Excruciating dental pain

[12stepCAKE]

Hello all. I have a broken tooth. It's broken in half. I'm in excruciating pain. I have already had one log of antibiotics and it didn't help. I have tried every potion and OTC medicine available. Nothing helps. I feel like I'm going crazy. We don't have a dental hub set up yet.

I really don't know what I'm asking but Amy advice please?

I am in so much pain I would pull it out myself (obviously not going to do that)

Thanks

I meant dentists not drs!

Sorry I am riding on in here 12step as I said up thread I too have a broken tooth only a few days in, minimal pain. I bought Toofypegs from the pharmacist which is a temporary dental fixer for fallen out crowns/caps/fillings I haven't plucked up courage to use it yet. I don't know if it can be used to fill space left by broken out tooth until this is over. Anyone used it?

I have used similar before when I needed a filling and it is goodm stops the nerve being exposed but if you have decay you might trap an infection. I tried it with this tooth but it didn't stay in as not enough tooth to hold on to

God you poor thing. My dentist cant see me suggested a teeth fil paste thing to seal it. Mine an old filling (out) .. very painful on and off. Said she put herself at risk too. I see her point. Im fed up as could be June before anything open in Dublin.

Horrible isn't it. I had just started a treatment plan that I couldn't afford before. Just started and was happy I was finally able to 'fix' myself but because of this virus it's been put on hold and the pain is worse than child labour! I think it's quite barbaric that they couldn't provide enough PPE even just for emergency dentists in the hospital's. At least you would have a chance at getting an appointment even if it took a bit longer to get than normal.

Agreed, I think dentists should have stayed open full PPE high grade and temperature testing/symptom checking of patients. I live in South West which is the least affected area in the country....

I'm just about to email my local MP. Some of my local friends have said they will as well. It won't do much good I am sure but it's best to try something! As a pp suggested above. I will be addicted to pain meds by the time this is over.

It's effecting my work and my looking after the kids. The tooth pain is giving me shooting pain like headaches too.

I think the problem with having the dentists remain open is more than just ppe for the dentist.
Aerosol spray will come out into the air and what about the next patient being potentially exposed to the virus?
I wouldn't want to go into a dental surgery that remained open as normal.
But I do think that extractions should be carried out and then that room left unused for a few days ( or some sort of deep clean and air purifying..no idea if this is feasible)
If you see what I mean.

@TDogsInHats it makes sense but it's not workable. You cant do an extraction in case it doesn't go to plan and you end up having to drill tooth and or bone to get the tooth out. It would be madness.

The government don't care about dentistry, they never have! So it won't be a priority. They will blame "greedy dentists" and will continue to underfund the service.

Thanks for the explanation @Mrsmorton
I don't know what the solution is for people in excruciating pain

Hopefully more hubs will open as the PPE supply chain catches up, it's all being diverted into hospitals. Friends are desperate to see patients.

Theres not enough PPE in the hospitals. Where are they going to find more for dentists?

Even an extraction normally requires suction which is aerosol generating. You would need to deep clean the room, and air it between patients. Im really not sure its feasible to treat everyone with toothache.

Dentists should not be expected to work even in cold centres eithout full PPE. Personally I think this is suicide. On every other thread peope are up in arms about healthcare professionals ecpected to work without PPE, yet dentists are expected to carry out procedures without full PPE creating an aerosol of blood and saliva? Whilst toothache is aweful it is not life threatening.

No one is currently doing aerosol generating procedures in hospitals without full PPE. Why should dentists have to?

Hopefully they will sort the situarion, and set up enough urgent care centres with proper PPE. But I still dont see how its feasible to treat more than a couple of patients a day. And i dont see how they can do that when we are running out of PPE elsewhere!

I've experienced excruciating toothache during the last few years, through neglect, so my own fault. When I finally saw a dentist he wondered how I'd coped. Anadin extra and neurofen plus always helped me. When I made my first appointment, the dental nurse told me to get neurofen plus for the pain and as an anti-inflammatory. One night the pain was so bad I actually put a freezing cold can up against my cheek and the relief was amazing. Something to do with numbing the nerve? It was a bit awkward, but I managed to position it between my cheek and the pillow and I slept through. Some people find that heat helps.

@DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon hearing from friends that a lot of the fit testing of masks isn't going well either so no idea what will happen even if they can get some PPE, if it doesn't fit properly.

I saw an email today that Leeds Dental Institute is a hot hub and also can do AGPs. I know they have some FFP3s because I had colleagues who were being fit tested in early March. And yes, some who can’t work because nothing fits!
Quite a few non AGP cold hubs also starting so next week and the week after could see some progress in this area anyway.
Personally I wouldn’t work in even a cold hub or do anything without FFP3, which means I probably won’t go back to work this year. I think it’s up to the individual clinician because the government doesn’t seem able to fully protect us. The British Oral Surgery Society have said extraction and x rays are AGP- which leaves nothing that we can usefully do except stuff Fuji into open cavities.

It sounds as if some of you are dentists. I clearly have an infected tooth needing root canal work. I’ve had metronidazole and am taking every painkiller I can, although nothing has been effective. I am really worried that I am reading that untreated infections can spread and lead to all sorts of horrid things like sepsis.
If this is true, what is the way forwards for people like me? Any words of encouragement?

What's Fuji?

@greenteaandchives I can't remember if you've answered this question before, where are you in the UK and are you willing to travel? Antibiotics very rarely work for dental problems, in normal times, dentists should hardly prescribe them for toothache, now they are being told that is all they can do.

You need to see a dentist, hopefully there's a hub near you.

I used to be a dentist btw.

Fuji is a temporary filling material.

Mrsmorton I am in Bristol. My dentist has told me to sit it out, as he said the pain would go eventually, but I am worried about the infection spreading, and rendering me vulnerable re CV.

Thank you Mrs Morton...can I have your expert advice please? Half a tooth broke off 5 days ago I have been brushing well and salt swooshing daily I have slight ache pretty minimal do I Fuji the hole until dentists reopen or leave hole exposed?

www.bda.org/news-centre/blog/Pages/Coronavirus--we-must-not-put-dentists-at-risk-at-Urgent-Dental-Care-Centres-.aspx

Fuji isn’t available to the public, it’s used by dentists.

@Greenteandchives so you have to make the decision, sit tight or get an appointment at a hub.

@bearnecessity You won't be able to Fuji it yourself as it's mixed and set using specialist kit. A lot of dentists have prepared emergency filling kits that they are managing to get to their patients, either that or get some from a chemist/online. There are lots of reasons teeth break and it might not work if there's lots of decay or if it's broken in a way that won't hold the temp filling in. Worth a try though IMO. Your mileage may vary!