Urgent Dental Problem - Abcess?

Elle7

Hi,
So I'm hoping some of the resident dentists will be able to offer me some advice.

I woke up on Saturday with the right side of my face very swollen. Went straight to A&E, where the doctor said he couldn't see any abcesses, but it looked like the start of a tooth infection. He gave me Co-Amoxiclav.

Yesterday it swelled even more. It's right up to the bottom of my eye, and the swelling started to go blotchy. Am on a business trip today so I phoned the emergency dentist, who couldn't help. She said after 48 hours the antibiotics should work, but that the area has no out-of-hours dentists.

Noticed a bump under my right lip, at the very top of the gum. Hotel staff suggested putting a dry teabag against it and keeping it there as long as possible - 30 minutes and 5 teabags later the facial swelling was visibly reduced, but it came straight back 10 minutes after I stopped.

At 2am this morning it started bleeding heavily, and the gum is now very sore to touch. It doesn't hurt without touching it, so far, but I am taking plenty of ibruprofen so it might. There was some swirly yellow pus in the blood but only a very small amount.

Had hoped the swelling would ease overnight but it's even worse. I can feel the pressure against the bottom of my eye, now, and my face is huge. I'm still on business, so I can't get back to my own dentist. I'll try calling more dentists around the area, but so far I've been told I'd need to pay private prices. I can't afford that

Is there anything I can do/try? I'm not sure if there is a hospital around, but I could phone NHS Direct again. The hospital close to home said they were unwilling to drain it due to its location and my poor immune system increasing the chances of a blood infection, but said a dentist would find it easy.

I'm so fed up of having a hugely swollen face. It's all I can see, and it's so painful. I'd really appreciate any advice...

(PS - I don't think I can drain it myself. I don't have anything sharp, and I tried a hairclip steralized in boiling water last night but it was agony, the gum is so, so sensitive now.)

1jim

Phone nhs direct again and ask if they have a dental access centre in the area, I would try and call from a landline as you tend to have better chance of being put through to the local call centre who will have local knowledge as well as access to the directory of service.

If you have Internet access you could google nhs choices and look for local dentists on that site

Failing all of that contact the pals office of the local pct and ask them what provision they have for emergency dental access for patients who are visiting/not registered

Failing all of that you may need to contact a private dentist

What area are you in?

Elle7

Thanks for such a fast response.

I'm in Hertfordshire at the moment - quite close to Baldock, I think.

I'll phone back now, and try and get someone who will help.

As an aside, what will they do? Antibiotics don't seem to have done anything yet - but draining sounds like it would be hugely painful. I suppose it can't be as bad as the last four days!

1jim

Dental Access Centres

In addition to local NHS dental practices there are seven Dental Access Centres in the county. They offer routine and urgent dental care for people who are unable to get NHS dental treatment elsewhere. Urgent cases are given priority, and it is suggested that you telephone the centre before attending to confirm opening times and availability of appointments.

Harold Dental Access Centre 01981 241 393
Gaol Street Clinic, Hereford !01432 378 920
Kington Court Health and Social Care !01544 232 511
!Ledbury Community Health and Care Centre !01531 637 615
!Leominster Dental Access Centre, Dishley Street !01568 619 380
!ASDA site, Hereford !01432 382 180
!Ross on Wye Community Hospital

http://www.herefordshire.nhs.uk/89.aspx


Apologies, misread location..... Will leave these here though incase any one else is searching for dental access in Hereford

1jim

Have a look at these (above), from experience I would suggest your best bet would be attending one of these centres..... I know in Nottingham a lot of dentists will even send registered patients to an access centre when their appointments are full

VfM4meplse

I feel for you - dental access in an emergency doesn't sound good, but I can understand why a medic wouldn't wish to touch it.

Just to add that although the ibuprofen may be helping with the swelling, it could also be prolonging the bleeding. Stick to paracetamol or co-codamol.

1jim wrote: »

I know in Nottingham a lot of dentists will even send registered patients to an access centre when their appointments are full

But not in Ross-on-Wye - that's one paste too far .

coldstreamalways

I think op said Hertford not Hereford.

VfM4meplse

1jim wrote: »

contact the pals office of the local pct and ask them what provision they have for emergency dental access for patients who are visiting/not registered

This is the best solution.
Email: pals@hertfordshire.nhs.uk or contact them by phone on 01707 369699.

1jim

Do you need an NHS dentist?

To find an NHS dentist in Hertfordshire phone 01707 369645 or email dentalappointments@hertfordshire.nhs.uk
To find a dentist outside normal office hours phone 03000 333 224

http://www.hertfordshire.nhs.uk/your-local-services/how-to-find-a-dentist.html

Elle7

It was pretty unproductive, to be honest!

The NHS in Hertfordshire gave me a list of numbers, none of which offer emergency services anymore. Decided to come home as it hurt so much - made an appointment at my own dentists and had a three hour drive home. Got here to find that due to unforeseen circumstances, the dentist had closed.

Phones NHS again, got put through to a dental nurse who was concerned so got a doctor to phone me back. He wanted me to speak to a dentist - took an hour for him to phone back and he said he can't get in touch with anyone from the dental access centre so gave me the number for the PCT and told me to complain about my dentist.

PCT is closed. Swelling is getting worse, I've got a black eye now, and the abcess has been bleeding all day. Salt water rinses aren't helping, neither are cold compresses. Very painful, and no one will help

Was told "off the record" to steralise a pin and use it to pop the lump. Expect blood, don't swallow it, and the swelling should be gone by morning. Is that right?

The tooth is sensitive but not painful. It's just the swelling that's hugely painful and annoying. No confidence of it being any better tomorrow, or actually getting anything done about it.

Any advice is appreciated, and thanks for all the help so far.

1jim

Does your area have an out of hours dentist... To find out call your dentist and listen to message, if not recall nhs direct from landline tonight