Abcess left untreated

[jenijeni]

I am in serious trouble with my dental health. I have had an obvious but untreated abcess in a lower molar for more than a year now. Most of the remaining teeth on the same side are clearly beyond repair as well. I also have an old full upper bridge which was never cemented, and last week, fell out. Decay under.
I have severe PTSD, anxiety and now agoraphobia. I am frozen in pain and fear. Phobic. I am worried that the infections will spread to the optic nerve. (I googled...) I've already lost all sight in one eye several years ago, exact cause highly suspected but uncertain. Blows to head, eye, but never properly diagnosed.
Can a dentist please tell me if my remaining sight is threatened by the infections? There is no rednesss to the eyes, nor swelling. Some tearing.
What are the chances of this leading to blindness? I take diazapam daily, but it does not touch this fear.
Please help if you can.

 

[Gordon]

Can a dentist please tell me if my remaining sight is threatened by the infections? There is no rednesss to the eyes, nor swelling. Some tearing.

Nope, not a chance at all.

What are the chances of this leading to blindness?

Zero.

 

[jenijeni]

Thank you so much for your reply. It eases my mind (and my terror) on that count. I am in a truly horrible situation, my immune system is about done by now as well, I would think. There is not much competant dental help in my area, and then my own problems with facing it all.
I don't know why our friend Google is such an alarmist on these things... I know very well that I should go to Urgent Care (or a dentist), just riding it out for now. So frozen in fear and dread that I simply cannot face the idea as of yet. I have a good deal of shame at the state of my teeth as well, and the dentist who did the original work is no longer available. I managed to put the full upper bridge back in myself, and for now it is still in place, so I can eat at least.

 

[jenijeni]

I’m checking back in with an update. My situation has reached the point where treatment can no longer be delayed; since I’m mostly dealing with roots and decay, I’ll be having all of my upper teeth extracted.

While I know the extractions are necessary, I am struggling with a deep fear regarding my appearance. I’m afraid of leaving the clinic looking like an "old lady." My lips are naturally full enough that they’ve partially hidden the state of my teeth until now, but I’m worried that once the roots are gone, my facial structure will collapse or my lips will thin out. What should I expect regarding facial changes immediately after the extractions?

I am hoping to get dental implants once I’ve healed, but even then, I worry about changes to my face. I know this situation isn't sustainable, but the vanity aspect of this is hitting me hard. Any reassurance or advice on what to expect would be very much appreciated.

 

[Gordon]

Your lips won't change at all.

The changes in facial appearance are down to loss of the bone over the canines mostly. It takes years for this to progress to a point where it's noticeable.

Over time dentures should be regularly replaced so as to account for these changes, but in many cases, people get them and keep them for 20+ years, so it doesn't happen. Of course just to keep things interesting not everyone has the same degree of bone loss

The good news for you though is that having implants prevents the bone loss in the first place.So if you go ahead and have implants done then you don't really need to worry about it.

 

[jenijeni]

Thanks so much for your help. Are patients usually fitted with temporary dentures immediately after the extraction procedure, or should I expect a healing period first? I don't know if I will be a candidate for implants (hoping for the best), but as I understand, that would be at least several months down the road. Unfortunately, I have quite a few broken lower teeth as well, so the work is going to be quite extensive.

 

[Gordon]

Yes, usually they get what we call "immediate dentures". These have some advantages and disadvantages which you should discuss with your dentist.

It's pretty unusual for somebody to be completely unable to have implants.