G
Guest
Former Member
Hi,
I'm glad to have found this board. I had a very embarrassing experience at the dentist today - I think the actual details of what happened probably belong on the support board so I'll post there too. I'm in the UK by the way - just in case any of my terminology seems weird!
I have a front tooth (canine, top) which had a huge cavity in the back of it, and which, because I am so scared of dental treatment, has been getting worse for ages. Recently the tooth broke and I now only have a small shard left at the front, plus the root etc of course. I wasn't really in much pain at all, just the odd ache, and I had a dental appointment due for that tooth the same week, by coincidence, so I went then. The tooth was still aching minimally at this point - in fact, I was surprised to be experiencing so little pain.
The dentist judged that it could wait the couple of weeks or so till he could fit me in for proper treatment. I agreed. He put a temporary filling in. The next day (I realise this might be coincidence and is probably nothing to do with the temp filling) I started to experience intense pain. I waited to see if the tooth would settle, it didn't and I was in agony so a day or two later I made an emergency appointment. My normal dentist was unavailable so I had to see another.
The second dentist offered me the option of getting a root canal underway or having the tooth extracted. I have had some terrible experiences of root canals so opted for extraction. Just before he got started, though, he changed his mind commenting that there was a large swelling (he didn't actually call it an abscess so I don't know if it is) at the top of my gum. He said that this could compromise the efficacy of the anaesthetic. Needless to say, I agreed to let him prescribe penicillin and wait to have the treatment another day.
I started taking the penicillin last Friday and finished end of Tuesday. It's Thursday today. The pain is much better and is tolerable now, but not gone, the swelling hasn't gone, and in addition I still have a feeling of numbness from the top of the tooth up my gum to the swelling, like a local was just wearing off. (I have had this since the severe pain started, BTW.)
I went back to my regular dentist today and he said that although the penicillin hadn't completely killed the infection, the only way to get rid of it was to extract the tooth. He said that there would still be some pain because, as the other dentist had said, the infection would affect the anaesthetic.
I declined to have the tooth treated today - partly in sheer fear of the pain, partly because there is a part of me that isn't convinced the penicillin has had time to work. Infections tend to take a while to clear up, for me. However, the dentist refused on 'ethical' grounds to prescribe more penicillin so we were left at a stalemate and the tooth still needs treating.
Here's my question. Is five days really likely to be enough for the penicillin to have fully done its job? I realise the answer is likely to vary a great deal from person to person and I am not going to put off seeking further treatment - I plan to try to get in to see another dentist tomorrow for a second opinion if I can, and regardless of the outcome I realise something needs done about the tooth very quickly. If the second dentist says the same as the first, I know I will have to accept it and proceed with treatment. However, given my fears about dental procedures, I am naturally hoping fervently that I will not be faced with a scenario of having to have the tooth removed with inadequate anaesthesia!
Maybe clutching at straws here, but given that I generally find that when I get infections they take a while to clear up, do you think there is any chance that a) the penicillin may yet kick in given more time, or b) that if another dentist was happy to provide more penicillin, this may resolve it?
Bottom line: is it really the case that I may have no alternative but to have this tooth pulled out (or root filled) even though the anaesthetic is inadequate to deal with the pain?? Just thinking about it is making me break out in a cold sweat. Advice hugely appreciated!
Cheers,
Sky
I'm glad to have found this board. I had a very embarrassing experience at the dentist today - I think the actual details of what happened probably belong on the support board so I'll post there too. I'm in the UK by the way - just in case any of my terminology seems weird!
I have a front tooth (canine, top) which had a huge cavity in the back of it, and which, because I am so scared of dental treatment, has been getting worse for ages. Recently the tooth broke and I now only have a small shard left at the front, plus the root etc of course. I wasn't really in much pain at all, just the odd ache, and I had a dental appointment due for that tooth the same week, by coincidence, so I went then. The tooth was still aching minimally at this point - in fact, I was surprised to be experiencing so little pain.
The dentist judged that it could wait the couple of weeks or so till he could fit me in for proper treatment. I agreed. He put a temporary filling in. The next day (I realise this might be coincidence and is probably nothing to do with the temp filling) I started to experience intense pain. I waited to see if the tooth would settle, it didn't and I was in agony so a day or two later I made an emergency appointment. My normal dentist was unavailable so I had to see another.
The second dentist offered me the option of getting a root canal underway or having the tooth extracted. I have had some terrible experiences of root canals so opted for extraction. Just before he got started, though, he changed his mind commenting that there was a large swelling (he didn't actually call it an abscess so I don't know if it is) at the top of my gum. He said that this could compromise the efficacy of the anaesthetic. Needless to say, I agreed to let him prescribe penicillin and wait to have the treatment another day.
I started taking the penicillin last Friday and finished end of Tuesday. It's Thursday today. The pain is much better and is tolerable now, but not gone, the swelling hasn't gone, and in addition I still have a feeling of numbness from the top of the tooth up my gum to the swelling, like a local was just wearing off. (I have had this since the severe pain started, BTW.)
I went back to my regular dentist today and he said that although the penicillin hadn't completely killed the infection, the only way to get rid of it was to extract the tooth. He said that there would still be some pain because, as the other dentist had said, the infection would affect the anaesthetic.
I declined to have the tooth treated today - partly in sheer fear of the pain, partly because there is a part of me that isn't convinced the penicillin has had time to work. Infections tend to take a while to clear up, for me. However, the dentist refused on 'ethical' grounds to prescribe more penicillin so we were left at a stalemate and the tooth still needs treating.
Here's my question. Is five days really likely to be enough for the penicillin to have fully done its job? I realise the answer is likely to vary a great deal from person to person and I am not going to put off seeking further treatment - I plan to try to get in to see another dentist tomorrow for a second opinion if I can, and regardless of the outcome I realise something needs done about the tooth very quickly. If the second dentist says the same as the first, I know I will have to accept it and proceed with treatment. However, given my fears about dental procedures, I am naturally hoping fervently that I will not be faced with a scenario of having to have the tooth removed with inadequate anaesthesia!
Maybe clutching at straws here, but given that I generally find that when I get infections they take a while to clear up, do you think there is any chance that a) the penicillin may yet kick in given more time, or b) that if another dentist was happy to provide more penicillin, this may resolve it?
Bottom line: is it really the case that I may have no alternative but to have this tooth pulled out (or root filled) even though the anaesthetic is inadequate to deal with the pain?? Just thinking about it is making me break out in a cold sweat. Advice hugely appreciated!
Cheers,
Sky