In A&E with toothache

[Kakamora]

Have just arrived at a&e. Approached the desk and said I don’t know if I can be seen, I don’t expect anything in terms of work but help with pain relief.

IVe had a severe tooth ache for 3 days. Gone through 4 packets of paracetamol and ibuprofen. Not ate. Not slept. Been sick from the pain, shaking and sweating it’s been that bad. Sobbed last night it was so bad.

The man and the front desk really snottily asked me ‘have you been to a emergency reception before ?’ Made me feel like shit. I know it’s not a typical reason to come to a&e but I don’t have a dentist and I’m in agony. I’m in no less pain than people with medical reasons. I feel even worse now

Wow @Well** more power to your elbow! Wishing everyone was like you.

Lots of good advice on here OP, hope you find relief soon, you deserve to be helped, don’t let anyone persuade you otherwise.

Drs should want to help people. Nurses should want to help people. How any injury or ailment has been attained is irrelevant. I do my job because I want to help. Alfredrabbit obviously does not. And I would love to read your explanation.

@Alfredrabbit great attitude for a doctor!!

OP - I’ve been here - it was hell.

To just get you through to
Tomorrow get a flannel with water as hot as you can bear, soak it and hold it against the jaw near the pain, the heat and steam really help ease the pain.

So sorry for you.

I got stronger co codomol at a and e once. The 30/500 ones. Hope you feel better soon.

i promise clove oil works, the dentist administered that to me, in btween, i chewed on cloves

Oh Op, I don't blame you one little bit for going to A&E.

The last time I had abscess I just wanted to die.

Clove oil helped a tiny bit, in the end I think laid my sore side on an ice pack from the freezer and it numbed it a bit.

Hope you manage to get to the dentist soon.

It is possible to take 2x Solphadeine Max (Paracetamol + more codeine in than the usual Solphadeine - 12.8mg per tablet) and 2x Nurofen Plus (Ibuprofen + 12.8mg codeine per tablet) at the same time. Then you are getting a full dose of paracetamol, ibuprofen and almost the max prescription amount of full strength codeine all at once. That said, I doubt a pharmacy will sell you both at the same time due to concerns about codeine misuse.

I did this on the recommendation of a pharmacist friend when I had a raging abscess and couldn't be seen by even an emergency dentist until the next day - my face was so swollen I was unrecognisable! It worked well and I finally got some sleep. Worst pain I've ever had, including childbirth and major surgery.

@Kakamora
Definitely Do not put anything hot on your face.

Ice pack wrapped in a tea towel for 60 secs if your face is swollen.

neat clove oil will give you about 10seconds relief, better to buy a kit and place a temporary dressing containing the same ingredient. Assuming you have an obvious open cavity?

I don't know your medical history but a typical pain relief schedule would be 3.5 hour alternating cycle of 400-600mg Ibuprofen with 2xParacetamol 500mg tabs or 2 OTC strength Co-Codamol tabs.
Have you told A&E /111 how much Paracetamol you've taken over the past 72hours? You should definitely seek advice re this.

OP sorry but have to ask why you didn't arrange to go to a dentist/get registered on day 1 of severe tooth pain?

Hope you get sorted & find a destiny ASAP

@Skittlesandbeer because it works? It's not medieval- it's a known anaesthetic as the main ingredient is eugenol. It's not a long term solution- but is very effective short term- and is routinely administered in A&E for more effective relief than oral drugs. And here's a study

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4906852/

Tooth ache is horrible.

Drs do want to help you BUT we are not insured (indeminified) to do so. That means if there is a medical error or a patient gets painkillers or inappropriate antibiotics then doesn't go to a dentist we have no protection if we are sued and the patient wouldn't get much compensation.

It's like asking your dentist to treat a heart attack.

I hope that explains why A&E/GPs generally won't see toothache.

I hope it gets better soon.

(Gp)

OP you've got a lot of great advice about where to go first thing in the morning for help, but I just wanted to say I've been in your situation many years ago. I didn't visit a dentist for over 10 years and ended up with some huge cavities and one of my wisdom teeth crumbled away to nothing, and I was in utter agony with it. I was terrified of what the dentist was going to say to me, and how much it was going to cost.

The dentist couldn't have been nicer, I explained how frightened I'd been, and how the longer I'd left it the harder it had been to make an appointment. They worked out a payment plan for me. It was FINE. And the relief was indescribable. You can do this. Keep us posted! Get some ice on your face, set an alarm to make some phone calls or to get up and out to the dental hospital in the morning, and good luck.

not read the full thread but have you tried clove oil. i stopped me from blowing my own head off recently. you poor thing, it's the worst pain in the world. sorry for lack of caps, button is broken.

also, another thing that helped was holding water in my mouth. bizarre but had no pain at all when i did that.

Definitely Do not put anything hot on your face.

I can confirm having suggested the hot water bottle earlier (coz thats what I have been doing) and having been advised by other posters that I was wrong 111 have told me that that is definitely a bad plan and probably why my swelling has got worse!

Op did you go to Fazakerely? You should go to the dental hospital by the Royal.

Also if you live in South Liverpool I know a Dentist that is taking on new nhs patients. Dental care is free if you are on jsa/IS .

Doors open at 8.15 try and get there half an hour early
www.rlbuht.nhs.uk/our-hospitals/liverpool-university-dental-hospital/dental-emergency-treatment/

I must be lucky with my GP (who is a saint to start off with) she has prescribed painkillers in the past for me Nefopam iirc. This was two years ago so unsure if the rules have changed.

You are going to do damage with that amount of paracetamol. If you can get Co-Codamol and can take codeine with no issue look up Co-Codamol cold water extraction. You can get a standard 30mg/60mg dose without the liver failure your risking currently with all that paracetamol.

Take the pain relief as recommended, co-codamol, Nurofen plus, if you can get to a chemist, get some mouthwash with local anaesthetic in it, warm it until it's lukewarm & rinse round the tooth with it, soak some cotton wool in the mouthwash & try to put it round the tooth, sleeping propped up if you can will help. Get to a dentist first thing tomorrow morning, toothache is the worst pain ever, I'd rather go through Labour than spend a night with it.

Personally I'd ring the Revive number whilst queuing outside the Dental Hospital! You need to get this sorted.

If you are not entitled to free dental (I would think you would get help with dental costs at least) then once you have this sorted out out, try to register with the University Dental School. BUT only after you have this toothache sorted! www.liverpool.ac.uk/dentistry/freedentaltreatment/

Clove oil does burn a bit but it is really good. Or some say chewing on a clove.

sounds awful just wanted to say have you googled dental hospital near you we have one near us and you can just turn up and wait so may be better to head to somewhere like that if available rather than wait at doctors. Dentists also have emergency cover so I would try and register as soon as possible. Hope you get sorted soon