Severe toothache - and no prospect of treatment.

[Molly175]

Raging toothache. Dentist, like others, not seeing patients and unwilling to talk on phone.

Hoping to see emergenc dentist tomorrow (NHS) but told they won't treat eg drill etc. Best to hope for is a prescription for antibiotics.

Is this a blanket ban on dentists being open - I know it is the guidance from the BDA and probably very wise but I wonder, if the pain goes on, what to do.

Taking Solpadeine but has limited effect and of course it shouldn't be taken for too long. Garling with salt water, leaving Sensodyne on teeth. Unable to eat or drink, except water. Suggestions welcome

I know it's awful. My dentist is closed and their sister practice is 15 miles away and I dont drive. I bought some temporary filling and Colgate relief. Tooth pain is just awful. I expect this will lead to people pulling their own teeth out

Can you get clove oil to dab on.

This is me too

I've had issues with the same tooth for months on end. It is broken, I've had an abcess already and causes mild to severe pain depending on the day apparently

I was finally having it out next week

Now I'm not.

It's starting to feel neverending

Its the worst

to you

Get ye to a pharmacy and get Oragel (max strength). It's got local anaesthetic in it, and saved my sanity. It's about £4/5. Hope you manage to get treatment soon :(

Dentogen is my salvation now - clove oil based

I was running out and coincidentally ordered a multipack before all the lockdown, so glad I did

I had an abscess on a partially erupted wisdom tooth this week. It was agony. Couldn’t see a dentist for love nor money and someone on here suggested turmeric paste on the abscess. I wasn’t expecting much but either it worked or it got better by itself.

Thank you so much for these supportive responses, with so many useful suggestions. SouthsideOwl, I had some Orajel - hadn't tried it but have now. It's certainly helping - thank you.

Going to see NHS emergency tomorrow (if I can get an appointment) but all they'll be able to give me is antibiotics though they will take a look.

It's sod's law, isn't it, that our teeth are hurting just as dentists are closing their doors. Thinking of you all.

This awful virus is causing so much distress and suffering for so many people. Take care and hope you feel better soon.

This is utterly appalling!! The directive to dentists was to stop non urgent treatment. Also hubs were meant to be being set up to treat people in accordance with their risk of having covid-19. An untreated abscess can lead to brain abscesses - they can't be leaving people to suffer like this it's in humane!!

Youre right Only. Its dreadful. Im waiting for an extraction but they have said no extractions or drilling.

@onlyreadingneverposting8 we don't have the correct PPE atm, yeah it's annoying but with antibiotics the infection will go down. Trust me dentists and dental nurses would much much rather be seeing patients and getting paid

@mytypeonpaper never have antibiotics worked on any infection I've had - they've been closed infections and they've been agony - I'd rather give birth (have done 8 times) and only been relieved when the tooth has been extracted. Totally understand the position dentists have been put in but there should be provision to treat people in agony!

Should clarify antibiotics haven't worked on any tooth infection I've had - they've worked on other infection in my body!

OMG toothache and no prospect of treatment or weeks (months?) is a terrifying thought. Genuine question, is this a matter for A&E if you are in agony and can't get help elsewhere?

The emergency dentist should be able to treat you. My dentist is operating a triage system and only dealing with emergencies. They're not allowed to do routine appts but emergencies are still allowed to be treated

Salt water rinse to reduce the swelling I was due to have three teeth out this week that are infected this has been cancelled they are grumbling but I now need to wait until june

To clarify MY TEETH are grumbling my dentist is apologetic

I took early retirement from dentistry no longer on register but the health boards stopped allowing dentists to order even normal masks now you can't treat without the special masks but you are not allowed to buy them!
the health boards are meant to be setting up central locations where dentists in the locale will work in rotation this has not happened yet in many places
@onlyreadingneverposting8 you are right that most of the time antibiotics don't work on tooth ache but dentists major problem is the opposite trying to persuade patients that antibiotics are not really the answer unless the local glands are involved or the infection is so severe anaesthetic won't work
Antibiotics travel round the body in the bloodstream most dental infections are in dead teeth where the nerve has died so very very few of the antibiotics reach it
Abscesses dental and otherwise need draining if it is on the surface instead of eclosed it can be incised this normally achieves pain relief within minutes ( however most dental abescesses don't surface) so you have to drain by drilling right through the tooth to get to the pulp / nerve chamber ie starting root canal
that is a simplified version
@redglitter you can only treat emergencies if you have the right PPE but most dentists don't have it and can't get it because they are prioritised for hospitals at present
Dentists like pathologists and lots of other NHS workers are often totally forgotten and are a cinderella service; conditions in NHS dentistry have got worse and worse which is why I left dentistry for good after 25 years , 2 years ago I had always worked in NHS practices ( over 90% NHS) mostly in deprived areas I am never going back to dentistry even though i like dentistry and patients well most of them! but I can't work for NHS anymore it is too too stressful and morale draining and I don't want to become a botox / filler / tooth whitening specialist
the only treatments even in this situation is temporary fillings medication and extractions so people will end up with extractions when previously the tooth would have been saved with root canal

I do hope you manage to access some emergency dentistry soon if you can take ibuprofen it often works better than paracetamol

Dentist here. We are currently not permitted to do any treatment. We can do telephone consultations and remote prescriptions for antibiotics. They are meant to be setting up emergency clinics for treatment of patients without covid symptoms and others for those with. Fuck knows where these are or when they’ll be open. Apart from Kings in London which is open. You will have to go via 111 to access. It’s shit. But not as shit as catching Covid19. The amount / type of PPE required to reliably prevent transmission is currently in such short supply that providing it for anything other extreme dental emergencies is not a feasible.

I had this the other week oragel works a treat from the supermarket. Other than that painkillers. People said it doesnt help but i found a hot waterbottle wrapped up and held against my face worked for me. I tried an ice pack that made it worse

This is actually the most distressing thing I've heard in all of this

Huge sympathy for you OP. I had to have an emergency extraction which turned into a dry socket over Xmas. Was a torture. Dentist was very reluctant to prescribe antibiotic until a week of repacking the wound. Also told me that they could not prescribe painkillers. The only over the counter medicine that effectively treated the pain was Paramol - a codeine/paracaetomol tablet which you can take for three days. I recommend it for short term pain relief. Good luck - I hope the emergency dentist can sort you out.

@Makeitgoaway I'm with you - there is nothing like the agony of bad toothache. It's disgraceful that people are being left to suffer. I've had a lot of problems with my teeth in the last 6 months (including 2 infections and losing both teeth) and had a filling fall out this morning and had a crown booked in for April. I'm terrified now!!! Literally terrified.

This isn't what I've heard at all? I know that most dental practices are only offering telephone advice; but they are able to refer in to local designated centres where severe cases can be assessed? Also they said on the news today that dentists are to be supplied with PPE this week.

I don't practise any yams I'm going to say what all the other dentists are thinking but won't say...

This is what happens when you stop taking responsibility for your own oral health.

There's so much information out there but there's always an excuse. "Weak enamel". "Pregnancy". "Genetics".

Bull shit. 99% of dental disease is preventable. FACT. Maybe this will be the catalyst the country needs to take responsibility for themselves. I doubt it. I very much doubt it.