In agony - do I need a dentist or a doctor?

[MrsMuddle]

The side of my face is very sore. It feels bruised (but it isn't) and I'm getting waves of pain from my jaw to behind my eyeball.

I'm hardly ever ill, so I'm a bit of a drama queen when I am, but it really is agony.

I've got an appointment for a check-up at the dentist on Thursday anyway, but it doesn't feel like toothache.

Help!

Ouch! Sounds like sinuses to me - do you feel dizzy and does it get worse when you move your head suddenly? You'd need a doctor for that, and some antibiotics.

Hope it gets better soon.

It might be sinusitis or it might be an abcess.
I've had both and iirc it was quite hard to localise the pain to tell them apart. I'm not sure if you can get the former without also having nasal catarrh though.

ABs might temporarily calm an abcess but it would need dealign with properly by the dentist anyway else it'd flare up again later.

Thanks, both of you. No dizziness and it doesn't get worse when I move my head suddenly. No catarrh either.

I can't do anything tomorrow - I'm delivering training to a company who are paying a lot for it, and no-one else can take my place.

I'll dose up on painkillers and see the dentist on Thursday.

Thanks

Is the inside of your cheek sore and swollen,like a cord running along the middle of the cheek towards your ear ?
If so could be inflammation of the parotid duct which needs antibiotics.

It's definitely my tooth - sore to touch, and sore when I close my mouth and it touches the tooth above.

Thanks for all your help.

Might be worth seeing your out-of hours GP tonight, to get started on antibiotics and prescription painkillers.

Oil of cloves is good for toothache. Works like an anaesthetic. Any chemist sells it.

I have been at the dentist, and it is an abscess. There's more filling that tooth TBH, but she's cleaned out some of the infection and packed it with antibiotic "stuff" and I'm going to get root canal treatment next week.

I can't imagine having that pain and not being able to see an NHS dentist. It's a scandal that they are so rare in many parts of the country.

The dentist thing is a scandal I agree. Weve just moved to a new area and have had difficulty getting a dentist. We have had to go to a neighbouring area, fortunately only 3 miles away, but its still annoying that the two dentists in our small town arent taking new nhs patients. I feel like saying, oy! I paid for your training...

The government should flood the market with new dentists. That would put an end to them going private and ripping people off. As if they didn't earn enough! Phone your local Primary Care Trust (phone book) to get dentist.

I feel your pain - had exactly the same happen a few months ago - cost me £300 privately!!