At my wits end :(

[Vickers_x]

Since lockdown began (I’m in the UK) I’ve dealt with toothache in various teeth but this eveninG when brushing my mouth Filled with blood, when I opened my mouth I saw a rush of blood come out from under a tooth which contains a filling. It is an old filling and quite deep and at the back it does feel like there’s a bit of a gap. but I don’t think it’s simple bleeding gums as it’s only the one. I’m petrified to sleep in case I bleed to death. Please any advice? Thank you

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Vickers_x

Not a dentist here and I hope one answers quickly but I'm sure that would be quite scary to put it very lightly to have a rush of blood come out your mouth . and to be laying back thinking about this. Did you try to call your dentist or maybe a nurse line in general to ask? I hope you get your answer

 

[Ihatedentistss]

I hope you are doing ok Vickers_x I’m sorry to hear about your filling and the blood. Maybe someone who is able to answer your question will see this soon. I’m wishing you the best

 

[Vickers_x]

Vickers_x

Not a dentist here and I hope one answers quickly but I'm sure that would be quite scary to put it very lightly to have a rush of blood come out your mouth . and to be laying back thinking about this. Did you try to call your dentist or maybe a nurse line in general to ask? I hope you get your answer

I hope you are doing ok Vickers_x I’m sorry to hear about your filling and the blood. Maybe someone who is able to answer your question will see this soon. I’m wishing you the best

thank you both for your kind replies. I’ve had tooth troubles since the beginning of lockdown but only with pain in other teeth - this one has come out of the blue. At my last dentist visit in February after an extraction I had x rays done and all I was told about all my fillings were that they were close to the nerves but that I still had time yet before I would need any work on them. Petrified there is a problem below the filling that I can’t see ? good thing is I managed to sleep and have had no more bleeding since but I’m being very cautious now with brushing and eating. Hoping to call the dentist soon and check when or if they have plans to reopen next month. But you know how it is, a mixture of anxiety even calling them and also feeling like I don’t want to put too much pressure on them right now as they must be inundated!

 

[letsconnect]

But you know how it is, a mixture of anxiety even calling them and also feeling like I don’t want to put too much pressure on them right now as they must be inundated!

They may well be inundated, but toothaches and rushing blood are an emergency rather than a routine visit and you should not feel that you're a burden or putting pressure on them, so do give them a call or drop them an email .

Dentists have just been told, out of the blue, that they can reopen on the 8th of June (previous guidelines were indicating that July would be the most likely return date). And because they had been told to delay ordering PPE in order not to draw on the resources of those working on the frontline, most practices won't be able to open until later in June at the earliest (as far as I can make out). But once they do reopen, patients with emergency problems will be first in line, so contacting them now would be a good idea!

Hope you're doing OK

 

[Niall Neeson]

Hi Vickers,

It’s been a really tough time to have tooth trouble and I completely appreciate how the lack of dentist availability can add to the concerns.

Although it may not have ‘simple’ bleeding gums, I can re-assure that the bleeding is almost certainly coming from the gum around or under the tooth. Teeth themselves only present with bleeding if they have been affected by significant trauma (a whack with something) or rarely if there’s an open cavity for a long, long time.

For a sudden and obvious bleed like this my guess is that something may have got stuck between the tooth and gum, caused a localised irritation and the body responds by flooding the area with blood as part of the inflammation process.

It may be part of an infective process (where the origin can be the tooth or the gum) so it’s definitely worth getting checked out as soon as you can.

As letsconnect said, emergencies are still being dealt with and bleeding or swellings will be taken seriously when mentioned. Even when we can’t see our patients we still want to help so my advice would be get in touch with a dentist (or maybe more than one...) and see what support you’re given.

For now, I know you’ll be concerned about the area but the best thing to do is to get stuck in with the toothbrush and keep the area as clean as you possible can. Warm salty water rinses are a good idea too.

How is it now? Are you gonna experiencing any pain from the area?

Niall

 

[Vickers_x]

Hi Vickers,

It’s been a really tough time to have tooth trouble and I completely appreciate how the lack of dentist availability can add to the concerns.

Although it may not have ‘simple’ bleeding gums, I can re-assure that the bleeding is almost certainly coming from the gum around or under the tooth. Teeth themselves only present with bleeding if they have been affected by significant trauma (a whack with something) or rarely if there’s an open cavity for a long, long time.

For a sudden and obvious bleed like this my guess is that something may have got stuck between the tooth and gum, caused a localised irritation and the body responds by flooding the area with blood as part of the inflammation process.

It may be part of an infective process (where the origin can be the tooth or the gum) so it’s definitely worth getting checked out as soon as you can.

As Sandra said, emergencies are still being dealt with and bleeding or swellings will be taken seriously when mentioned. Even when we can’t see our patients we still want to help so my advice would be get in touch with a dentist (or maybe more than one...) and see what support you’re given.

For now, I know you’ll be concerned about the area but the best thing to do is to get stuck in with the toothbrush and keep the area as clean as you possible can. Warm salty water rinses are a good idea too.

How is it now? Are you gonna experiencing any pain from the area?

Niall

hello, thank you for your reply. I agree with you, it did appear to be coming from either around or under the tooth on the gum itself. It’s been tender since then but I have a sore wisdom tooth on the same side and can never tell which it is. My dentist advises that if the pain becomes unbearable then to call them back - thankfully it hasn’t got to that stage just yet, but I am worried that I could have infections and just not know about it if that’s even possible. I haven’t had any bleeding from the area since thankfully! I sent the dentist a further email yesterday and they just said if the pain wakes me up at night or I get a fever etc to call them. So I guess now it’s a waiting game - I will take your advice and do salt water rinses too. Thank you so much ?

 

[Niall Neeson]

Good stuff. That all sounds reasonable and good to know they are there to help if you need it.

No doubt a good assessment in a week or two will be really helpful to provide an understanding of what exactly going on and what the options are to manage it.

Anything in the meantime, just let us know.

All the best,
Niall

 

[Vickers_x]

Good stuff. That all sounds reasonable and good to know they are there to help if you need it.

No doubt a good assessment in a week or two will be really helpful to provide an understanding of what exactly going on and what the options are to manage it.

Anything in the meantime, just let us know.

All the best,
Niall

thank you for this, apologies for my late reply, had some internet issues and have only just been able to get on!
I ended up calling the emergency helpline yesterday who told me they were advice only and to contact the dentist again on Monday. I’m not in pain at the moment but I can’t stop thinking about how there may still be an infection spreading somewhere. Would it even be possible to have an infection and not know about it? As this has been a problem since the end of March, could an infection go that long without presenting symptoms?

 

[Niall Neeson]

It’s a great sign that you’re not experiencing any symptoms so hopefully there’s very little going on. I’d say it’s still worth getting things looked at when you get the chance so that if there is some sort of low grade infective process or inflammation grumbling you can nip it in the bud as soon as possible to keep things simple.

 

[Vickers_x]

It’s a great sign that you’re not experiencing any symptoms so hopefully there’s very little going on. I’d say it’s still worth getting things looked at when you get the chance so that if there is some sort of low grade infective process or inflammation grumbling you can nip it in the bud as soon as possible to keep things simple.

thank you ? just to update, I have spoken with my dentist this morning and he advised that as I’ve been having pain in the tooth since March that it would’ve progressed by now if it was an infection and that he won’t give me antibiotics as there’s no swelling or pus (I explained the gum is red in that area) does this all sound correct? Admittedly I am worried he didn’t give me antibiotics as I’ve had pain for a while although I’m glad he said it doesn't sound like infection I’m slightly worried that one could erupt any time. In any case he advised he’s reluctant to do anything due to pregnancy. Not sure if I should call back for a second opinion?

 

[Niall Neeson]

That all sounds very reasonable and your dentist is correct in saying there’s no justification for antibiotics at this time- particularly during pregnancy. During pregnancy the gums can become more inflamed and red in appearance than normal. What’s crucial is that you maintain your oral hygiene as effectively as possible. The more plaque you remove the less fuel the gums have to react to. The better your cleaning (between the teeth as well as brushing), the more likely things will remain settled. Continue to do your best and your dentist can examine, assess and arrange a clean when appropriate.