Sandcastles....I need dental advice please.

[collision]

I had a filling a while ago and it has been sensitive ever since.

I now have excrutiating pain in the tooth and around the gum and it is swollen! I have been on painkillers since Wednesday and am taking them religiously. The swelling only started yesterday so it is now that I am a bit concerned. Do you think it might be an abscess?

I have an appointment for a week on Tuesday but think I might have to make an emergency appointment. Can I do that on the NHS?

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I'm not a dentist but I've been in similar position. Firstly you can get an emergency appointment on NHS, jsut call up and be quite emphatic about the amount of pain you are in - don't be a hero. I have been seen on the same day, though once I was told I could choose between being seen a day or two later, or going to the Dental Hospital's ER.

This sort of thing has happened a couple of times to me, once the filling was quite deep and the pain began shortly after the filling was done, and it turned out that the nerve had been aggravated by the filling. The dentist suggested tolerating the pain with the help of pain killers for a few days and seeing whether it eased, becuase the nerve could shrink back a little, which it did. But if it got worse then a root canal would have to be done (which I've also had on a different occasion). The other thing that happened to me was that the pain and swelling began much later. This time it turned out that the gum had been slightly damaged and it had shrunk away from the tooth, so basically what I had was receding gum around the tooth. Very painful, I couldn't tell the difference between that and toothache caused by the nerve. Using Sensodyne sorted it out, and when it had eased a bit I flossed with Sensodyne as well, but it took a few weeks.

Hope you feel better soon.

thanks PC.

Root canal? Have only heard of it but it doesnt sound great!

Will call tomorrow and hope I can get to sleep tonight. I feel a bit sick as well. Not out of fear just sick.

Gargel with very warm (almost hot) salty water. That might ease the gum a bit.

Poor you .

That's a one-handed typo, not a spelling mistake!

Sorry, have only just seen this.

Yes, you can have an emerg appointment on the NHS. I would call them asap and exlplain re symptoms.

How long was a while ago? Do you think maybe something could have gotten stuck in between the gum & the tooth? Or is it an extension of the sensativity?

It doesn't sound good if you are having to take painkillers this regular & for this amount of time, I think it is quite possibly an abscess.

So what does an abcess mean?

Should I be scared?!

The dentist doesnt open til 9am and have been in pain all night.

If it is an abscess then you are looking at a course of antibiotics and maybe a root canal treatment. The antibioics can usually clear it up & no further treatment is needed. But if it doesn't clear with the Abs, root canal, I'm affraid.

It's nothing to be scared about, they will just remove part of the filling & remove the nerve. Then they will relace it with a special material called gutta perca. They may do this over 2 visits.

I've had two RCs and, despite being a 'nervous patient', haven't found them any worse than a filling. They take a bit longer and there's more tugging and pressing, but theyr'e really not distressing procedures. And the relief afterwards was worth it!

I have been given a course of ABs and the possibility of a root filling next week.

Still painful and am on Ibuprof and Paracet.

Thanks for all your info and I might go and get sloshed on whisky tonight (to numb the pain!!)

Glad they saw you so soon. Hope you start to feel better soon. Don't forget to take all the anti'bs, even if it does start to feel better!

In a day or so you will feel more comfortable!