emergency appointment or cancellation.

A&e are severely limited on dental options but being able to say to the dental receptionist "I spent the night in a&e" will lend credibility to your desperation tomorrow!

YANBU, if it's infected at least they may be able to provide you with antibiotics

And redrug has it.

A very sympathetic nurse just checked me and said there is nothing they can do. I can try using an alternative postcode to get into the nearest cities dental hospital as ours closed.

On way home considering if I can get DD3 to take a bottle so I can move onto cocodimol (sp?) at 4am to get me through to dentist opening and scream for mercy at them

Try alternating a hot/cold compress against the area and gargle some salt water.

I feel your pain, been there and it is horrific

Thank you ill try that. I had 2 labours with no painrelief and would rather do it all again than this! I want a face epidural

My dentist has said no!!! WTF am I supposed to do.

Waited until 7.30am to clear the other pills then took cocodimol but can only do that once as it needs to be gone by the time I feed DD3 this evening.

They've said no emergency apps left. No other dentist will see me if I'm rehustered with them and no OOH until 8pm.

WTF??

Where are you? Is there a dental hospital, we have one in birmingham, where they train all the dentists. can you afford to go private?

Op, I'm pretty sure that if you're in that much pain they have to see you. Go to the surgery in person and tell them you aren't moving until they do something. (I wouldn't normally suggest doing something like that but tooth pain is fucking horrendous.)

Go sit in the waiting room and wait? It's awful I know, I had this a couple of years ago and although I think it was only 24-36 hours it felt like enough pain for a life time I ended up at the emergency dentist at my local hosp via 111. Can you phone 111 and see if they can advise?

Turn up at your dentists? They may fit you in then.

Is it a NHS or private dentist ? If NHS then ring round the private dentists in the area , explain your predicament and see if anyone can see you now , you will have to pay handsomely for it , but they can also prescribe you antibiotics , again as a private prescription you will have to pay .
Or if an NHS dentist then I would go and sit and cry in the waiting room until somebody at least gives you antibiotics . You cannot be expected to wait for nearly another week in this much pain , especially if you are pregnant . Ask to speak to the practice mananger when you get there and ask how you can put a complaint in about lack of emergency treatment etc .

I'm raging on your behalf (I've been there too and went to Drs when dentist wouldn't see me). I agree with the phoning 111 option and pretty much demanding treatment. It's in humane to leave anyone in pain like that. Alternatively stay camped in dentists waiting room, moaning and crying in pain until they do something.

This is an absolute area of an issue, SO frustrating.
There is little if any ooh provision, what There is is used up very quickly.

Thing is a&e ,ooh Drs & nurses are not dental trained and in most cases refuse to prescribe antibiotics because of risk.
Most people take more than they should of the over the counter painkillers out of sheer desperation, then get abusive when informed of the potential and very real threat of severe and irreversible organ damage due to this.
No medic is in the least bit interested in tooth pain when someone is going to die of liver failure.

Bitter bitter experience here .

I WISH some drug company could come up with a good, effective magic numbing spray especially for dental pain. They would make an absolute fortune.

111 CANNOT do anything at all other than give the ooh dentist telephone number which op alread has.

Whatever you do DO NOT TAKE MORE THAN THE RECOMMENDED DOSE OF PARACETEMOL OR DRUGS CONTAINING PARACETEMOL (SUCH AS CO-CODAMOL).

Paracetemol can be toxic in relatively small doses so please don't be tempted however bad the pain and make sure any medical professionals you see are aware how much you have taken.

I feel so sorry for you. I would just turn up at the dentist and wait. Sounds like you have an abscess. I had one once and I do not want to go there again. It would be a pretty inhumane practice that would not fit you in if you are in so much pain.

Clove oil can bring some relief.

I had a filling in a front tooth in November . As the dentist was cleaning my other teeth he sprayed the back of my mouth with water and I nearly hit the ceiling.

That tooth bothered me for six months. I don't take pain killers and I dosed it with clove oil. He gave me a very strong fluoride toothpaste on prescription.

I also saw my homeopathic GP who identified some infection which she gave me a remedy for.

Everything fine now. Boots sell the clove oil.

Wow, I've lived in many different countries but haven't heard anything like this. WTF? Is this common in the UK?

I got my husband seen at our dentist when I was told there were no appointments by saying it was unethical to leave him in so much pain - he got seen.

One alternative if you can afford it would be to go private

It is common, in fact it's the norm here. I am not even sure that private dentistry offer 24 hour cover. I've not come across any.
Shocking & appalling.

If your dentist wont see you then find your nearest dental hospital (have also been to the one in Birmingham, they were fab). They usually have the equivalent of an A&E dept. Hope you get it sorted soon.

There's an over the counter mouthwash called Oraldene which might help if you've got an infection, and as other ppl have said oil of cloves offers some relief.

I understand your desperation, tooth pain is like nothing else, you don't realise how awful it is until you've had it. I'd liken it to constant electric shocks being administered to your head and jaw, just awful. Could you get a emergency appointment with your GP for some stronger pain relief? Tramadol worked for me, but it did completely knock me out as well.