Urgent Dental Help!!!

[drgnfly30]

DH has been having a ton of dental issues lately... he had a tooth pulled a while back & there apparently is a piece of it coming through the side of his gum, he's in alot of pain right now, progressively worse as the day went on today... He has an appt on Tuesday & the Dentist isn't in tomorrow, he doesnt think he can wait... If he went to the ER would they be able to do anything?!

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Absolutley have him go to the ER. The hospital I go to had Dentists but I guess that would depend on your Hospital. One should be on call at the least. If he has an infection at least he can get on antibiotics. I hope he feels better, I hate tooth problems!

 

[tiggersmom2]

Hmmmm....it is normal for bone fragments to "work their way out" of the socket after a tooth is pulled. It should not cause excessive pain. It sounds to me like your husband probably has a "dry socket". The rememdy is very easy (a clove dressing is applied) and I would hate to see you have to pay a heavy ER bill for that.

The dressing is the only thing that will remedy a "dry socket" - no amount of pain killers will help it. I would try to find the Dentist's home phone number and give him a call.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I would think the only thing the ER could do would be give him pain meds. If you call the dentist will you get the name of who is on-call? I would try calling who is on-call or call your family doctor for pain meds.

This isn't an emergency like a heart attack. Have you ever used the Prompt Care in Glasgow? We go there on a regular basis and it is very nice and not nearly as expensive as the ER.

 

[eclectics]

I've had that. It's actually fairly common with an extraction. There are sometimes little slivers of tooth left and they just work their way up through the gum. I was never in excrutiating pain though. It was more of an annoyance until enough of the sliver showed where I could pull it out. I'm afraid not much an ER can do. A dentist could dig it out I suppose. I hope it gets better. A warm water rinse with some salt will make the gum feel better.

 

[SetzKitten]

They may give him some painkillers. I went to the ER one morning because I had an infection in my jaw that was undiagnosed, even though I went to both my dentist and DO. I was in such agony. They gave me morphine, liquid tylenol and enough painkillers to get me though the weekend. I hope your DH feels better, it's a horrible pain he must be feeling.

 

[hydster]

I second the dry socket thing! Just went through that same thing awhile ago and it hurt like heck! I'd call the dentist's office and tell them he's in pain. Someone should be able to give him something to remedy it or at the least meet him at the office for a look see. It would be cheaper than the ER even if you have to pay an after hours fee to the dentist on call. Have him put a tea bag on the site of the extraction and see if it helps. That was what helped my dry sockets until I could get to the dentist!

 

[polly p]

Definitely sounds like bone fragments coming out of the area and a dry socket. the DDS should have someone on call for him if he is unavailable. If not call your local dental society and see if they have a doctor on call they can refer you to.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I never considered that a visit to the ER would be expensive. I have insurance and dont pay for ER visits. I agree to try and contact the Dentist first if that fails I would go to the ER. It could be a dry socket or it could be a root piece left or something else. The bone fragment isnt likely to be the cause of severe pain. How long ago did he have the tooth extracted? As far as it not being an emergency, I beg to differ. I have had tooth pain that put natural child birth to shame and an infection that landed me in the hospital.

 

[rascalmom]

Call the dentist's office & listen to the recording or speak to the people at the answering service. Should have emergency instructions on how to reach the dentist or whomever is on call for him or her available. Some ER's have a dentist on call, but not many. In our city, only one of the dozen or so hospitals has a dentist on call (actually oral surgery residents), but my dh & most of the dentist I know have some means to be reached by their own patients in emergencies. I would try to reach his own dentist first, then you might check to see if their is an evening clinic in your town. Last resort ER - Tiggersmom is right, they probably don't have the means to treat a dry socket & will just send him home with pain meds.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Call the dentist's office & listen to the recording or speak to the people at the answering service. Should have emergency instructions on how to reach the dentist or whomever is on call for him or her available. Some ER's have a dentist on call, but not many. In our city, only one of the dozen or so hospitals has a dentist on call (actually oral surgery residents), but my dh & most of the dentist I know have some means to be reached by their own patients in emergencies. I would try to reach his own dentist first, then you might check to see if their is an evening clinic in your town. Last resort ER - Tiggersmom is right, they probably don't have the means to treat a dry socket & will just send him home with pain meds.

LOL Rascalmom - I should have thought to tell her to call the office and see if there was an emergency number. Around here, our home number IS the emergency number.

 

[hydster]

If we were to go to the ER it would be more than $175 plus 20 percent of the total charges...ie more Expensive than the dentist and their after hours charge!

I would pack it with a tea bag, call the dentist on call and go from there! I've had absessed teeth that hurt more than all 3 of my kids together so I feel for the pain. I have had 4 teeth pulled in the last 3 years, not including my wisdom teeth, have experienced my face swelling from an absess so badly that they had to drain it without novacaine because it wouldn't go through the infection! I've given birth NATURAL 3 times and I would rather do that than go through the pain of my mouth that I've had! Call your DENTIST first! Then go from there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[drgnfly30]

He called the service & was able to get someone to see him tomorrow morning... I'm pretty sure it's a sliver coming through but hadn't considered that it could involve dry socket... the extraction was about 3 wks ago... he had an infection about two weeks ago, face was swollen out to "there" so I wonder if some of the pain is the infection again/still....

I 'm giving him one of my Lorazepam's , some Advil & sending him to bed.