Ongoing dental issue (TMI)

Elinore

My normal dentist and i work very hard to manage my teeth as after an accident they were all extensively damaged either by suffering chipping, micro fracturing or totally sheared off.

Currently one of my big back teeth has fractured across the valley of the four points down below the gum line on all sides and split open in the manor of a chocolate orange (not quite - but you get the idea ) My normal dentist is on mat leave and the stand in has referred me to hospital to have it and another offending tooth that fell apart removed.

My question: I visited last week as an infection has taken hold and the swelling within my gum line is extensive (no pain, thankfully) the infection is pumping out through the space in the segments what feels like a lot of foul tasting goop.

I spoke to the stand in dentist who basically said the matter now stands with the hospital and he's reluctant to offer any treatment such as antibiotics (even though the appt can be several weeks away)

Could someone put my mind at rest regards the implications of this as swallowing this vile exudation all hours of the day and night is making me feel rather unwell as is the thought of having to do it for several weeks! It can't be good for you?!?

Toothsmith

Antibiotics wouldn't really help - as the cause is the broken bits of tooth, and so as long as they are there, the infection would just return - only more immune to antibiotic!

It's not really doing you much harm in the short term, but the sooner you get rid of the broken bits the better. I'm a bit surprised the dentist hasn't offered to do this - it's usually quite straightforward - but obviously he has seen and assessed the situation, and I can't.

Elinore

Thank you Toothsmith.

He tried and only managed to get one fourth of the tooth out. I have, in the past, had to be referred to the hospital to have teeth out as they don't do what they are supposed to. My last extraction the consultant said my teeth gave him such a hard time!

I'm not quite sure what the actual issue is (i'll ask this time) but my dentist have all always been reluctant - it might be that with the historic damage they are prone to just exploding?