Tooth abscess = extraction?????

Miró

Is Toothsmith about......or anyone with similar experience

I have a large painful abscess on a tooth...saw my dentist yesterday and was told the tooth needs to come out. Booked in for the work on Friday. Does that sound right?? Is there an alternative?

I was given Metronidazole and sachets of Amoxicillin which have relieved the pressure of the build up of gunge already overnight. It is a back tooth and because of the configuration of other extractions in the past it means I will have no 'working' back teeth on one side after this extraction. My dentist who is new and just out of training got a 2nd opinion on this. I was told that the condition can be life-threatening which scared me no end! The decision to extract seemed to happen after I mentioned that I had pain in my neck and reaching to my ear.

I am an NHS patient and I know I should have asked all these questions at the time but after all the painful prodding and poking I was in no fit state!

Just looking for re-assurance really........

JennyW_2

Seems a bit extreme to take the tooth out. Normal course of action would be root canal treatment in order to save the tooth.

Doesn't always work but perhaps the dentist wants the easy option

I guess the neck pain is just from the infection. Absesses are nasty things. I still have nightmares about the pain from mine and that was 11 years ago :eek:

Miró

JennyW wrote: »

........ but perhaps the dentist wants the easy option

...thats just it!!!!! That's what I'm wondering about.

I'm not exactly happy with my dental practice now despite being with them for 25 yrs. New dentist bought out the business about 10 yrs ago and stopped accepting NHS patients...just rather grudgingly kept on the existing ones.. Being an NHS patient I now always get shunted over to the newest, just finished training, recruit....head honcho seemed to lose interest in me after I refused her suggestion of a new bridge thingy costing over £3,000. That was 6 yrs ago and the old one is still going strong.

Can I get a second opinion from another practice...I feel I'm running out of time with the extraction appointment looming on Friday but dont want to lose a tooth if I really don't need to.

Toothsmith

There are times when a tooth with an abcess should be taken out, and other times when you can try and save it.

Without seeing the tooth, and x-rays, and knowing the history of the tooth, it's impossible to say.

If it's an NHS practice though, they're hardly going to break their backs for 3UDAs (which equate to about 60 quid in beer vouchers)