My 8 yr old has an abscess and intermittent tooth ache (more off and rarely on). Took her to the dentist and she needs an extraction. It was a tooth with a previous filling and sadly she missed a check up in April.
I had four extractions as a child so it’s not a big shock. I remembered using salt water to manage the abscess so have been using this - the abscess disappeared the day after when we went to the dentist but confirmed by X-ray.
As she needs sedation (barely tolerated the check up) we have been referred but the wait time is completely unknown and likely very long. We have antibiotics and will pick these up as the lymph nodes are up in her neck and the abscess is still coming and going.
We can afford to go private but it will cost in the region of £500 plus. She may need the next tooth treating or extracting too so perhaps £1k. Is it ok to leave it and wait or should we cough up and get it done ASAP?
Going private there’s also an option of a place holder - is this worth it? She’s a thumb sucker who grinds her teeth and has only lost one baby tooth.