Cracked Tooth

[CestTout]

Any advice would be really appreciated... Noticed I had cracked a tooth (molar- bottom) yesterday evening after toothache for majority of the day. No space between crack just a line at present.

Spoke to the emergency out of hours dentist and she advised paracetamol, ibuprofen, sensodine toothpaste and anbesol all of which I am using. Just applied more anbesol and have notiepced a dark patch in the gum in front of the cracked tooth. When poked it bleeds. Should I be calling and asking for an appointment tomorrow or ASAP or will it be ok to hold until Tuesday?

Emergency dentist did say any problems call back and they will try to get me one of the seven appointments available.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/help. Have only ever had one filling so bit clueless about it all!

No advice but how did you go?
I think I might use emergency dentist unless prohibitively expensive.
If NHS I hope they don't charge extra for bank holidays!

I have had a hairline crack in a bottom molar for years- dentist advises to leave well alone- sometimes if it grumbles she puts some sealer over it. There is no other option apart from crowning so as long as it doesn't bother me she is saying best lave it alone.

Thanks both, Ended up at out of hours service last night as was agony. It has become infected so now have a course of antibiotics and will be on the phone to the dentist first thing tomorrow. First time ever that I am looking forward to going to the dentist!

Amelia - relieved to hear that, hoping my dentist will say the same once the infection is sorted.

Once a tooth has become infected it must be treated either with extraction or root canal treatment. It will otherwise continue to act as a source of infection and antibiotics (misused entirely in this case) can only mask the symptoms, not treat the problem.

I know it seems much easier to just trip along with the occasional sealant/prescription of antibiotics but it is just delaying the inevitable and making it more difficult to treat in the long term.

Thanks Grumpy, will be on the phone first thing to the dentist and insist it is dealt with properly! Ended up going to OOH Drs as no emergency dentist appointments available!

Thanks for taking the time to post.

No problem. Drs only really have the option of prescribing, I was under the impression you had been to a dentist who should have actively intervened by doing something to the tooth. I saw a lady at my OOH clinic on new years day who had been fobbed off with antibiotics for months by her dentist which is inexcusable. All I had to do was remove the filling and the infected nerve in her tooth (took 10min including anaesthetic and no pain) and the pain is gone. Soooo frustrating when people get lazy treatment from their dentists and I have to sort it out on a Sunday!!!

Hope you get it sorted.

Thanks so much, bit nervous as at 25 years old I have only had to have one filling so am a wimp but it's so painful I am counting down the hours until the dentist open!

I am having a similar problem with my doctors, have an infection in my hand and have been three times in past month, doctor finally agreed to run tests before Xmas as two creams and a course of AB's had failed to work. Called to get results and was told that they had not shown anything but doctor said "hold on will just double check... Oh yes ok you have a bacterial infection as we suspected" She ended up prescribing differenct AB's and to continue using cream (betnovate). Cream was making hand hurt even more, as it is I cannot open bottles, cans, write etc. Had to mention to Dr last night as he was prescribing ABs he took one look at hand and asked what cream I was using. Apparently under no circumstances should I be using this cream, all it would do was make hand worse and more prone to infection. Not very happy!!

Anyway, apologies went a little off topic there! Thanks again, much appreciated. Will be insisting the dentist deals with it properly!

Agree grumpy. I am a dentist and am heartily sick of other dentists dishing out ABs instead of treating the tooth problem

Sounds worrying that others do not deal with it... Mine will be dealing with mine tomorrow. Had enough of not being able to sleep...