• Dental Phobia Support

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My Story/Ramblings!

E

ella-ella

Member
Joined
May 8, 2015
Messages
40
Hi Everyone

I thought it might help me with my own dental journey and fear if I kept a diary here. Reading this site has helped me so much so if reading my ramblings helps one other person, even better.

I'm 34 years old and haven't looked after my teeth for years. As a child I have a vague memory of being knocked out and having 4x molars removed. I have all four of my wisdom teeth, and aside from a tooth I had extracted a few years ago (and another one extracted only this afternoon) my mouth doesn't have any gaps, although it does need work.

I'll try and start near the beginning....

I remember being 17 or 18 and having lots of silver fillings in most of my molars. This dentist was near to where I worked at the time and after those fillings I never went back, I had no need to and I don't really remember having a fear back then.

Ten years later, not long after having my first baby, I woke in the night to horrendous toothache. I writhered around in agony for 2 or 3 days before joining the local NHS dentist and making an appointment. In the time since my fillings as a teenager, I had suffered from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. I don't know if it was that, or if it was the fact that there was an 'acquaintance' for the dental nurse, or the fact that the dentist was horrid, whatever it was I was absolutely terrified.

I remember the dentist having eyes that never actually looked at you (sorry I don't know the correct term), and her English being quite bad. She told me I had an abscess, drilled down into my tooth to relieve the pressure, prescribed me antibiotics, and wanted me to return for I *think* Root Canal...or possibly an extraction.

Once she'd drilled down the 'acquaintance' asked about my brother (who she used to date) and then proceeded to say extractions were easy and to show me the tools they used. She was incredibly unprofessional.

I never went back.

A couple of years later this tooth had kept breaking away and had only 1/4 left above the gum line. I knew it needed sorting but I put it off and off, until I was in unbearable pain with another abscess that I had no choice but to get it looked at. I point blank refused to return to the NHS practice, and instead found a private practice, rang them up, and got an emergency appointment to have it taken out for £80.

This place was lovely, leather sofa's, free coffee and juice - nothing like a dentists at all! I got a young dentist who I really liked and he had the remains of the tooth out in no time. Yes I was terrified but I was in so much pain I just wanted it to stop. This was the point where I decided I couldn't go through all this again and it was time I got myself sorted once and for all, but it wasn't that simple and didn't happen...


A few days after the extraction I ended up with Dry Socket. I hadn't even heard of it before, i just thought it was normal! Had I of known what it was I could of saved myself a lot of pain by contacting the dentist much sooner than I did. Instead I suffered and struggled until it was so bad I'd of quite happily given birth again, rather than have that pain!

Anyway, the dry socket was packed, it started to heal and I went back a couple of times determined to sort my mouth out. My treatment plan had quite a few fillings on there, I think it came to around £600/£700. I had the emergency extraction, 2 x silver fillings removed and replaced with white. I had every intention of continuing the treatment - I liked the dentist, he was good with me being so nervous and panicky. They even had things like heated mittens to use to take your mind of everything.

But, we just couldn't afford it. So here I am 4 years later in the same position, but even more terrified as I know I can't afford to go private. I have convinced myself that private dentists are the best dentists and that all NHS dentists won't care, especially not about my ridiculous fear of dentists.

Wow that was quite long, sorry but well done if you've made it this far!!

I will continue my story in the comments tomorrow as I have been receiving treatment with an AMAZING NHS dentist for the last few weeks after yet another abscess. I want to keep a record of how much he has helped me and how incredibly proud I am of myself for eventually facing up to the fact that I need to sort my mouth out, and actually going and having treatment. I hope that reading it back will give me that boost I need when I'm almost paralyzed with fear at the thought of my next appointment.
 
Sorry about the delay updating!

Soooo, in January this year, around 4/5 months ago, I started having really bad toothache. I'd had it for a couple of days or so in the past but it had started to get quite bad to the point I couldn't function at times. It was usually always on my bottom right and would feel like it was in anything up to 6 or 7 teeth when it peaked. I'd usually always get it in my bottom left side a few days after too and that would also feel like it was in a few teeth.

I basically lived on painkillers for 3 months but when it got to the point of taking Codeine, Paracetamol and Ibuprofen, and still not being able to sleep, I knew I had to do something about it.

I sat and cried whilst I looked through dentist reviews on the NHS website. I didn't care how far away it was, I wanted somewhere that had good reviews! I eventually found a place that sounded brilliant for nervous patients like me. I rang them up, explained how I had been in pain for 3 months and how terrified I was. The girl on reception said they had a fantastic dentist and booked me in for 6 days time....
 
6 days felt like a lifetime but I'd waited this long so I could wait 6 more days.

On the day of the appointment I was a total wreck. I had to drive myself and I cried the whole way there. I sat outside 40 minutes early and smoked about 10 cigarettes one after the other! As I went in I had to sign some forms and she told me to go wait in the waiting room - I actually couldn't, I sat by the door at the reception desk because I felt like I was going to pass out.

As soon as I was called I burst into tears. As I walked into the dentists room with the dental nurse I was a sobbing mess. The dentist was so lovely though, he explained that he was only going to look today, and then he was going to get me out of pain.

I calmed down enough for him to have a poke around, he shouted out some things that the nurse typed down and then he asked where the pain was. At that particular time the horrendous pain was in my left side, not my right as it usually was. He did some x rays and explained that the tooth next to my wisdom tooth had a big bit of decay underneath the huge filling I'd had done private a few years before, and that I also had an abscess. He prescribed me some antibiotics and wanted me to return for Root Canal on it.

I knew I'd need more work, but I didn't ask what that would be at the time, I just wanted to get home! I needed 2 x 1 hour appointments for the Root Canal. The first was made for almost three weeks time, and the second was made for two weeks after that (he is a very popular dentist!)

I went home, started the antibiotics and was so glad to be out of pain after a day or so...
 
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Root Canal

I spent the whole time between appointments obsessing over Root Canal Treatment. At first I couldn't even look at diagrams of what happened, but then I found an odd sense of calming in them so I read and read about Root Canals, read almost every thread on here, and even started watching videos on Youtube, but only animated ones, or ones set to music!

When I had the check up I was in such a state that the dentist suggested I have diazapam (sp). He said I didn't have to decide then, I could phone up or call in the day before and they'd give me a prescription for it. I knew I didn't want it as I like to feel in control, I don't drink alcohol as I don't like the feeling and even Codeine knocked me out and made me feel all spaced out and dizzy so I knew I really didn't want to take it.

On the morning of the appointment I was beside myself with nerves. I had to go myself again but I was determined to be brave and do it. This time I managed to sit in the waiting room and when I was called I didn't burst into tears. The nurse this time was different but to be honest I hadn't really noticed the one last time so it didn't bother me - as it turns out I couldn't of asked for a better one...

It was only in the few days before hand that I'd realized that they use rubber dams for Root Canal, this made me quite nervous but then I realized that I might prefer it as it meant I couldn't choke on anything and I might feel more detached from what was going on in my mouth.

The dentist was very nice again and explained to lift my left hand if I wanted him to stop. I never once felt rushed or stupid and that in itself made the whole thing 100x easier for me. Had the dentist not of been as nice at that 1st check up, I'm quite sure I'd of never returned, only to be back here again in a few years time.

I don't really have an issue with the needle, I feel like it's the easier part. After loads of extra injections because my tooth was still inflamed he got started and I can honestly say that Root Canal is nowhere near as bad what you expect. Watching the videos help me sooo much. Knowing which part he was at was a huge comfort, as was knowing what would be happening next.

Firstly I had a mold taken for my temporary crown, he then drilled a little and then he popped off the old white filling. EWWWW the SMELL and Taste was horrendous, like rotten meat, it made me want to wretch. After he'd drilled down some more I could feel him drilling the roots and before long he was filing them with the little tool. It really wasn't bad at all. He kept asking if I was OK and reminding me to raise my left hand if I needed to stop. I never did but I put that down to him just being so nice. He made me feel relaxed and in control of what was happening and to me that was half of my fear.

After he'd drilled and filed he explained that the 3rd root was completely calcified, but he'd packed the other two with something anti inflammatory as it was still inflamed and he'd treble check the 3rd root before the proper packing went in the roots in two weeks time.

He then put a temporary filling on the top, took molds for my permanent crown, and fitted a temporary crown. The molds weren't very nice to have but the whole thing was honestly nowhere near as bad as I expected, or imagined.

Once he'd finished he explained that if I was to get any pain I could just call in for more antibiotics without being seen so I went on my way so, so proud of going and doing something that I thought was impossible to do. I was on a high knowing that I had achieved something that was such a big thing for me. The buzz made me determined to continue on through whatever I needed doing...
 
The night after the root canal I had horrendous toothache on the other side of my mouth. For the last few months I'd had it on both sides but at the time of my first check up it was the left side that was horrendous (the right side was just a dull ache). I think I maybe had some sort of infection both sides and the initial antibiotics cleared them both, but as that was 3 weeks before it had probably comeback. I dunno I'm just guessing.

That night I sat rocking and crying with the pain. I kinda expected the root canal tooth on the other side to be sore but it wasn't, my jaw ached from having it open so long but that was all from the root canal treatment.

The next morning I phoned for an emergency appointment for that day as the pain was quite bad and I was worried I had another abscess that would need more antibiotics. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see my own dentist, and the one I did see took away all almost the determination and courage I'd built up.

The chair was being laid down before I'd even started to explain and after a 3 second look I was basically told to mention it on my next appointment which was almost 2 weeks away! I'm sure lots here know how much an abscess hurts and there was no way I could go almost two weeks before being able to "mention it". Plus my next appointment was to finish the root canal treatment and I doubted he'd have time to sort out different teeth in that appointment!

I asked for antibiotics which I got, but which I was told wouldn't work as it was more than likely just the decay in it. I remember mentioning this tooth (wisdom tooth on my right) at my first check up and how it had had pain and I was quite sure it was down for having a filling. I asked and it was down for having a filling after the root canal was completed.

I was on the verge of tears as I came out the room as I'd felt ignored. Just by chance the dental nurse who'd looked after me two days before came to the reception area as I was explaining to the receptionist that I had been told to mention it on the next appointment and that it was almost two weeks away and I was in agony. The dental nurse told her to book me in for an x ray in a few days time as I was in pain and agreed that at my next root canal appointment the dentist wouldn't be able to do anything for that tooth....
 
I took the antibiotics and the pain went so I was convinced I'd been right and had had another infection/abscess.

I returned for the x ray a few days later but the dentist already had x rays. He explained that as the pain had gone with antibiotics, it was most likely that I did have an infection and because it was a wisdom tooth he'd have to take it out. I'm not sure if he saw the look on my face, but he finished by saying he'd try to fix it, but it may have to come out. I'm sure he just said the bit about fixing it when he saw the color drain from me!

I was booked in for the day before the second part of my root canal and I was terrified....
 
Wow.

I have browsed this site a good few times since I wrote this back in in 2015 - usually when I'm in pain - but I have never been brave enough to log in, or to read what I'd previously written almost 6 years ago.

I think it's mainly because I've been annoyed at myself for letting myself fall back into the vicious circle of burying my head, and the disappointment at myself for starting what I hoped would be the very last time I'd have to endure tooth pain.

I read lots of journals and dreamed of getting to a point of having yearly checkups, and I think I did, and then never went back. Why??

I originally wrote this in 2015 (it's now May 2021) because reading other stories and journals really did give me comfort and support. Reading other people struggling with anxiety, fear, depression, shame.... they all made me feel much less alone. The more detail people wrote, the better I felt, the stronger I felt to do it myself.

So I'm going to continue to update, and hopefully this time I'll get there. Lots has happened in 6 years (more pain, but also a new baby!). I genuinely feel completely overwhelmed with re starting this journey, I'm not sure if I'm ready, or if I even have the energy, but I've taken the first step in finding a new dentist, rather than the usual route which is usually as follows;

Pain, abscess, emergency appointment, extraction, never go back, rinse and repeat.

Anybody else feel stuck in this rut??

Back in 2015 I honestly thought I'd cracked it, that I was dragging myself out of it...
 
Rewinding to continue on from post #6 back in June 2015...

The day of the extraction I was a complete mess, but I made it there all alone. I remember crying, and shaking, and even when I stopped crying I just couldn't stop shaking. The extraction was over and done with in minutes, the worse part was obsessing over Dry Socket, having had it after my 1st extraction at the private dentists which I could no longer afford some 4 years before.

The day after the extraction I had my 2nd appointment for the root canal that I was in the middle of having done. I don't remember much about that appointment, but at the time I'd said to people it wasn't as bad as I'd expected it to be, and the worse part was fitting the permanent crown...

From memory I think that was everything I was having done, and I was given an appointment for December 2015 which I assume would of been a 6 month check up looking back at the dates now.

I had absolutely every intension of keeping this appointment, but I remember they cancelled it, and I never remade it. Don't ask me why, maybe it was easier to revert to my usual head in the sand. I always felt like I would remake it...but when I felt ready to.

A couple of months later I was pregnant with my 3rd child, and any thoughts of the dentist were long gone...
 
My 3rd child was born in 2017 and by October 2018 I was in agony again with toothache. It had been on and off for months, so I just ignored it as usual hoping it would go away...but it never.

I was writhering around in agony before giving in and letting my husband phone the dentist's. The place where I'd managed to have so much done still had me as a patient, and saw me as emergency appointment the next day.

I remember we were waiting for somebody to fix the boiler at the time, and knocking on a neighbour's door in floods of tears asking if they could watch out for them coming, and let them into the house.

Unfortunately when I got to the dentist, it wasn't my usual dentist, but the one who'd almost taken away all the determination I'd gained right in the middle of all the work I was having done back in 2015.

I was in so much pain I barely cared, but after what felt like being talked down to, and lectured I wished I'd not bothered.

The tooth which was hurting felt like it was the one I'd had the root canal, and crown on a couple of years ago (bottom left 1nd molar), but it turned out it was the one Infront with a huge hole in the back. I practically begged her to rip it out, she said the numbing may not work with the infection in it, but by that point I'd of pulled it out myself so she agreed to try.

A few minutes and the tooth was out, it was much easier than the two previous molar/wisdom tooth extractions - probably because it was smaller?

I can't swallow tablets, so always have to ask for liquid medicines, and this became the start of another complete nightmare.....
 
I was prescribed 5 day's of liquid amoxicillin, so left with my prescription, and tooth, to go home and recover.

I'd normally go to my local chemist, but as we were parked right outside of one, decided to get it there and then. After waiting 20 minutes the pharmacist came over and explained that I'd not been prescribed enough to cover the amount she'd written to take.

250mg/5ml amoxicillin. To take 500mg 3 X a day for 5 day's. But she had only authorised 100ml, rather than the 150 mg needed for the 5 day's (if that makes sense!)

He said to go back and request a new prescription. When we went back, the surgery had closed for lunch, and we couldn't get an answer on the phone, so we decided to just head home and phone after lunch...
 
So we phoned up, explained, and got a call back saying that a new prescription would be available to collect after 4pm. My husband made the 40 mile round trip to collect the new prescription later that day, only to get home with it and it be written the exact same as the original one ?

By now the chemist was closed, and I'd really wanted to get started on the antibiotics as the pain was still unbearable once the numbing had worn off. I collected the 3 &1/3 days worth from my local chemist the following morning so I could get started on them and ease the pain, thinking we could easily get the extra 50ml later than day.

We're really nice laid back people, never had we been funny about the mistake, we were very nice and know everyone makes mistakes, but unfortunately the dentist must of taken her mistake personally, and point blank refused to prescribe the extra 50ml she'd under prescribed twice in a row. Why I don't know, but she wouldn't budge without seeing me again...

(I'll add both prescriptions so you can see the madness for yourself)
 
Both of the prescriptions written wrong
 

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The very last place I wanted to go was back to see this dentist, so I contacted one of these online pharmacies, and after sending both of the incorrect prescriptions, was prescribed the antibiotics I needed and I'd of much rather paid the £30 than go back..unfortunately they couldn't prescribe liquid so I was left with no choice to return for the 2 days worth she'd left off the 5 day prescription

Like I said, everybody can make a mistake, but she was incredibly cold, and refused to accept she'd written the prescriptions wrong - she actually blamed the pharmacists, said they mustn't of understood her writing as she'd written them correctly.

I just nodded and agreed as all I wanted was the full course. She knew how anxious I was, knew how I panic thinking I'll have reactions or side effects to medicines. This is when she decides she'll prescribe me antibiotics, but not the 50ml of amoxicillin, no, different ones with awful side effects.

I just cried and cried. I looked them up and jus couldn't bare to take them with all the side effects. I mentally couldn't cope with the stress of it, along with the panic of getting dry socket, so I took the 3 days and 1 dose of the original prescription and hoped they'd be enough to clear the infection.

This dentist was absolutely awful, she took away all the progress I'd made, and I ended up absolutely terrified to ever see another dentist ever again ?
 
April/May 2020 and I've got yet another abscess. I think it's my 6th one.

My teeth often hurt for a few days, then ease, and I breathe a sign of relief. This time it never eased, it just got worse and worse. This was the beginning of Coronovirus and everything was shut. Dental hubs were being set up and everything was still all very unknown back then.

I'd bought numerous toothache products, but the pain was horrific and I ended up calling 111. There was no way I would of ever went back to the last dentists, which really made me sad as I'd made the most amount of progress there with the different dentist who was absolutely amazing.

After a couple of phonecalls I got a telephone appointment with a really lovely dentist from the hospital dental department. He agreed it sounded like an abscess (1st molar top right) and wanted to prescribe me some antibiotics to see if those worked as at the time face to face appointments were incredibly restricted.

He made me an appointment within the hour to collect a prescription from a window at a random community centre 30 miles away. I remember how strange it was travelling so far as this was in the first lockdown when we'd not gone anywhere, and most people were staying home too. It's funny now thinking about how we were worrying about being pulled over by the police or something for traveling so far!

The antibiotics took days and days to work. My whole mouth was burnt from the amount of toothpaste I was slathering on every 5 minutes. This was honestly the worse dental abscess by far, it was absolutely horrific and I still feel traumatised by it. I can't chew on this tooth, it has some filling missing, had a hole in the side, and feels brittle and dead. I know I need it sorting out, I've spent the last year thinking about it, but the thought makes me physically sick.

I know I can do it, I know I can. I've done it before. The proof is there, but I just can't, and so for the last year I've lived in fear and dread of it getting reinfected, or breaking apart.

And now I've got toothache again. It's day 12 today. It's not that tooth, it's a different one, but I don't know if that's even a good thing or not.

I think I've worn myself out reliving all this so I'll leave it there for tonight, but I have had an appointment last week for this current toothache (couldn't see anything) and a another appointment next week elsewhere for it, and just maybe everything else I need but I'll take it one step at a time and hopefully get out of pain as it'll be 18 days by I get seen ?
 
Fast forward to now and I have toothache again. It started two weeks ago today. I've had toothache on and off in this tooth for the last year - usually there's something between it, and once I wiggle it out, the toothache eases and I go back to ignoring it and living in constant dread and fear.

Today is day 14.

By day 3/4 it was obvious it wasn't going away, and after summoning all my strength I started ringing around dentists. I would never go back to the last place.

After phoning a few it quickly became obvious that trying to find a NHS dentist accepting new patients was like trying to find toilet roll and pasta in March 2020!!

Some were September, soonest was 4-8 weeks, one said they could see me privately in 5 days, but I just couldn't afford it, I couldn't even afford just getting an extraction to stop the pain. This just made me really upset because money is really tight after the last year, as I'm sure it is for everybody. I felt completely defeated. If I had the money I'd of absolutely paid privately. I just sobbed and sobbed all night feeling completely hopeless and overwhelmed.

The next day I decided to look into private practices and try and scrape the money together somehow. I figured if I was paying, I may as well go to the best place I could find online.

I came across a place that sounded really good, a small practice, totally private, with mention of nervous patients and glowing reviews....I phoned them up (phoning up is absolutely MASSIVE for me), I sobbed out as much as I could to the receptionist. She explained that I'd need to be seen as a new patient payable on booking, but the quickest appointment was 10 days away (which would of been today had I of gone there)

She was really nice and didn't seem irritated by my tears. She explained once I was booked in I could then go down for a cancellation. She was probably the nicest one I spoke with, but I really couldn't wait 10 more days. Feeling exhausted and defeated, I got somebody to call the NHS dentists back who had said the day before I could be seen in 5 days (now 4 days)

Given the pain I was in, I then booked the one with a 4 day wait, no matter how much I wanted to go to the other place....
 
So last Tuesday (a week ago today) I went to see this dentist. I was an absolute nervous wreck, but was in agony, and just wanted to be out of pain.

I briefly explained my history as best as I could, whilst trying not to cry. The pain felt like it was coming from between two bottom left molars (1st and 3rd as I believe I had all my 2nd molars removed as a child).

She didn't poke around too much, but wasn't able to see anything obvious, or what I thought had looked like dark decay between the two teeth. She had me point out where I thought I could see the darkness, but still couldn't see anything but said my gums had receded and I could be seeing that, or a shadow.

Anyway, she decided to do an x-ray to check. I usually struggle with the x-ray and always need the children's one, and it takes 2 or 3 goes to get it done as I struggle with the feeling of choking....the x-rays were horrible, she couldn't get them in my mouth, kept trying different ones...at one point I was gagging on them and I've never gagged at the dentist's before! It was just awful. She eventually got one taken, but unfortunately it was too small so we had to go through it all again.

The pain of it jabbing into my mouth, and the thought of choking was making it impossible. I was getting so annoyed that I just couldn't do it, and although she kept saying not to worry, I could see she was getting annoyed.

She managed to get a bigger one in, and I think mentioned that usually they'd take both sides, but they'll only do one. She couldn't see anything on the x-ray that showed decay, or an abscess, so suggested giving it a good clean as I'd mentioned it hurt when after eating when food is in it, and usually went when I got it out so I assume she was thinking there was maybe something stuck in there...
 
I've never had a cleaning done before. Oh my word!! I assumed she was just cleaning around that one tooth, but it turned out she was doing my whole mouth, and it would be £50. I said that was fine as I'd been expecting a filling or extraction, and if it could of been that, I needed to be out of pain either which way.

She asked if I wanted numbing in the tooth that was really hurting, I said yes and I think I surprised her with How easy the injection was after the drama of the x-rays! I can't say I like an injection, but I can stay calm and still whilst they do it.

So they set about cleaning my teeth, OMG the pain. All my molars are either very sensitive, or have cracks, holes, old fillings or need fillings, so when the ice cold water hit them I almost hit the ceiling. The spitting sink was covered over, I assume because of Coronovirus, so ever so often she'd let me spit out into a tissue.

I kept asking if it was meant to hurt this much, and was she sure that any brittle teeth wouldn't just disintegrate with the pressure of the water!

I feel like I did really well with it, with just the odd groan, but it was incredibly painful. She began counting down the last few teeth, and completely left the last one.

She advised doing salt rinses and that hopefully the clean would sort out the horrible toothache I'd been having for at the time 8 days.

She said she was more worried about the 1st premolar on that side, as it had a lot of decay behind it and would need filling. I asked her if that tooth could be causing the pain further back but she didn't seem to think so if I was feeling it at the back which I definitely was. At my other extractions, I have been wrong about which tooth was hurting, so I was hoping it was just as simple as a filling and I'd book it in ASAP.

She also said I needed a filling, or possibly root canal, or my top left 1st premolar as this has a huge filling missing from it. But we'd start with one and go from there, and that when I went downstairs they'd be a treatment plan to sign...
 
When I went downstairs there were a couple of people waiting, and the receptionist was on the phone. After waiting 10 minutes I asked if I could go move my car and come back as my 90 minutes parking was about to run out, and I really didn't want a ticket too! She said it would be easier to phone and pay, so I went and moved the car, and called to pay.

She didn't mention any treatment plan, but wanted to take payment for the two fillings (£99 each). I'd been clear from the beginning that it would be a case of saving up for each treatment, and could I possibly just pay for the treatment I'd had done today which was £50 as I'd already paid the £37.50 Checkup fee when I first booked the appointment.

After checking, she just took payment for what I'd had done, and pencilled me in for the first filling for 9 days later (now in 2 days time). She didn't mention any treatment plan, or other work I'd need doing, just these two fillings, but I assumed I'd find this all out at the filling appointment as I'd left and paid over the phone today.
 
So I drove home with a slightly numb mouth, but just as much pain as I went with, if not more as now all my other teeth were hurting because of the cleaning.

I lurked on this forum, reading everything about teeth cleaning! By the next day my cheek felt painful, and a little bit fat, but the pain in my tooth was still there. I've had 6 abcesses and I was sure that's what it was.

After reading yet more journals and success stories on here, I decided that I'd prefer to go to the original private place I'd seen, but which had originally had a 10 day wait for a new patient Checkup. Every story I read seemed to gain success once they'd found the right dentist for them, and although the dentist I saw was nice, and I really appreciated her help, I just felt somewhere that specialised in nervous patients, might suit me more, an a fully private practice may have better equipment (years back when I went private they did!), plus they were actually overall cheaper!

So I phoned them up and booked an new patient Checkup, for 9 days time (3 days from now)

My tooth is still really hurting, but the pain had changed from constant, to waves. It was still incredibly painful, but as I was getting some small breaks, I felt sure I could deal with it, knowing I had the backup of 111 if I really couldn't cope anymore. So I've spent the last week coping and counting down the days.... until today...
 
The last week the pain has been more wave like. It can be a dull aching for hours and hours, then be absolutely searing pain like somebody is ramming a screwdriver into the socket. On the odd occasion it almost feels as though it almost goes, but when it starts jabbing It makes me unable to function whilst I groan and cry, but touch wood it hasn't been like that constantly, as that's what the abcess last year was like, it was horrific.

Fast forward to this morning, I'm fed up anyway, this is day 15 of toothache. I'm tired, stressed, anxious and hungry, not knowing how much more I can take and whether or not I can do 3 more days until I see the dentist at the new private place.

And then it starts jabbing and just doesn't stop. I'm crying, groaning, rolling around, just begging for it to stop. Knowing I can ring 111 has been my backup plan these last two weeks.

This morning I can't take anymore. I'm done.

We phone the new place first asking if there's anyway I can get seen sooner than Friday, if we can speak to a dentist, get a prescription, anything. Unfortunately because I'm not yet classed as a patient, there's nothing they can do, which I understand, but it was worth asking there first.

So we phone 111. I'm in agony, my face is puffy on one side, and my temperature is 39.2 when I take it. They say I need to see a dentist within 6 hours, but unfortunately there are no appointments at the two hubs. They suggest phoning dentists to try and get seen that way...

I was doing this two weeks ago and nowhere is seeing anyone, I've tried. And then I've had to go private and still wait 4 and then 9 days to be seen. We explain what happened last year, how we got a prescription via a telephone appointment, how excellent the whole set up was, but they say this isn't in place anymore and to ring around ourselves...

We phone a few, the soonest for an emergency appointment is in 2 days on Thursday. We phone the GP, the receptionist says they can't do anything. We phone the place I went last Tuesday, an where I have an appointment on Thursday for the 1st filling...they're going to phone us back.

I know this has to an abscess, and I know antibiotics take a day or two to take effect
 
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