I’ve given up trying to find a dentist that takes NHS patients. This is a shameful state, and borders on dangerous. Somebody with a badly damaged immune system, and who develops an abscess, needs to hit that abscess damned hard, and as soon as possible, because in such a person, and abscess can kill - make no mistake about that.
GPs are no longer allowed to give antibiotic prescriptions for dental issues. No dentists available, and no Penicillin given by GPs?..how would a housebound person get out of that?
Excellent question @Ian_Haines . Was unaware that general doctors don’t intervene. Would that apply if an ambulance is called, with an eye on taking one to A&E?
GPs won’t look at your mouth health, they tell you to go to a non existent chargeable dentist. I had earache last year and the GP diagnosed it as a bite problem and told me to go see a dentist! I said - it’s my ear that is hurting not my teeth. He said au revoir!
I must have just got in under the wire when I had an abscess a couple of years ago. I went to my GP because I wasn’t sure that it was an abscess. It was so painful it kept me awake all night. The Doctor prescribed antibiotics. In desperation I eventually visited my dentist. He said I should have come to see him first, but the doctor had done the right thing, but for the wrong reasons. The dentist drilled a hole through the tooth and into my gum…The pain went almost immediately…It did stink though…
More than a few years ago, dentists weren’t allowed to write prescriptions for antibiotics, for dental abscesses, and GPs were.
That’s been turn around, now…GPs refuse to prescribe antibiotics for dental infections, but dentists CAN!
If a person has a dental abscess, and they also already have a damaged immune system, they’re asking their doctor to save the rest of their body…they’re not asking him to treat just the abscess. More evidence that GPs are utterly worthless to their patients - they sit, for hours, conjuring up whole new ideas for doing less and less, while expecting more and more money for doing so much less!
I just pay for my dentist (dental isn’t covered by Medicare) it only cost me $250 (125 pounds) to have a tooth repaired just recently. I think it is pretty good value.
Medical insurance can cover part of the cost but I gave up my insurance years ago.
Anyone who has an abscess, is suffering greatly and cannot see a dentist should be able to receive free care if they go to A&E. Most large hospitals provide emergency dental care.
Dentists are a problem .
I haven’t seen one in nearly three years .
NOT from choice appointments have been cancelled ( and rebooked for six months time )
I do pay to see the hygienist and hope that keeps everything ok .
The main thing is to take care of your teeth .
Use interdental brushes and don’t rinse toothpaste away .
DIY prevention is the best we can do .
I wonder why an abcess is treated with antibiotics that have a systemic influence when a local effect is needed. I only know that an abcess is opened and sucked off with a local antibiotic applied in some cases.
I’m absolutely terrified of dentists due to a childhood experience with one but I can’t get to see one even if I summon the courage… and because I didn’t make an appointment due to shielding in COVID they’ve considerately thrown me off the books lol
I too am a total whimp re dentists due to horrible childhood experiences .
BUT things ar e better now .
Get yourself a dentist it might take a year or two to get a NHS one and then another year to get an appointment
If you can and need one urgently go private .
I think it’s the infection that the antibiotic treats Dachs. I don’t think the dentist can do any work on the abscess until the infection has subsided.
It really is a lottery Muddy. I had some private dental treatment last year to replace a couple of back tooth onlays which was really painful. The dentist could not seem to get the anaesthesia levels right. I’ve not experienced that level of pain since childhood NHS dentists but there are still dentists out there who can hurt you. He has since left that practice, but he is still out there hurting people. I’ve also had a disaster with one private hygienist who damaged the sides of a lower jaw front tooth. I’m still angry about it. It took months to settle down and this was during lockdown when I couldn’t see anyone. I now give hygienists specific instructions before they start on what not to do.
