(newbie question) I have a weird lump on my gum

[bris]

Hi everyone! What an amazing site this is...I've visited it before after getting root canal done quite a while ago.
Here's another sob story from someone who is crap at looking after their teeth.

I haven't been registered with a dental practice for about 6 years. When I got the root canal treatment done, that was with an emergency dentist. I've moved to a new town (Bristol, UK) to start university, and 4 weeks into the course, I have grown a strange lump on my gum! No longer can I ignore the slightly less than perfect state of my teeth.

I'll try to describe it...

It is on the outside of my gum, and it's right between one of my lower wisdom teeth and its neighbouring molar. The wisdom tooth is impacted and when I shine a torch into my mouth I can see what looks like a small cavity in the middle of it. The molar seems ok to me - no gaping holes!

The lump appeared two days ago, and has stayed the same size since. The great news is it doesn't hurt, even if I poke it and squish it around. Unfortunately it looks and feels like it's full of fluid...whether the fluid is puss or something more innocent, I do not know!

At the moment I'm only feeling mild discomfort due to the slight swelling - although if I run my hand firmly under my chin and along the jawbone I do feel a slight pinch when I get to the site of the swelling......


I'm thinking this is an abscess? It does seem weird to me that I'm not in severe screaming pain...does that happen with abscesses?

I don't have any classes tomorow, so first thing in the morning I'll start shopping for a dentist locally...I've seen a couple of promising websites already. Based on the sketchy information I've given you, how much do you think I'll have to pay to get myself out of hot water here? I was thinking maybe £60 for my first assessment then something like £150 for a wisdom tooth extraction?

I probably won't get seen till next week, so in the meantime I'm keeping the area as clean as possible and rinsing with clorhexidine...sound good?

[DrMike]

hi there, and welcome!
it looks like you've answered alot of your own questions!
it does sound like an abscess and yes you can get them with no pain.
it could be coming from the wisdom tooth and if so, removing it should solve the problem.
obviously the dentist will look into any other possibilities for what is causing it.
costs will vary place to place- but the ones you mention sound pretty close to what i'd expect.
keep rinsing with chlorhexidine and/or a warm salty solution.
let us know how you get on.
regards
dr mike

[bris]

hi there, and welcome!
it looks like you've answered alot of your own questions!
it does sound like an abscess and yes you can get them with no pain.
it could be coming from the wisdom tooth and if so, removing it should solve the problem.
obviously the dentist will look into any other possibilities for what is causing it.
costs will vary place to place- but the ones you mention sound pretty close to what i'd expect.
keep rinsing with chlorhexidine and/or a warm salty solution.
let us know how you get on.
regards
dr mike

Cheers Dr Mike!

I'm booked in with a swanky private surgery very close to where I live. Obviously the price list is just indicative, but it looks like I'll be paying £65 for the consultation plus £185 for a surgical extraction - not the end of the world, but I'm a little upset that it's come to this! Ah well, sh*t happens.

No doubt the dentist will give me a veritable rap sheet of different procedures which I need all of which will cost the earth, but I was thinking that once the abscess is fixed, I can take my business elsewhere for the more pricey things.

The lump is a little bit harder today, still the same size, still a bit uncomfortable, still no real pain. Eating isn't a problem, but everything tastes like toothpaste and clorhexidine...

I'm going to phone my primary care trust next week and try to get a list of NHS dentists within reasonable distance of Bristol - I don't mind travelling if I can get NHS care for the rest of the work...I imagine I will have to make a lot of phone calls, but hopefully I will find another dentist somewhere.

Also, I've found an dental emergency number on the PCT website which I can ring for help and advice if it starts to hurt.

[bris]

Ok, the plot thickens...

I'm all set to visit the dentist and have my x-rays and consultation tomorrow, but the swelling has gone away...I've not taken any anti-biotics.

Is it possible the swelling was just a cyst instead of an abscess? I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

I'm cursing my stupidity for not looking into this earlier when I was living in Edinburgh. I could have had a crown fitted to my root-canaled molar for just 250 knicker up there - the dentist I'm going to tomorrow charges a whole 450...it would actually be cheaper to fly to Edinburgh for the day and come straight back than stay here and have it done....pisses me off.

[pyoung0074]

Hey There.

Just wanted to let you know that I LOVE Edinburgh. I went there to perform at the Fringe Festival in 2003.

Unfortunatley I can't help with specific tooth questions

[bris]

Hey There.

Just wanted to let you know that I LOVE Edinburgh. I went there to perform at the Fringe Festival in 2003.

Unfortunatley I can't help with specific tooth questions

Haha! Cheers for the comment anyway, LOL

Yes, I lived in Edinburgh for five years and it is pretty cool...

[bris]

Good news!

The wisdom tooth can stay in for the time being...the dentist thinks that the swelling on the gum was probably due to my immune system being a bit run down cos of stress...if it flairs up again or causes any other problems it'll probably need to come out (depending on the opinion of the dentist who I end up seeing).

Dentist said there are two teeth which need work, one urgent, one not so urgent. Everything else is ok but I'll probably need a couple of visits to the hygienist for preventative work.

Now the excellent news - my doctor gave me a list of dentists near the university who will take Bristol uni students as NHS patients provided they have an HC2 or HC3 certificate...I'm going to apply for my HC3 tomorrow and as soon as it comes through I'll go to one of those dentists and get registered. The dentist I saw today said she would pass on the x-rays and info they gathered today just to save me having to have more x-rays done too soon...