Any dentists here? Abcess

[Marne]

I have a huge dentist phobia and only go when i really have too .

For the past 4 days i have had bad tooth ache, today i have caved in as i have an abcess which isn't going to get better on its own, i have an appointment at the hospital (out of hours dentist) for tomorrow morning. I am really really anxious, i will be going on my own as dh will look after the dd's (no one to hold my hand). The tooth really needs to come out but i would rather they didn't do it tomorrow. My question is, will they treat the abcess before treating/removing the tooth? I don't think i could handle anyone touching/poking around until the abcess has gone as its so painful .

bump

Can anyone tell me what to expect tomorrow, i'm hoping they will just give me anti-biotics and send me to my dentist on wed (fingers crossed).

When i have had an abcess (i've had lots ) The treatment has been anti-biotics before they touch it so what you have said is what i would expect to happen.

In the meantime, hot water bottle on the side of your face, and strong painkillers (disolveable co-codimal works best for me).

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Excuse the typos typing with a toddler on my lap.

Also remember that the dentist has the power to make the pain go away! I find thinking that before i go in helps with the fear

if it's an abscess but save-able they'd treat you with antibiotics first and make an appt for another time. if the tooth needed pulling out, they'd just pull it out. pulling a tooth out is honestly not that bad. they give you an injection then take it out very quickly.

Thanks queen and blinks, the tooth is half gone anyway which is why i think it needs to come out. To be honest i would rather have it out then have a root canal (extraction is a lot quicker), i'm just woried that they will find it tricky to get out (lots of pulling ect). I had a wisdom tooth out a few years ago and it was not as bad as i thought it would be (very quick).

It is a bottom molar, are these tricky to remove? or will it come out easily?

The injections are what i fear but at the moment i'm in so much pain i would welcome an injection to end it.

not tricky to remove at all. very quick and easy.

Right, let the dog see the rabbit - You are now talking to the queen of absesses, I have had so many problems over the years - various ops etc. Anyway the good news is that these days dentists are very wary of nervous patients so the first thing to do is to explain your fears. I had to have a filling a while back, and although was not dreading it (only the bill) I could not believe how much I did NOT feel. I even said this to the dentist, and he said that the trick was to put the anaesthetic in very slowly.

Going back to your question, I would think that the emergency dentist will just prescribe anti-biotics and painkillers tomorrow but do be aware that they can take a while (3 or 4 days to kick in). I had the same thing 2 years ago which also started on boxing day and was in agony for days. I found that the hot water bottle trick made things worse as it expands the blood vessels. Oh, and be aware that if you are given anything with metronidazole in it, you must not drink any alcohol, or you could be very ill. I do feel for you, as there is nothing as bad as toothache. Good luck

Another recent abscess sufferer here, hot water and salt rinses drains the abscess and relieves the pain. I would agree they'll probably have to treat the abscess before extraction.

Take care.

In the meantime, if you have it you can rub a tiny bit of clove oil for dental use (not aroma therapy stuff) (boots, superdrug, etc) around the sore tooth, it will numb the pain.

I've not had an abscess but recently had an infected wisdom tooth. I was recommended to rinse my mouth frequently with salt water which helped. I also had strong painkillers and antibiotics but the salt water really helped. Hope you get it sorted soon.

Clove oil is amazing, definitely works.

Hi there, I am a dentist who specialises in Iv sedation for anxious people like yourself. Its your call really. If you would rather have antibiotics and painkillers then say so when you go in. It is possible to have the tooth out when you have an infection and this would be the best way of getting rid of the pain but it sounds as if you would be better off doing the antibiotics and having it out with a dentist you trust and feel comfortable with. A busy out of hours isnt always the most relaxing enviroment. Dont be afraid to say what you want and good luck. Nurofen Plus is the best painkiller in the meantime if you are ok to take it.

Agree with moomoo - explain/ask if you'd prefer antib.first and extraction another day .
My dentist rubs some kind of gel ( presume local anaesthetic ) on gum before giving injection .
Also agree ,very slowly administered injection is way to go .
If you feel shakey and nervous after injection ,remind yourself that it will soon pass. Seems to be side effect of injection .
Oh - and my dentist always tells me to breathe through my nose .
It really does help ,as you have to focus on your breathing .
The other thing that helps me is concentrating really hard on the bit of my lips ,mouth where the dentists hands are resting/touching .
And not on what's happening in my mouth - if that makes sense .
Good luck - this time tommorow the visit will be over .

Thanks moomoo- I am taking nurofen plus which seems to be helping, the lump/abcess is getting bigger, i'm worried my fave will be like a baloon in the morning. I can't wait for tomorrow to be over, to be honest it would be best to remove the tooth tomorrow as i will chicken out on going back at a later date. I will explain my anxiety, last time (when i had my wisdom tooth out) they were great and called in a nurse to hold my hand. I just need to be brave.

Magic gel! The local anaesthetic cream works wonders at my practise on small children and nervous patients. Please, please don't get too stressed about it, it has to get better :)

depends how bad the abscess is....some dentists wont extract if it is really bad. They will send you to dental hospital where they have stronger anaesthetics. i had i realy bad one and my regular dentist wouldnt remove it. Dont delay getting it treated as you can get septicaemia if it bursts. it is much better out than festering.

sleep with your head propped up on pilows as it hurts more when you lie down because the blood goes to your head and makes it throb.

alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen if you can take it ,but stick to the dosage of 3 times in 24 hours with the ibuprofen with food and 4 times in 24 with the paracetamol.

Thank you, i have been given antibiotics and i have to have the tooth out when the infection has gone, i think the abces burst in the night as it has gone down a little and was a bit weapy this morning. The dentist was great and didn't poke around.