Dental abscess, phobia of extraction, antibiotics stopped working.

[ATN]

Third molar on the upper right is abscessed. Infection started the Friday before November 30th. After a weekend of the worst nerve pain imaginable, the abscess came to a head and I spat a big mouthful of green pus out into my bathwater the next Monday morning. I've been on antibiotics since then, but the clindamycin doesn't seem to be working any more. Abscess formed another cyst yesterday, going from zero to blister in under twelve hours.

Chewing is fine. Eating and talking and everything is fine. The pain is confined to the nerves/upper face.

I have health insurance. Obscenely god damned expensive health insurance. My family pays for it, since I haven't been able to get full-time work. The insurance covers the draining of the abscess, and presumably hospitalization for septicemia. The fact that not treating the abscessed tooth will lead to septicemia? Eh, they don't care and won't pay.

I'm pretty outraged. It's not a it-may-happen thing, or a likely thing--it's a WILL HAPPEN thing. Tooth gets dealt with, or it gets worse.

I can probably borrow the few hundred dollars I need for a simple extraction, but I am not flipping physically or mentally capable of holding still while a tooth gets removed. Just going to the goddamned office will use up all my strength and I had my wisdom teeth out. My wisdom teeth were deformed and growing under the roots of the molars before them; the upper ones had to be shattered and removed as fragments. That was a therapeutic thing. The wisdom teeth were deformed and going to ruin molars. I was okay with that. If I am remotely conscious during the extraction,

I didn't care about the wisdom tooth removal. I've never cared about dental cleaning or fillings or anything.

I have a phobia about losing teeth and while I have tried to explain it, everyone hears "oh, you'd rather not lose a very prominent permanent tooth" instead of "Oh, maybe you're not lying when you say you're devolving into a shrieking cluster of madness and are likely to go APESHIT."

Because, yeah. Going apeshit is likely what I will be doing. I have been seriously considering starting a kickstarter page and donating a kidney or bone marrow to get the root canal/crown/implant/whatever covered.

This is the post after I deleted most of the curse words and apparently Brit deleted some more.

 

[shannon31]

While the fear of getting a tooth pulled can be unbearable, the alternative is much worse. I have had both 3rd molars removed with no problems. When I had mine removed, I was experiencing ungodly headaches from the infection. I begged for the dentists to yank those puppies out. The whole process took under 15 minutes, and that was with numbing time. Can you get a nerve pill prescribed to you? This will help you stay calm before you go in. When it comes to kicking the dentists in the gonads, I also contemplated the same thing when I had a wisdom tooth removed a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, he left the room with both still in place. Beleive me, you do not want the infetion to spread. The headache was 1,000 xs worse than having the tooth pulled. If all else fails, ask the dentist if they can sedate you first.

 

[tabatha7]

Shannon, you need to find a new dentist. I don't like the way he treated you. The most important thing is to find a good oral surgeon you can trust. Someone that will numb you up good and STOP if you need them to so you can be given more local until you are numbed up enough. Sedation would be good for ATN even if it is just an oral sedative. Don't let anyone touch you that you are not comfortable with and trust.

 

[carole]

ATN they don't rip teeth out of your jaw. They lift teeth out, there is no shaking you about or anything.

I don't really know what your question is, sorry.

If you are looking for somewhere affordable to have it removed then try a dental teaching hospital they are more affordable. If it is a rct you want then they can also do this too. There is no pain with either of these.

 

[ATN]

Thanks for the replies.

It actually worked out... well... I'm not going to say it was awesome, because I wish none of this had happened, but it wasn't as bad as I'd thought. I mostly just feel... so much relief.

It's over. Part of my problem was that I'm youngish, in my early thirties, and I was horrified about how people would perceive me if I was missing a tooth. I'd look like a crack whore, like trash, like some sort of human waste or a meth-head. It's a self-image thing and I don't know why, but I got conditioned to think that a woman without teeth is... gross. Like missing a tooth is like having an STD. Revolting. Disgusting. Like I should be ashamed for letting this happen to me. Losing a tooth, to me, would be like having "this whore has herpes" tattooed on my forehead.

I also thought it was going to hurt so, so, so much more than it did. The removal of my wisdom teeth was pretty complicated oral surgery; my face swelled up so much that I looked like a chipmunk for a week. This didn't hurt at all, except at one point, and then I got more of whatever-caine.

I've got a little swelling, nothing major. The dentist I wound up going to was the same one who's been treating me--off and on--since I was a child. The familiarity helped; his office location has changed but he's still got the same art on the walls. He also made sure that I had an oral sedative (Valium/diazepam), some Vicodin for after, and nitrous oxide during the procedure, and two types of injected anesthetics.

He's kind of weird and pricey, but I've had nothing but good results from his practice.

Right now, it's not even been twelve hours, and it just itches more than it hurts. I feel so much relief. I'm still pretty loopy from the sedatives and painkillers, so I hope this post makes sense. This isn't even a fraction of the pain that I felt when the abscess was forming, and it's nothing compared to that horror-movie moment when the abscess burst and that gob of yellow-green-grey squirted into my mouth.

Pretty sure the regulars here know how deadly an untreated abscess can be, but it doesn't hurt to repeat it: A neat and quick extraction done by a top-end professional beats the alternative of dying slowly in horrible pain. You can always get a dental implant later to replace it, and done right, the thing will probably be better than the original tooth.

I'm in the Gulf South area (America), and if someone wants the name of my dentist, pm/email me and I'll share it with more details; he was really good at just calming me down

Thanks and sorry for the cussing.

And if anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation: You will be okay.

 

[Jacky32]

Thanks for the replies.

And if anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation: You will be okay.

I am, on Monday I have to have one of my top molars pulled (what's left of it, one half is broken off at the gumline now). I'm scared to death not only about the pain I keep imagining but the sounds it will make and the pressure of him pushing and pulling on it, plus since it is broken I think he has to use a special tool to grab it. I think I'm going to ask if he will put me to sleep, I want to be out like a light. He probably won't though. Aside from being terrified about the experience I'm scared about what it will be like afterward, having a space there and how will I eat and get used to the weird feeling. I'm very glad to hear that it worked out for you, every success story helps but I'm still a nervous wreck. I think I'd like to have it replaced with an implant but that procedure also sounds like a nightmare and is so expensive. I can only deal with so much at once so I'll put off thinking about that for now.

 

[carole]

Congratulations on getting the tooth out, I am glad it went well for you.

Jacky32 try not to worry too much it will be fine, if you think you feel anything at all just let the dentist know and they can make sure that you are properly numbed.

 

[JayBay]

Hi,

out of curiosity did you have the wisdom tooth removed while the abscess was still present?

you mentioned the antibiotics didnt seem to of worked?. I ask because i have been on antibiotics for a wisdom infection and badly swollen gums around it (abscess probably) but i have not noticed any reduced swelling while on these antibiotics. The abscess type bumps seem to be still there and im about 6 pills to the end of the prescription.(2 days)

 

[ATN]

I am, on Monday I have to have one of my top molars pulled (what's left of it, one half is broken off at the gumline now). I'm scared to death not only about the pain I keep imagining but the sounds it will make and the pressure of him pushing and pulling on it, plus since it is broken I think he has to use a special tool to grab it.

I had my third molar (not the one all the way in the back, the one right before it, the second-to-last one) on the top out. My dentist split it into three pieces, so he could remove each of the three roots one at a time. He told me this is because the roots are curved inward in different directions, kind of like a clawed hand, and that there's less risk of breaking them off in the jaw this way. I heard some clicking and maybe a pop or two over my music (bring headphones, if you can), but there was no great pressure or grinding. Just slightly more "clicky" than when TMJ makes my jaw pop.

The pain, if your dentist is any good at all, should be negligible to non-existent during the procedure. My dentist gave me two Valium (diazepam) to take an hour before I arrived (for this, you will need a reliable ride; no driving on sedatives!). When I got there, I got nitrous, got my gums slathered in a topical anesthetic, and then he gave me two different type of injected anesthetic. When I still had some pain during the procedure, he gave me another injection. The worst pain of it all was the injection on the palate side.

I think I'm going to ask if he will put me to sleep, I want to be out like a light. He probably won't though.

Full anesthesia isn't something most dentists will do, and IIRC it's actually not a good idea for dental work. It adds the potential for life-threatening complications; I lost a friend that way. [EDIT: Not in a dental procedure or anything like it!! It was a routine bronchial aspiration for treating a cystic fibrosis-like syndrome that happened under GENERAL ANESTHESIA, which is why you don't want to go completely to sleep for just an extraction!] What you CAN get, possibly, is an IV sedative, but for me, Valium and nitrous oxide were more than enough.

Aside from being terrified about the experience I'm scared about what it will be like afterward, having a space there and how will I eat and get used to the weird feeling. I'm very glad to hear that it worked out for you, every success story helps but I'm still a nervous wreck.

Demand sedatives and painkillers from your dentist. Don't ask; DEMAND. Getting the prescriptions from most MDs can be like--horrible pun intended--pulling teeth, because of the "abuse/addiction potential," but in cases like this... THIS IS WHAT THAT MEDICINE IS FOR. [EDIT AGAIN for... more clarity, I hope?] Instead of flipping out like a nutcase, I'm able to stay calm and adjust. My main problem with eating is remembering to be gentle and not eat anything too rough, and remembering I can't use straws. The gap is a little weird, but it's actually bugging me less than the slight gap I have between two other teeth--that gap needs flossing or a toothpick half the time I eat; nothing gets stuck in a molar-sized hole.

I think I'd like to have it replaced with an implant but that procedure also sounds like a nightmare and is so expensive. I can only deal with so much at once so I'll put off thinking about that for now.

I was dead set on getting an implant, personally, but I'm finding the missing tooth not as bad as I thought it would be. It helps that I can grin as wide as I can, and nobody can even see the gap. You have a lot of time to think about the implant and save money; IIRC, you have to wait for your extraction site to heal before you can even start planning it and that takes months. So there's no big rush.

Also, if at any time you get a bad vibe from this guy--and you seem to have a lot of misgivings--CALL. IT. OFF. Being afraid is normal; you shouldn't ignore your instincts. If he won't give you gas, if he won't painkillers and sedatives, if he hasn't called you in for a pre-op consultation where he tells you exactly what he's going to do, why he'll be doing it that way, what you can expect... DITCH THAT MOFO LIKE A FLAMING BAG OF DOGCRAP.

When I was twenty, and our insurance no longer covered my childhood dentist (the dude who I begged and borrowed money to see for my extraction), I went to this co-op place. They did some X-rays, and told me I had more cavities than I had teeth ("some teeth have cavities on multiple facets").

They scheduled me for getting half of them filled. ("Oh, we'll just do all the ones on the top and bottom left, then we'll get the other side later.") I thought about it, and decided... Fuck that shit. I just didn't show up; I think I got my whole family dropped from the dental plan because of it. I felt pretty bad about that... at the time.

Years past, an old filling fell out, and with vast trepidation, I picked a random guy from my work's dental insurance. I went in, I told him he'd have a field day and he'd make himself rich because of all my old cavities that had gone untreated for years. I got my X-rays. He and the assistants looked at me, looked at the X-rays, and asked me: "Did someone really, truly tell you that you had FORTY-FOUR CAVITIES?" "Yeah." "You don't have any. You have a filling that came out." "So they got better?" "Nooo... cavities don't get better. If someone had given you 44 fillings, it would've been dental malpractice."

Trust your gut and run screaming if you get a bad vibe.

I hope this makes sense, 'cos... pretty doped up here.

 

[ATN]

Hi,

out of curiosity did you have the wisdom tooth removed while the abscess was still present?

you mentioned the antibiotics didnt seem to of worked?. I ask because i have been on antibiotics for a wisdom infection and badly swollen gums around it (abscess probably) but i have not noticed any reduced swelling while on these antibiotics. The abscess type bumps seem to be still there and im about 6 pills to the end of the prescription.(2 days)

Heh, sorry, I'm probably not making much sense.

I had my wisdom teeth out over ten years ago, when they finally started erupting, or trying to. It was a scheduled surgery because I didn't have enough room in my mouth for the lower wisdom teeth, and the top ones were impacted and actually growing out under/into the roots of the molars in front of them. It was a big painful complicated thing, but no infection involved.

The extraction was the result of an abscessed tooth. You can get an abscessed tooth extracted while the infection is still active; I believe dentists prefer to treat it first, so they can go in and see what they're doing without the swelling and pus getting in the way; also, think it works better for the patient if the surrounding tissues are "calmer."

The kind of antibiotic matters, a lot. Some are good for treating abscesses, others are not. Clindamycin (brand name Cleocin) absolutely DESTROYED my infection. When I ran out of it, my dentist prescribed Cephalexin (brand name Keflex), and some of the puffiness came back, but without major swelling or pus/fluid drainage. I'm allergic to penicillin and erythromycin; there may be better options for folks who don't have allergies.

Who prescribed your antibiotics, what kind of antibiotics are they, how long have you been on them, and is your swelling getting worse, staying the same, or going down a little but not much?

It sounds like you really need to find out what's wrong in the first place. Try to get seen by a dentist and get some X-rays. If you're having pain and a lot of bleeding/pus, do it as soon as you can. An uncontrolled abscess is a very dangerous thing; the damage can spread to other teeth, the bacteria can get into your blood, etc. If you're uninsured, short on money and can't beg/borrow/charge any, try seeing if you can get into a student training treatment program at a local university hospital. Try various charities. It's a soul-withering process, but hopefully someone on this site will have a list. If you have a steady job, see about dentists that accept payment plans.

Good luck!

 

[JayBay]

Thanks for that,

I have had an infection for at least 1 year, in the last 1 or 2 months it bleeds a bit when i brushed or randomly,,, not much though. I only went to the dentist because recently my face had swollen up a little bit (few MM not huge but enough to notice) i wasnt in pain.

I am also allergic to penicillin and my dentist gave me metronidazol 400mg 21 pills 3 times a day.

I noticed every so slight reducing in swelling but the bump or 2 is still swollen around the tooth. With the xray i had it showed that the crown or base of the tooth has completely parted company with the root. So if i wobble the wisdom tooth (whats left of it) it actually moved from left to right a couple MM.

 

[Rhea21]

Hello! I have went through the exact same situation as you, I kept getting an Abcess and infection in my mouth and I would get antibiotics for it, I went on like this for months till the last time the Abcess come back and the pain I was in was unbearable!! Anyways I have just had my back molar pulled out today and please please believe me when I said tha the actual removal of the tooth was nothing I felt absoloutely no pain and hardly any pressure as he knew I was scared so he was gentle and I swear the tooth was out in less than a minute. I have to be honest about the needle though, when he injected the numbing stuff the needle hit a nerve (it's not ment to buy can easily happen as they wana get the needle as close to the nerve as possible) and it did hurt the pain shot up my face and the vision on my right eye went funny, this passed away in a few secounds though, I seriously was the worst dental phobic ever!! I would have panic attacks, cry and would find it hard to even sit in the waitin room. I have found a wonderfully dentist who had helped me overcome this fear please get a dentist who will b patient, understanding and kind. Don't withhold going the dentist it's really not as bad as u think. If I can do it anyone can! Good luck