Dental Help Requested!!!

[sweetnpetite]

I have a cracked tooth, and I have an appointment to have it extracted, but not until March.

The problem is, it is causing these muscle spasms/cramps in the right side of my face. A few months ago it was worse,and I ended up in the hospital ER for it, the only thing that helped back then was a shot of novacain which of course completly numbed the side of my face (but did bring lasting releaf)

So my question of despiration is- does ANYBODY know any other way to calm these muscle spasms in the mean-time? Ibuprophen seems to do no good, and I already stick to soft food (to prevent tensing the muscle which makes it worse) It also causes a pain to go accross my bottom front teeth. I'm worried that if i can't make it stop, it's going to get progressivly worse and I'm going to end up in the ER again sometime this week.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Ravishing]

I wish I could offer some help, but all I can say is the one thing I think I could think of is sitting on the tip of my tongue and I'm sitting here racking my brain over it and getting no-where fast.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

S&P,

Call your dentist NOW and either talk to someone or leave a message telling them you're in pain. They should see you as soon as possible or refer you to another dentist who can help. No reputable dentist will make a patient in pain wait for treatment.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I have a cracked tooth, and I have an appointment to have it extracted, but not until March.

The problem is, it is causing these muscle spasms/cramps in the right side of my face. A few months ago it was worse,and I ended up in the hospital ER for it, the only thing that helped back then was a shot of novacain which of course completly numbed the side of my face (but did bring lasting releaf)

So my question of despiration is- does ANYBODY know any other way to calm these muscle spasms in the mean-time? Ibuprophen seems to do no good, and I already stick to soft food (to prevent tensing the muscle which makes it worse) It also causes a pain to go accross my bottom front teeth. I'm worried that if i can't make it stop, it's going to get progressivly worse and I'm going to end up in the ER again sometime this week.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

Try oragel SnP. The muscle spasms are your body trying to cope with the pain, even if you don't feel the tooth pain right then. Also call your dentist and tell him the pain is severe. At the very least he should be able to get you in and do a partial root canal. It won't totally alliveate the pain, but next to what you are probably feeling now it will be just beautiful.

-Colly

 

[sweetnpetite]

S&P,

Call your dentist NOW and either talk to someone or leave a message telling them you're in pain. They should see you as soon as possible or refer you to another dentist who can help. No reputable dentist will make a patient in pain wait for treatment.

Rumple Foreskin

The problem is- I have no insurance, and payment is due at the time of service. I've already got my fingers and toes crossed that we can come up with the money by March.

I can try to call around, to see if anybody in this town *bills* but in the meantime I'll take any suggestions I can get.

Oh yeah, and I'm drinking camomile tea. I think that helps some. I wonder if Midol would be more helpful than Motrin? (i am taking motrin for tooth pain, but only helps a little for the cramping)

 

[sweetnpetite]

Re: Re: Dental Help Requested!!!

Try oragel SnP. The muscle spasms are your body trying to cope with the pain, even if you don't feel the tooth pain right then. Also call your dentist and tell him the pain is severe. At the very least he should be able to get you in and do a partial root canal. It won't totally alliveate the pain, but next to what you are probably feeling now it will be just beautiful.

-Colly

Luckily, they are not severe right now. (or else my SO would have me in the ER) as I said, my problem is mainly one of finances. It's times like this that I wish I had a credit card to max out

 

[minsue]

I wish I could help SnP! Not for completely altruistic reasons, I must admit. I grind my teeth when sleeping and clench them when awake so I have muscle spasms in my jaw almost daily. I've got a pretty good headache going right now because of it. If you do find out anything to relieve it, will you let me know? I'll do the same, but I've been looking for years so I'm not all that optimistic.

- Mindy, hurting when I smile

 

[oggbashan]

I use preparations for teething babies.

UK trade names are Bongela, Anusol and the herbalist's version is witch hazel. All deaden the pain for an hour or two before another application is needed.

Og (who has badly shattered teeth from Rugby players' boots and other impacts to face - and dental repair bills for forty years as a result)

 

[dr_mabeuse]

You really have to find a dentist who will treat you, SnP. I would just start calling around, telling them you’re in pain, because I don’t think anyone’s going to prescribe a month’s worth of pain-killers for you, because that means codeine, and no one’s going to give you a month’s supply of codeine. If you’ve got any universities with dental schools around you, you might try them, or just call dentists and tell them your situation. A lot of dentists around here even have finance plans they administer from their offices.

As far as treatment, warmth and ibuprofen is generally the treatment of choice for muscle spasms, and I’ve had doctors tell me that you can take more than the recommended dose, up to 6 at a time. But I wouldn;t recommend it, and definitely not for a month. I was taking 6 at a shot (I think twoce a day) for about 3 weeks some years ago and ended up in the hospital with an inflamed pancreas. You’ve really got to get it treated ASAP.

---dr.M.

P.S. Minsue-- you've got bruxism, which is what they call that nocturnal teeth-grinding. The dentist can give you an appliance like a mouth guard that will help protect your teeth. I don't know if it'll help the spasms, but I know some patients stop grinding their teeth altogether when they sleep with the mouthguard in.

 

[Couture]

I agree...call around. Someone will take you and allow you to make payments.

 

[whispering_surrender]

The previous posters are right about finding a dentist who will let you make payments, however, since that search might take a while.....

See if you can find an orthodontist who will give you some of the wax they give people to cover sharp edges on braces. After carefully cleaning the cracked tooth, if you cover it with wax to keep the air flow off it, it will sometimes help.

Also, soft foods tend to be low in sodium, and a lack of sodium in your system will compound the problems with muscles spasms and cramping. One of the few examples of how a extremely low salt diet can occasionally be a bad thing. For the short term, make sure you have at least some salt intake.

Best of luck hon,

Whisp

 

[Guest]

I don't have any suggestions, but I wanted to say that I am sorry you are in such pain. I agree that you need to call around and tell the dentists your situation. Surely, someone will help you. Around here, if you don't have insurance, you generally have to pay the routine office visit fee, and then they bill you for any other work done.

CM

 

[NoJo]

Is it me, or is this is the most erotic thread on the board right now?

 

[oggbashan]

If you aren't already using it, change to a toothpaste for sensitive teeth - Sensodyne is a UK brand.

It works after a couple of days on most dental pain.

Og

 

[Guest]

Is it me, or is this is the most erotic thread on the board right now?

IMO it's just you, Jose. You crack me up.

Perdita

 

[oggbashan]

I sometimes have erotic fantasies about a young Australian Lady dentist who used to treat my teeth years ago. Does that count?

My present dentist is a Finnish Lady. I appreciate her but she swears in Finnish about the state of my teeth. For extractions she has to ask her husband because she can't get enough leverage to move my teeth.

Both ladies have a very gentle touch as dentists. The male Finn might have a gentle touch - I wouldn't know. The only time he deals with my teeth he kneels on my chest and uses both hands.

Next appointment in two weeks.

If you do not take part in contact sport now - don't. Rugby is painful; Australian Rules more so. Rock climbing; motorcycle cross country, horse riding, surfing, etc are great activities IF you are competent and DON'T FALL OFF! I wasn't competent. I did fall off - again; and again; and again. That is bad for dental health.

Og

 

[Svenskaflicka]

My dentist dipped a cotton ball in 96% alcohol, and put it against my tooth. Alcohol numbs the nerves.

 

[NoJo]

As a kid I had a dentist straight out of "Marathon Man": His name was Schindler. He had little round metal framed glasses. He was scary.

In those days, nobody really cared about mercury poisoning -- kids could buy maze puzzles with drops of mercury instead of b-b's.

Mr Schindler would pour a big drop of mercury on the glass table at the beginning of the session, and tell me if I was good, I could take it home at the end. The thing was, that stuff is *impossible* to pick up in your fingers -- it just keeps sliding about.

Now, I have new-age dentist with a pony tail and a psychedelic diorama in the ceiling. I kind of miss Mr Schindler.

My wife's cousin married a lady dentist. She was a natural bitch- domme. Very cruel and nasty. I don't know what she was like as a dentist, although I've spent a lot of time imagining.


I remain, as ever, yours,

Dentally challenged and British and proud.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

My dentist dipped a cotton ball in 96% alcohol, and put it against my tooth. Alcohol numbs the nerves.

If you try this, make damned sure that it's GRAIN alcohol, available in liquor stores. Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) is quite poisonous and can cause blindness! Same with denatured alcohol, which has poisons added to keep people from drinking it. Stay entirely away from wood alcohol, another poison which is readily absorbed through the skin.

The classic topical pain releiver is oil of cloves, which you might be able to get at a pharmacy, but all these topical things are for gum pain and won't help if the pain is in the nerve, which it probably is is the tooth is cracked.

I've had a lot of dental work in my time, and dealt with a lot of pain. The dental wax WS mentions is available in pharmacies, but will only help if the pain is caused by the sharp edge of a tooth or a dental appliance. You might try oil of cloves (that's what the dentist usually puts on your gum before he gives you a shot of novacaine) but it tastes terrible.

Really, SNP, you've got to find a dentist.

---dr.M.

 

[shereads]

Haven't you people heard about our friend Nitrous Oxide?

If a dentist is generous with the nitrous, I enjoy my little trips to the chair. Drill away, buddy. Wear an S.S. uniform for all I care. Make me watch Marathon Man while you're working on me. Just keep the nitrous oxide dial turned to 11 and ignore me if I seem to pass out for a while.

I hate the dentists who wake me up just before I slip into the nitrous oxide coma. It's the threat of lawsuits that's making them jumpy.

I loved my dentist in Houston, Texas. He was my favorite thing about living there. I called him, "Doctor Painless."

He wore fatiques and had a nicely groomed beard (yum!) and he'd let you simmer on nitrous for a few minutes before he got started. I remember him shaking a stuffed animal in front of my glazed eyes - one of the Sesame Street characters, maybe Big Bird - it had dangly legs and huge yellow feet - and Doctor Painless said, "What do you think of this?"

Then there may have been some dentistry. I really didn't care.

 

[shereads]

I have a cracked tooth, and I have an appointment to have it extracted, but not until March.

The problem is, it is causing these muscle spasms/cramps in the right side of my face. A few months ago it was worse,and I ended up in the hospital ER for it, the only thing that helped back then was a shot of novacain which of course completly numbed the side of my face (but did bring lasting releaf)

So my question of despiration is- does ANYBODY know any other way to calm these muscle spasms in the mean-time? Ibuprophen seems to do no good, and I already stick to soft food (to prevent tensing the muscle which makes it worse) It also causes a pain to go accross my bottom front teeth. I'm worried that if i can't make it stop, it's going to get progressivly worse and I'm going to end up in the ER again sometime this week.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

If you're in excruciating pain and your dentist won't see you on an emergency basis, you need a new dentist. Do a keyword search for "find dentist" in your city and you'll probably find an 800-number where you can tell them your criteria (accepts your insurance, will see you immediately, uses nitrous oxide )
and they'll give you some numbers to call.

It's inexcusable for a dentist to refuse emergency care. He's not the only fish in the sea of cracked molars.

 

[MathGirl]

the one thing I think I could think of is sitting on the tip of my tongue

Dear Rav,
I not only don't see how that would help SnP's tooth, I don't really believe it can be done. Possibly she could have someone sit on her tongue for her.
Unhelpfully,
MG

 

[NoJo]

Dear Rav,
I not only don't see how that would help SnP's tooth, I don't really believe it can be done. Possibly she could have someone sit on her tongue for her.
Unhelpfully,
MG

Wow, you really enjoy pouncing on people's metaphors.

 

[sweetnpetite]

Good News (and some bad)

My face was bothering me so I decided to dig through my medicine bowl (a crowded dish in my kitchen cupbord) and see what I had on hand. I found 1 Vikaden (from the last time I had a tooth pulled) and 1 Ibuprophen. the thing is, I don't like Vikaden because it makes me sooo groggy, and I didn't know if it would work anyway, cuz I was already taken extra regular ibuprophen. But anyway, I woke up early one morning (and it was the weekend too) and just couldn't take it anymore, so I took the Vikadin. I did feel somewhat groggy most of the day, and my tooth was still tender but not cramping. I figured when it wore off, I would be in a world of hurt, but I haven't had a muscle cramp in my face ever since then



The bad news- my dentist doesn't even *offer* nitrus oxide. WTF?


I might just have to see if i can find another who does- as long as i don't have to wait longer.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I don't think any of them offer Nitrous anymore. My dentist used to use it, and I actually used to look forward to going to the dentist, then he just stopped cold. He said that it was just too much trouble, but I think that there must have been some other reason, and I suspect that some people must have had bad reactions and that there were a few law suits and insurance premiums went through the roof.

---dr.M.