Long wait for dental abscess treatment?

Snuggles

Well, after reaching a crescendo of pain on Saturday night, my tooth is feeling much better, so I guess the antibiotics have finally kicked in. My dilemma now is do I wait to get the root canal done on the NHS or go and see my old private dentist.

The NHS dentist was so young and must only be recently qualified. I am worried about whether he has enough experience to do the job well, but then again, if he's recently qualified, does that mean he will have been trained how to do things properly and that will still be fresh in his mind?

My old private dentist is brilliant, best dentist I ever had, and I have complete faith in him. However, I don't have the money to pay for the treatment and would have to put it on a credit card (I would have no problem paying it off). As it's a front tooth which I really don't want to lose, and as it's crowned, which makes it more complicated, I am thinking I really should go to the private dentist, no matter what the cost.

But then again, Christmas is coming, and it will only cost £42 or whatever on the NHS, as opposed to hundreds privately...

Toothsmith

Snuggles wrote: »

Well, after reaching a crescendo of pain on Saturday night, my tooth is feeling much better, so I guess the antibiotics have finally kicked in. My dilemma now is do I wait to get the root canal done on the NHS or go and see my old private dentist.

The NHS dentist was so young and must only be recently qualified. I am worried about whether he has enough experience to do the job well, but then again, if he's recently qualified, does that mean he will have been trained how to do things properly and that will still be fresh in his mind?

My old private dentist is brilliant, best dentist I ever had, and I have complete faith in him. However, I don't have the money to pay for the treatment and would have to put on a credit card (I would have no problem paying it off). As it's a front tooth which I really don't want to lose, and as it's crowned, which makes it more complicated, I am thinking I really should go to the private dentist, no matter what the cost.

But then again, Christmas is coming, and will only cost £42 or whatever on the NHS, as opposed to hundreds privately...

I think, deep down, you know what you should do here!

Snuggles

Toothsmith wrote: »

I think, deep down, you know what you should do here!

Lol! Thanks Toothsmith, you are right of course! I just thought perhaps I was being unfair assuming the young dentist wouldn't be experienced enough to do a good job, but the fact is I've never had treatment from him before, so I have no way of knowing whether he's any good or not, and I guess root canal treatment on a front tooth isn't the best way of finding out! He also didn't seem overly confident that it would work, but then he was perhaps just giving me the full facts.

Anway, I've made an appointment for a consultation with my lovely private dentist tomorrow, so I'll see what he says.

By the way, is it possible to get referred pain from an abscess in a different part of your mouth? While my top tooth was painful, I thought I could also feel slight pain in my bottom front tooth (just irritating rather than very painful). I was getting worried thinking I might have a problem there too, but now the pain has gone from the top tooth, I've got no pain at the bottom either. I will mention it to the dentist, but just wondering if it's possible that the pain was related to the top tooth somehow?

Toothsmith

Tooth pains could, and frequently do, refer all over the place. The dentist should check thoroughly though when coming up with a treatment plan.

The new guy could, and probably is, perfectly good. Generally, a patient will have very little idea of just how good their dentist actually is.

They will know more about their 'attuitude' and what aftershave they wear, and what they talk about, and what radio chanel is on whilst they work, but it's very difficult to know how GOOD someone is.

The best you can really do is go somewhere where your comfortable, and are sure the dentist has your best interests at heart.

Snuggles

Toothsmith wrote: »

Tooth pains could, and frequently do, refer all over the place. The dentist should check thoroughly though when coming up with a treatment plan.

The new guy could, and probably is, perfectly good. Generally, a patient will have very little idea of just how good their dentist actually is.

They will know more about their 'attuitude' and what aftershave they wear, and what they talk about, and what radio chanel is on whilst they work, but it's very difficult to know how GOOD someone is.

The best you can really do is go somewhere where your comfortable, and are sure the dentist has your best interests at heart.

Thanks Toothsmith. All I know is I came away from the young dentist feeling very worried about the prospect of him carrying out the treatment. He was very good in explaining things to me, but seemed very, very clumsy (he tripped over twice, nearly hit the dental nurse in the head with the arm of the xray machine, then couldn't work out which way up my xray should be when he was looking at it!).

I have seen four different NHS dentists since my old dentist went private, and I haven't felt comfortable with any of them. It's time to bite the bullet and go back to him, I just wish it wasn't so damned expensive!

elfen

At least your abcess didn't do what mine did - it swelled out of my gum (I have two VERY bad back teeth after battling bulimia for a good few years - to the point of being shells that need to be removed) and sweled up my jaw. I could barely talk, eat or drink and had to go to the emergency dentist to get 2 lots of antibiotics (I got sent home from college for nearly passing out) I got called Mrs. Potato Head, and the only relief I got was getting a brand new needle and poking holes in the skin to let out some of the stuff. Tasted foul but helped a lot!

Toothsmith

Draining an abscess yourself is NEVER something you should try - but neither should someone so swollen be sent home just with antibiotics.

A bad swelling in that area can put enough pressure on the windpipe to stop you breathing. Not something that should be just sent home - and certainly not an area you should risk introducing more infection to by poking yourself with a needle.

Snuggles

Well, I saw my old private dentist today, and he was wonderful. What a difference in the level of service! A thorough check of all my teeth and gums, some xrays, and confirmation that I need root canal treatment on the front tooth, which he is confident should be fairly straightforward. And even better, the cost is going to be nowhere near as much as I was expecting :j

I've spent the last four years going from NHS dentist to NHS dentist, never being happy with them. I really should have stuck with him in the first place, and not just tried to find the cheapest option.

Toothsmith

Snuggles wrote: »

Well, I saw my old private dentist today, and he was wonderful. What a difference in the level of service! A thorough check of all my teeth and gums, some xrays, and confirmation that I need root canal treatment on the front tooth, which he is confident should be fairly straightforward. And even better, the cost is going to be nowhere near as much as I was expecting :j

I've spent the last four years going from NHS dentist to NHS dentist, never being happy with them. I really should have stuck with him in the first place, and not just tried to find the cheapest option.

A lesson for everyone there!

Snuggles

Toothsmith wrote: »

A lesson for everyone there!

Quite right! I know for some people, private dental treatment really is unaffordable. But I was telling myself I couldn't afford it, when really I just didn't want to pay more than I had to. I have finally realised that actually, it is worth paying for!