Help needed re dentist!

Brightness

Hi All,

Hoping someone can help. Been with my dentist for about 6 1/2 yrs but never had to have anything done. Anyway, on Frday night at about 11pm I got toothache. Practice closed all weekend but managed to get an appointment today. Went along in complete agony (bear in mind that I have nerve damage in my back and disks out so I know what pain is like) & dentist x-rayed trooth and gave me a prescription for Penicillin V 250mg.

I told her that 250mg never touch anything I have and my GP always goes stronger for that very reason. I also told her that I had almost pulled tooth out myself as pain was so bad. My face is swollen and I can hardly open my eye but she wouldn't budge. Tonight I have been in tears as the pain is that bad - I have taken paracetamol and ibuprofen and also some dihydrododeine & it feels like it's getting worse rather than better.

The dentist also said that I have have had an infection under my tooth for some time that she has been watching and that root canals are very rarely successful!

I just don't know what to do or where to turn but I can't cope much longer. It even hurts to sip water. Anyone got any ideas or advice please?

I am going to ring another dentist tomorrow but don;t think I can cope another night like this

foxybabe

I can't help re the strength of the antibiotics but having recently suffered a tooth infection i do no they take a couple of days to take effect. I do sympathise and hopefully someone will be along with advise.

McKneff

The dentist gave you penicillin at the surgery, this is a anti infection drug
not a painkiller, i think you are getting the two mixed up, she gave you that (the correct dose) to fight the infection, not to kill the pain.

Try putting a cool flannel or something from the freezer wrapped in a teatowl on your cheek - some say a warm one but on my experience this will make it worse.

If the dentist doesnt think root canal treatment wont work and you are still in as much pain tomorrow i would feel inclined to get it pulled.

Toothsmith may be along soon to help - he's a dentist.

Sorry, i couldnt be more help, it rocks your whole body doesnt it.
Makes you feel like asking somebody to hit you in the face with a frying pan :rotfl: no, don't laugh, it'll hurt

missm29

Poor thing i suffered with terrible tooth ache when pregnant and the nhs dentist wouldn't do anything, i took paramol which would wear off before i was due to take more, i also dabbed clover oil on the gum, and would hold a hot water bottle to my face, i got so desperate i went to a private dentist who agreed to take the tooth out there and then, it wasn't ideal while pregnant but had to be better than taking the amount of tablets i needed each day. Go and see another private dentist.

foxybabe

Yes, deffinately nothing warm on your face. I did this and although it felt as though it was helping, I was told afterwards that it actually makes the infection worse. My tooth is fine now and i have had a root canal filling and am getting it crowned in a couple of weeks. My dentist advised this and I am hoping it will be successful as I want to save the tooth. However at the time I could have pulled it out myself

Brightness

McKneff wrote: »

The dentist gave you penicillin at the surgery, this is a anti infection drug
not a painkiller, i think you are getting the two mixed up, she gave you that (the correct dose) to fight the infection, not to kill the pain.

Try putting a cool flannel or something from the freezer wrapped in a teatowl on your cheek - some say a warm one but on my experience this will make it worse.

If the dentist doesnt think root canal treatment wont work and you are still in as much pain tomorrow i would feel inclined to get it pulled.

Toothsmith may be along soon to help - he's a dentist.

Sorry, i couldnt be more help, it rocks your whole body doesnt it.
Makes you feel like asking somebody to hit you in the face with a frying pan :rotfl: no, don't laugh, it'll hurt

Thanks McKneff,

Not getting them mixed up at all. I know which is which - I am a qualified dispensing technician!

I have already had root canal work on the tooth but I cannot believe that she has never told me that there is an underlying infection and has left it all this time!

I have also looked in my BNF and found that 250mg pen vk is rarely given for what she called a severe and deep seated dental infection - the abscess is running the whole length of the one side of my jaw and obviously under the tooth as well!

I think I will give NHS direct a ring to see if there is anyone who could pull the tooth for me tonight or I'll do it myself!

tirednewdad

DOn't-i repeat don't put anything hot on your face- it will only cause the infection to spread.

I sgree it is an unusual choice of antibiotics, but its often dentist preferance- personally i prefer either 400mg metronizadole or 500mg amox.

Although i hope your experience is different, in my region 8pm would be too late to ring NHS direct, all the emergancy dental appointments are booked up by 6.04pm.

If the swelling effects your vision or swollowing or breathing, you MUST go straight to Hospital A + E.

oh, and for a side note- rootcannals are actually quite successfull on the right tooth, but you can never 100% gaurentee they will work- for the average dentist a RCT (rootcannal treatment) on a molar tooth will be at least 75% successfull over 5 years.

Antibiotics do take 2 days before you feel the full effect.

Unfortunately if you cannot get treatment tonight, i feel your best thing to do is too see the dentist tomorrow.

VfM4meplse

Brightness wrote: »

I told her that 250mg never touch anything I have and my GP always goes stronger for that very reason.

Dispensing technician you may be but you clearly have no understanding of the psychology of prescribers! Drop the BNF and start looking at some trial data to see how flimsy this belief in the "strength" of antibiotics are.

Sorry you suffered this w/end btw, I'm unconvinced that the new dental contract will help any of us if we have dental problems OOH _pale_. it's always best to be friends with your dentist just in case.

tirednewdad

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Dispensing technician you may be but you clearly have no understanding of the psychology of prescribers! Drop the BNF and start looking at some trial data to see how flimsy this belief in the "strength" of antibiotics are.

Sorry you suffered this w/end btw, I'm unconvinced that the new dental contract will help any of us if we have dental problems OOH _pale_. it's always best to be friends with your dentist just in case.

AI would also suggest then that you equally look at the effect of giving a load dose of antibiotics and the marked effectiveness of them.

Brightness

Thanks Tirednewdad,

I've actually been sitting with an ice pack on my face hoping it will ease!

It was actually the Metronidazole or Amox or even Co-Amoxiclav I thought she'd have given me, given my history

NHS direct were completely useless - kept me waiting 10 minutes and then said my call was being terminated due to their being extremely busy! I then rang the number on my dentist's answering machine & am waiting for on call GP/Dentist to call me back.

I guess I am just surprised that she only decided to tell me today that she has been watching an infection under my tooth for some time - given that I had the r/c treatment about 9 years ago & it wasn't done by her!

I know about the 2 days thing with antibiotics but this is getting worse instead of better - I thought it might at least stabilise if nothing else. It's the fact that the pain killers aren't even touching it, my face is more swollen & the teeth either side are really beginning to hurt when touched that is bothering me .

VfM4meplse I do have a good understanding of the psychology of prescribers! I won't 'drop the BNF and start looking at some trial data to see how flimsy this belief in the "strength" of antibiotics are.' Thank you.

If the strength means nothing then I would suggest that the next time you have an infection anywhere, you ask your GP to prescribe you the lowest dose possible - then see if it works or not!

Also, if strength means nothing then why do dentists very often give a 3g sachet of amoxycillin to be taken an hour before treatment and one to be taken afterwards? I'd rather use tried and trusted data than trial data, thanks all the same.

If people actually took the antibiotics they were given and not given up halfway through, or as soon as they are feeling better, then maybe antibiotics would actually work a lot better!

Incidentally, I always take my antibiotics and the full course too - I rarely need them though tbh.

Brightness

Update.... Duty dentist just called me & has said that surprise, surprise, 250mg pen VK is not enough and I am to take 500mg every 4 hours. Also to take another ibuprofen and as I have some diazepam here for when my back spasms I am to take 10mg of that too. Think I might actually get some sleep once that lot kicks in tonight! He also couldn't understand why dentist had given pen vk and not metronidazole.....