I HATE the dentist - its official!!

[zincoxide]

So I finally plucked up the courage last month to get quite a bit of work done at the dentist, culminating last week with an extraction on an upper wisdom tooth.

All went well until - the gums went infected, so I trundled back to the dentist on Monday who put in some stuff that looked like tobacco but tasted like clove oil. He also gave me antibiotics in the hope that would clear it up.

Still no joy by Wednesday, my entire jaw is hurting, from just underneath my eye to above my neck. So back I go to the dentist, this time he doesnt even want to see me, simply leaves more antibiotics at the counter for me.

These antibiotics run out tonight and haven't helped one little bit - what do you think, back to the dentist or Doctor or A&E?

[larmy16]

Why don't you ring the NHS DIRECT. Sorry don't know the number - they should be able to give you some advice regarding emergency treatment. I think that if you have an abcess then you have to take the antibiotics before they can do a root canal treatment if that is your problem. You have my sympathy. Take care.

[Inspiron]

u may have a condition called dry socket. this is where the clot does not form in its entirity or breaks down.

The pain can be agonising and can last for some time. Your dentist needs to keep on applying that stuff ( alveogel ) and wash the socket out every few days if this is the case..but u must see yur dentist

It will get better and the antibiotics will also help.

I know you must be going crazy....i had a lady who had this for nearly 2 weeks...

If it gets serious demand to see your dentist.

[zincoxide]

I'm washing out my mouth with warm salt water twice a day, stopped smoking (haven't smoked since before the extraction) and taking Ibuprofen.

Any other ideas of how to kill the pain?

[Teerah]

I would advise using the warm salt water mouthwash much more often than twice a day, try to do it at least every couple of hours.

[Toothsmith]

Dry sockets happen in about 5-10% of extractions. Some people are more prone to them than others.

Warm salty mouthwashes are good. DON'T be tempted to hold anything warm against it, and DON'T hold any pain killing tablet against the site either.

I find Aspirin is a much underrated pain killer. It sorted out one of my nurses when she'd had a wisdom tooth out at hospital. Aspirn shouldn't be taken until at least 48 hours after the extraction though, as it messes up blood clotting.

Antibiotics aren't much good, as the problem has been caused by a lack of good blood supply, and abs are carried in the blood.

Ibuprofen and paracetamol can be used together, both up to their max dose, as they are excreted from the body in different ways.

Dry sockets are painful, and do last for a few days. They do sort themselves out eventually though. And at least it's a one-off. problems from the tooth would have kept coming back!