Dental fear and abscess

[WTGN]

I have such terrible dental fear. I have an abscess in my upper gum. It has been ongoing all week and I have been tolerant of it but I'm beginning to feel unwell. Feeling aches and cold like when you start coming down with a bug. I can't sleep, I can't lie down unless I am propped up with 5 pillows.

My dentist isn't the best. Very condescending. I have had sedation once to remove a wisdom tooth and I couldn't go through with it again. Apparently I had the most sedative I could have and I still struggled.

Tomorrow I will phone the GP and hope they can prescribe antibiotics and maybe something to help me go to the dentist.

Not really sure what I am expecting from this post but I wondered if anyone has such a fear of the dentist and whether anything helped them overcome this? I know I can't leave it any longer but the thought of going to the dentist makes me feel panicky, heart racing, tears

I switched dentists and he is so much better. Some dentists are horrid some are great. You really need antibiotics before any dental work is done anyway. Poor you!

Your GP will refer you back to your dentist ime. They won't treat dental issues.
I was the same as you OP. Sobbing in pain. A friend recommended I call a hospital nearbyish that had a dental department and school there and I got an emergency appointment that night.
Hot water and salt constantly was the best I could manage for relief beforehand.
I ended up on 14 tablets a day because I'd actually left it so long and was ill.
I don't know what part of the country you're in but it is an emergency. I feel for you.

I had a toothache and my gp prescribed strobg painkillers while i sort out seeing the gp. A gp would be able to recognise an infected gum and would prescribe anti biotics. You are not the only person who would see a gp instead of a dentist due to fear, costs or whatever!!

Sort out seeing the dentist, oops

@26Ryantrain
It just shows the differences doesn't it.
My GP of many years and in fact the head of practice wouldn't entertain it.

You need to go to the dentist.

GPS shouldn't be prescribing antibiotics for dental problems, unless advised by a dentist as they don't necessarily know which ones/when to prescribe.

Abscesses need treatment, not just antibiotics. They need draining.

Sounds like you are starting to get systemically unwell with it, in which case it's important you get it treated quickly. The right way to do that is to go to the appropriate healthcare professional I.e a dentist. It's a complete waste of everyone's time if you go to the GP.

What is it that scares you about the dentist? Because a consultation with a dentist realistically isn't that different to a GP, GPs can be condescending too but you aren't scared of the GP. You don't have to have any treatment you don't want but it's important the right person treats you

Sorry GPs aren't trained or insured to deal with teeth, dentists are. Maybe try and arrange an emergency appointment with a different dentist at the practice?

Maybe try a different dentist if hes so bad?
(In our area its easy to find an nhs dentist, although I realise that isn't the case everywhere)

Thanks everyone.

I'm not sure what has caused my fear. I can't even stand the dentist looking in my mouth with the mirror, it is so bad.

I phoned the GP this morning as feeling quite dizzy and unwell. The receptionist said they wouldn't see me for dental so I will phone the hospital dental centre and hope they will see me rather than my normal dentist.

Does this dental centre have an emergency dental service?

Hopefully they will see you, however realistically you need to go to your own dentist. In lots of areas emergency dental services won't see you if you have a dentist because they are massively oversubscribed and therefore appointments are for people who don't have access to another dentist.

If you aren't comfortable seeing your own dentist you can ask for another dentist in the practice, however whatever dentist you see is going to do the same thing. You need to contact your own practice ASAP so they can get you in.

Dental abscesses are rarely serious however if you are systemically unwell with it and you don't get it treated you could end up with sepsis. You could make yourself seriously ill because you won't go to the appropriate place for treatment.

I agree with the person above me- dental abscesses if left untreated can lead to sepsis. If you are feeling unwell and dizzy now these are huge signs for infection as you know and will require antibiotics. If you leave it longer it could require hospitalisation and iv antibiotics. I'm a dental nurse and I'm really am sorry to hear you have such a huge fear and a shitty dentist but please dont put it off any longer, hope you are treated well at the dental place that's been recommended! xx