In agony with toothache, is it normal not to be charged for emergency appointments?

geminilady

McKneff wrote: »

I was in this state a while ago, dentist couldnt find anything,even x raying them, I went in fully expecting an extraction. He told me to clean my teeth thoroughly, concentracting on the painful area,
and use the little bottle brush things, I persevered (taking the heavier dose of Ibrufen 400gm) and within 24 hours the pain had abated and within 48 hours it had gone. I keep up with the little bottle brushes still and the pain has never come back again.

Dont put anything warm against it, it will make it worse.

Just wondered what you men by the bottle brush things? I had toothach for about a week which went away on its own and it did hurt if i drank anything hot,i presume it was an infectoin as the pain did not come back.

Money_maker

I can hugely sympathise having only had my problem of 9 months or so of pain on and off resolved today. I have had countless xrays and 1 extraction. Pain in tooth, spreading along top and bottom, also into chin and up into jaw/head. Finally changed to a great dentist who found something on yet another xray - exposed and inflamed nerve. Nerve killed today (or whatever they do) - great to be pain free.

If it is nerve, ibruprofen and paracetamol don't touch it really. Ended up at doctors in tears (dentist didn't want to know as couldn't find the cause) with hospital appointment pending for specialist. Got codeine painkillers on prescription and they also weren't strong enough.

Hope yours is resolved soon, xrays don't always show everything. Shocking how just tooth pain can really bring you to your knees. Anbesol gel may help but I couldn't get it on my teeth - too painful to touch.

Money_maker

geminilady wrote: »

Just wondered what you men by the bottle brush things? I had toothach for about a week which went away on its own and it did hurt if i drank anything hot,i presume it was an infectoin as the pain did not come back.

Interdental brushes

hethmar

hermanmunster wrote: »

deffo don't go to your GP, wouldn't go to the dentist with a bad knee would you?

No, but if two dentists have told you there is nothing wrong with your tooth ...................

welshdent

hethmar wrote: »

No, but if two dentists have told you there is nothing wrong with your tooth ...................

I still wouldnt go to a GP.

I would ask to be referred on to someone that may be able to cast more light on it .... or it may just be a case of waiting for the signs of the problem to catch up with the symptoms.

In all seriousness I think you would be better off seeing a vet than a GP in a situation like that! At least vets have some dental training. GPs literally have none unless they are dual qualified. If they ARE dual qualified and working as a GP then they would more than likely be very out of the loop and also lacking any form of equipment to fix the problem short of throwing ineffective anti biotics at the problem. Sinusitis causing dental problems actually has some characteristic signs and doesnt usually single out a specific tooth. Sure its hard to diagnose specifically but the right questioning can often allude to it. A trip to the GP is only going to take up a slot for a busy GP who will more than likely say see a dentist ... and leave the patient more frustrated.

McKneff

I couldnt think of the name last night but it suddenly came back to me. Tepe brushes they are called.
There are different sizes for the size of the gaps between your teeth so ask your dentist.
I have green for the back ones and blue for the front ones. Widely available from your dentist and supermarkets
I like them because they actually clean inbetween your teeth, i just feel that floss just displaces any trapped food etc.
I believe I got mine from Superdrug.
Hope your feeling better today

nzmegs

I am surprised that noone has suggested TMJ problems to you. Look this up because it may be your jaw joint which is causing the problems. I had similar some time ago and had dentists tell me nothing was wrong with my teeth. I went to the doctor who prescribed me an anti-inflammatory which gave me immediate relief and after two weeks of taking it, the pain had gone.

it still comes back from time to time, but I now know how to keep it under control. TMJ disorder is where the jaw joint becomes inflamed due to overuse or dental work.it is extremely painful and can feel like toothache. it is also worse when the weather is colder or you have been eating or even talking alot.

Toothsmith

nzmegs wrote: »

I am surprised that noone has suggested TMJ problems to you. Look this up because it may be your jaw joint which is causing the problems. I had similar some time ago and had dentists tell me nothing was wrong with my teeth. I went to the doctor who prescribed me an anti-inflammatory which gave me immediate relief and after two weeks of taking it, the pain had gone.

it still comes back from time to time, but I now know how to keep it under control. TMJ disorder is where the jaw joint becomes inflamed due to overuse or dental work.it is extremely painful and can feel like toothache. it is also worse when the weather is colder or you have been eating or even talking alot.

There are many things that could be causing it, one of which might indeed be TMJ problem - but just guessing what it might be doesn't help, and wasn't the OP's question.

Pt has actually been taking ibuprofen, which is quite a powerful anti-inflammatory, anyway.

This doesn't mean it ISN'T still a jaw problem, but it's really down to the dentist who can see it to make the diagnosis. Not a web forum.

If your TMJ problem still comes back from time to time, then maybe have a word with your dentist about it.

A bite guard fitted and adjusted correctly could easily cure it for good. Something that a Dr would not be able to do.

Lemoncurd

Thanks everyone, sorry for not getting back to this sooner.
I called the dentist in tears this morning and they have given me an appointment with a third dentist tomorrow afternoon. It really doesn't seem to be improving and I'm still taking the max dose of ibuprofen and paracetamol.
I use the Tepe brushes all the time anyway, they don't fit between the teeth which I suspect are the problem, I did get some floss today but can't even get that between them. Decided against trying the tincture after the warnings, but thanks anyway.
The reason I wondered about the GP was that one of the dentists suggested it might be my sinuses affecting the nerve or I wondered if it could be my ear or something as the pain now seems to be affecting upper and lower jaws.
Just keeping my fingers crossed that they can do something to help tomorrow!

Toothsmith

Generally, with any facial pain, the dentist is able to make the diagnosis - and often better than a Dr can. (The number of 'Trigeminal Neuralgias' I've seen from Drs when really the diagnosis is much more straightforward if only you look in the mouth!).

Sinusitis is commonly mistaken for toothache, and dentists can prescribe and advise for it. Jaw trouble, ear trouble, eye trouble even. We generally do far more about the face and its internal structures and nerve pathways than Drs ever manage. As one of my lecturers once described our job:- we are 'custodians of the face'!

Any lump, bump, ulcer, red patch, white patch anywhere around the mouth inside or out - go to the dentist. Any numb patches, altered taste, altered smell or funny feelings around the area, do the same. If it's beyond our remit, we can refer into hospitals to the same specialsts as your Dr can - and on the NHS, even if you're a private patient.

What nobody should do is to blindly prescribe an antibiotic, mouthwash or painkiller in the hope it will 'make it go away'.

What worries me slightly about the OP's case is the fact that 3 different dentists will have seen this, and each one is seeing it for the first time. Unless the previous dentists have made exceptionally good notes about what he's seen and what he suspects and what he intends to do, it will be very hard to put the pieces together.

It often happens with me that I don't get the 100% correct diagnosis of a problem 1st time every time. Sometimes you do just have to let things develop a bit before you can be absolutely sure what's going on, and which tooth needs treating - or in the case of a TMJ problem, the fact that no teeth need treating, or in the case of a gum problem, which group of teeth need treating.

The very worse thing though would be to pick up the drill and attack the wrong tooth. I would rather have a patient in pain for another 24h than get the wrong tooth. But the way I work, I am the only dentist in my practice, and I know that I would have time to see that patient tomorrow, because I charge enough money to be able to afford to have some free time each day.

Being the only dentist, I can build up the picture myself of what's going on. It only happens very rarely, and generally I get to the right solution pretty quickly - but it can be where the NHS model of busy multiple practices can fall down sometimes.