No dental care?!

[Dee96]

In absolute agony cant eat or drink. Face is puffy and now developed a massive abcess on my gum. This tooth needed extracting and I was waiting for a referral to come through. When I called up my nhs dentist they refuse to do any treatment and couldnt give me antibiotics there and then. Luckily I had an old prescription but I'm in so much pain and this just seems to be getting worse. Will the abcess go with the antibiotics or do I need to ring 111. I know they have dental emergency hubs and cant believe my dentist didnt give me the option to go to one considering they know how serve this tooth is and how badly it needs to come out

Private dentists are still doing emergency appts. Could you try that route?

Rinse your mouth with salt water.

You need to keep trying the nhs number. My sister is a nurse and that is what she has said to do.

Unless your a nurse, she's better qualified than you or me,

You are pregnant. Your blood is going into your baby.

Get on the phone and get sorted.

I had an absess a while back. Antibiotics first before tooth extraction is normal. But do keep trying to phone them x

I had an abscess and kept drinking hot tea. It finally started draining pus. Kept up the tea drinking till it slowed down.

Private dentists can not operate either - everything is now through designated ‘hubs’ for all emergency treatment. They were only set up this week.

Poor you. I had an abscess a few years ago and it was the worst, most debilitating pain ever. I hope you get it sorted. I have had twinges off toothache this week and am so scared of it getting worse.

So just a little update, stayed awake till two for a specialist to ring me back he said it was a good thing the abcess had popped but it could form again so he wanted to refer me to an out of hour service. He said to expect a call within the hour...and two hours passed....nothing. at this point I'm really sleepy so I put my phone on loud and have woken up to no missed calls. Abit stumped on what to do now as he was getting me treatment done

I really feel for you. Try calling them again until you get answer and out of hours appointment. Occasionally they won't extract a tooth with such a severe infection because infection can inhibit anesthetic, but you should not be in such pain. Good luck OP, I hope you get seen this morning

Poor you. This sounds horrendous. Hope you get something sorted today.

The drainage is good, pain will subside now. Take the course of antibiotics. Things should settle for a little while now.
It’s not ideal at all but going to the dentist at the moment puts you, them and others at risk.
All dentists have been told to stop practicing and the only treatment available is in hospital for life threatening injuries/infections and in urgent care centres which have only just been established.
Urgent care will only see if you have tried everything else, including antibiotics, first; and still have intractable pain or infection.
It’s not how dentists usually work, no. Antibiotics are not usually first line, but we are not working as per usual.
I hope you get some rest now it’s popped. Keep using salt water to rinse, it encourages drainage. Follow up with the urgent dental care centre - your own dentist should have the number.

A bit stumped on what to do now as he was getting me treatment done.

Phone them back?

Keep warm salt water in the mouth as long as you can, rather than just swishing. The salt helps reduce the inflammation.

I'm living with an abscess I've had for about 18 months. It flares up and then drains. I don't get pain from it, anymore.

I’m a dental nurse and firstly you shouldn’t have any antibiotics left at home u HAVE to Finnish the course otherwise the abscess will most likely return, You need amoxicillin to kill infection and even if you take it for 5 days and the pain has gone u MUST Finnish the 7 day corse as it will come back and you will get to a point we’re the antibiotics won’t work anymore if you keep having to get them prescribed and not taking them correctly you may need the tooth out but the antibiotics will get rid of the abscess and help with the pain they won’t kick in for 24hours then you should notice a difference, you dentist should be prescribing antibiotics that’s what we are doing, if it sounds like it’s not an infection we would refer to the walk in dental surgery for emergencies. Don’t panic you will be ok and it will get sorted

@Dee96 I do hope you are feeling a little better today. My OH is a dentist and going ballistic at the total lack of information about the care he can provide - all they have been told by the BDA is not to pick up a dental instrument until at least July and refer people to the hubs. Unfortunately those hubs are few and far between - I am on the border between Northants and Leics and so far my nearest one is Nottingham!

My OH practice will probably go under unless they can start treating again in July which will put 15 people out of work.

If it’s unsafe for dentists to work and they are highest transmission out of anyone-who will be working at the hubs?

Or, more importantly, how will they be made safe?

Appuskidu those in the hubs will have a much higher quality PPE as well as access to deeper cleaning etc.

@appuskidu- dentists (from practices and hospitals) will be working at the hubs. The only treatment offered is extraction because it doesn't generate an aerosol.

There will be limited clinics where Full PPE will need to be used including face fitted masks, gowns etc if aerosol are going to be created. The dental surgery will need to be cleaned thoroughly between patients by dental nurses in full PPE. Obviously this is time consuming and only a limited number of patients can be seen. It is still very risky for staff so only true emergencies will be seen when every other viable option ha been exhausted, antibiotics etc.

I had a call from the dental helpline she suggested lots of painkillers and salt water. She said if I still dont improve by tomorrow to give 111 a call again and they may have an appointment available so it's looking abit more hopeful now

Thankyou everyone for your advice and help i may of just suffered through the night if you guys didn't tell me to call

Oh I didn't realise that @CurlyWurlyTwos my dentist seems to still be operating and they're private, but only for emergencies.

I ended up in hospital for two coats with an abscess. My face and neck swelled up and I was struggling to breathe. I needed IV antibiotics to make any difference to the pain. Really hope you get some relief tonight.