Dental question: what are the chances of a curly root?

jenniewb

I have somehow managed to break my last back upper tooth (bit down on something too crunchy and now I have a very sharp tooth and nerve pain like you wouldn't believe!)

I had a cracked wisdom tooth a few years back (again on the weekend) and it was unable to be taken out by my dentist because the root was too curly so I ended up at a specialist dental hospital because they were the only people who could treat me and pull out the tooth. This new tooth today which has cracked (enough to feel very painful and obvious) is the one next to the empty space where the wisdom tooth was.

As I can't get hold of my dentist (weekend etc) I can't ask or see my x-rays so I'm wondering if anyone would be able to hazard a guess or have something similar happen.

I'm not sure if it's best to see my dentist or go straight to the emergency dentist hospital on Monday. Ideally I'd see my dentist but I don't want any more days in pain like this if they tell me they can't help me because the root is curly and to see the dental hospital the next day/whenever. This really hurts, even drinking water hurts!

What I need to know is what are the chances that the molar also has curly roots if tje wisdom tooth beside it had curly roots?

teddysmum

Is there such an institution as an emergency dental hospital ? I thought that hospital dentistry had to be done by referral, so not available to those who just turn up .


People going to general A&E have reported getting no dental treatment, being given painkillers and told to consult their own dentist. (It's unlikely that cash strapped hospitals will pay on-call dentists, when money needs to be spent on those giving life saving treatments. )

jenniewb

teddysmum wrote: »

Is there such an institution as an emergency dental hospital ? I thought that hospital dentistry had to be done by referral, so not available to those who just turn up .


People going to general A&E have reported getting no dental treatment, being given painkillers and told to consult their own dentist. (It's unlikely that cash strapped hospitals will pay on-call dentists, when money needs to be spent on those giving life saving treatments. )

Thanks for the advice, but being that the hospital in question (a teaching hospital) only offers emergency dental treatment and nothing else, and that I was sent there before to have my wisdom tooth taken out after several dentists at my own dental surgery could not remove the tooth (hence the suggestion to try the hospital in question) I am pretty sure that it is the only place I can go if my dentist cannot remove the tooth I am struggling with today.

But thanks for your concern. It is and was at the advice of my dentist and NHS direct the last time this happened (to a different​ tooth) that I "just show up" which appeared to be exactly what everyone else whom I waited with that day had done. Yes it was a very long wait but when things hurt a lot, I can tell you from experience you'll do pretty much anything to help yourself and following advice it was confirmed at the time that no one else could have helped me.

And maybe ask your dentist what Guys and At Thomases do if your dentist throws up a "no can do" at you if you ever have the misfortune and agony of a cracked molar.

wondercollie

Be glad you've got the dental service.

A complicated root, broken tooth, and crown cost me over $2200 Cdn.

Totally wiped out our dental insurance for crowns for a year.

Pop_Up_Pirate

Noone on here can tell you or even have a guess whether your tooth has a curly root or not.

Go to your dentist tomorrow and ask him.

teddysmum

jenniewb wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, but being that the hospital in question (a teaching hospital) only offers emergency dental treatment and nothing else, and that I was sent there before to have my wisdom tooth taken out after several dentists at my own dental surgery could not remove the tooth (hence the suggestion to try the hospital in question) I am pretty sure that it is the only place I can go if my dentist cannot remove the tooth I am struggling with today.

But thanks for your concern. It is and was at the advice of my dentist and NHS direct the last time this happened (to a different​ tooth) that I "just show up" which appeared to be exactly what everyone else whom I waited with that day had done. Yes it was a very long wait but when things hurt a lot, I can tell you from experience you'll do pretty much anything to help yourself and following advice it was confirmed at the time that no one else could have helped me.

And maybe ask your dentist what Guys and At Thomases do if your dentist throws up a "no can do" at you if you ever have the misfortune and agony of a cracked molar.

You certainly cannot just turn up at our hospital's dentistry department


Some years ago, our dentist (at the time) gave me an appointment to take my son to a dental centre and I mistakenly took him to the hospital dental department.

The receptionist kindly redirected us and explained that the hospital only dealt very special situations that regular dentists are not able to deal with, so have to refer, or such operations as reconstruction after an accident.


In answer to your last paragraph, asking my dentist about what a London hospital, many miles away, would do would be pointless, but if they couldn't deal with something (I have had a cracked molar and the gap where it was) they would refer to the place my son went to or the dental hospital, as a last resort(Note that they would make a referral, as you can't just turn up).

Nicki

I suspect Jenny lives near me as I live in the area of a large dental teaching hospital in London and if so she is quite correct that they run a drop in service on a first come first served basis. People start queuing up to an hour before it opens and no referral is required.

jenniewb

teddysmum wrote: »

You certainly cannot just turn up at our hospital's dentistry department


Some years ago, our dentist (at the time) gave me an appointment to take my son to a dental centre and I mistakenly took him to the hospital dental department.

The receptionist kindly redirected us and explained that the hospital only dealt very special situations that regular dentists are not able to deal with, so have to refer, or such operations as reconstruction after an accident.


In answer to your last paragraph, asking my dentist about what a London hospital, many miles away, would do would be pointless, but if they couldn't deal with something (I have had a cracked molar and the gap where it was) they would refer to the place my son went to or the dental hospital, as a last resort(Note that they would make a referral, as you can't just turn up).

This was exactly what I was advised to do when my wisdom tooth split in half. It was after being told by my dentist they were unable to take out the tooth and that they would be referring me to Guys Hospital to have it taken out.


It then became VERY painful and after being directed by NHS 111 to go to A&E (I knew better) I eventually was told to go to Guys Hospital as they had an emergency service (it was Friday of the Easter Bank Holiday and I was in agony and had not slept for 3 days at that point and was very ill with what I was told was an infection).


It was NHS Direct who then told me to go to Guys and ask for help. I wasn't sure what else to do but needed some -any help and knew A&E would not be able to help me (I confirmed this with an out of hours Doctor at the time). I did go to Guys and was told about the emergency service but that they were not open until the Tuesday after the weekend.


I was seen by a student who took out my tooth and drained an infection that bad that it was hard to swallow. I had stitches, I was able to sleep that night and I was and still am very very grateful for what I was able to have in terms of treatment.


So please excuse me if for a second I look back at my past experience and having been told that I had a curly root in my wisom tooth which made getting the tooth removed my my dentist an impossibility and being in pain with this second tooth, wanting to avoid another 10 days of agony (which is how long it took before the tooth was removed) I was then trying to join the dots and work out the best and fastest way to get myself treated so I could be out of pain.


I did not once say I was not grateful for the help and treatment I had, I do not understand the comment above that hinted I was not. I am just trying to save both myself and the NHS time and get the tooth I am currently struggling with, resolved.


In case anyone did want an update. I was seen today by an emergency dental clinic who were able to patch up what they could but were also able to run an xray and tell me there was a fracture all the way down to the nerve and it was likely to need to come out. It was also "inflammed", I have no idea if this means infected but it was laid up with a dressing which has helped a lot more than my current pain killers. They also tried to kill the nerve, but it still hurts quite a lot and I am not sure if the nerve is dead or not, it hurts less, but enough still that I am not able to sleep and am like a bear with a sore head in terms of irritability. Sorry if that comes across, it's not personal, this just REALLY HURTS!


Again, I am very very grateful for the help I have. I have been advised to see my Dentist as soon as possible as it is likely to need to come out. I know my current dentist has a 2 month waiting list, I am not sure how this is going to work out but am hoping they will have an emergency appointment available as this is what the Dentist I saw today said I needed to do.


Look, I am not trying to do anything other than help myself out of the pain. I am trying to remember the time I last had a tooth break in half as this I was told at the time was the only way out of the pain I was in. I have no idea on what else to do than to see a Dentist as soon as I can but it appears that only one Dentist (or Dental places/building?) was able to help me last time and I am wary it could be the case again.


I have a copy of the xray that was taken today and I am not sure the root looks curly so hope my own Dentist can help me. It was apparently very obvious with the widsom tooth and was remarkable enough that it was commented on several times and that has not happened this time. I doubt anyone else really gives a . what else happens as it feels like the bulk of everyones comments here were really about judging my choices rather than being very bothered about suggesting a right course of help, so I wont bother feeding back on anything anymore.


I had started the thread to get an idea of what I was dealing with to save the NHS time as well as myself (and possibly money) as each step I take will cost something and the fewer steps I take the less of a financial burden. It wasn't really because I wanted to be bashed over the head with assumptions and blame.