Abscessed teeth are a PAIN.

[Occulus]

Okay, so right now I'm sitting here barely containing my screams of pain. I'm all doped up on Vicodin, too- but that won't do a whole lot of good until the infection in my wisdom tooth goes down enough for the swelling to stop. The good news is, I do have a dental appointment tomorrow to see if they can remove the tooth. The bad news is, the way mine came in, they may not be able to do so.

I did call an oral surgeon, but they wouldn't even give me a ballpark figure; they would only tell me the most it would cost- around $1000 to pull both the bottom wisdom teeth (both of which came in wrong), which would include the infected one.

They won't accept payments. I pay all, or nothing, because despite the fact that I work for the Postal Service, I do not have any kind of dental insurance.

Which brings me to my gripe. I'm somewhat less than impressed with the treatment of the medical community in general regarding dental care. Doctors will not remove even a badly infected tooth because they don't consider it a medical issue (!!?!?)- unless, of course, there's other trauma involved, such as a car accident.

I am 100% certain there is someone on staff (or, more likely, several someones) who know how to remove a tooth. After all, this is not an uncommonly difficult procedure, even if tissue needs to be cut along the way. Those people, the ones refusing to treat this problem, are the ones leaving me in pain, and suffering.

They. Just. Don't. Care.

Oral surgeons and dentists, on the other hand, have always left me with the impression that people who cannot afford adequate dental care are for some reason people to be looked down upon. Come on- I can buy a car, house, computer, Bowflex, and even things on late-night television on a payment plan, but a single extraction costing hundreds of dollars needs to be paid at once, in a single lump?

Something needs to be done about this. Either doctors need to be required by law to extract infected teeth before the infection becomes a serious health issue, or dental professionals need to be subjected to their own version of EMTALA (the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act: what allows you to be seen in an emergency room regardless of your ability to pay).

It is almost as if the dental care profession, by common consent, has decided to allow sheer pain to be the mover for their customers- captive audiences all- to be forced into accepting whatever odious, usurious fees the professionals feel like charging, just to make the pain go away.

This is the kind of situation that really makes me feel as though many in the entire field of healing in general have lost sight of their primary concern: their patients, not their pocketbooks. This is the kind of thing that makes me lose faith in the very ability of the holders of health to behave similar to human beings who have empathy and compassion.

I only got ten Vicodin. I'll have to go back to the E.R. for more, or see my regular doctor, who will do the same.

Don't any of these people care about pain? Or are they all too willing to use the pain I'm in as a tool?

I'm afraid it's the latter.

[kaygore]

1. My dad never let any one suffer

He was forced to retire this past June 30th from over 55 years as a dentist at the age of 81 when he was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer.

Dad would get up in the middle of the night to go to the office to help someone with a tooth or gum problem. He would go on weekends and holidays. If a person couldn't pay (and Dad charged below the going rate anyway), he would set up payments that the patient could afford.

Not all dentists are as you have experienced. Dad was a dentist because he wanted to help people, not for the money.

[Occulus]

2. That's good, and it's honorable, and he was probably one of the last

who would do such a thing. It's really very sad.

I'm just more than a little bit shocked that today dental care professionals seem to care about your pain, only as a means of getting to your money. As in, "Don't worry. He'll be in eventually. Pretty soon, the pain will be so bad he won't have a choice! Mwah-hah-haa!"

That's the impression I get these days.

[kaygore]

6. Have you tried putting an asprine on the abcessed tooth?

It tastes awful, but it often helps.

[Occulus]

7. Oy. Trying to do it would HURT.

The tooth is partially decayed because it came in rotated forward 90 degrees, with the crown butting into the back of the molar in front of it. No way to brush it, or floss it, or anything.

I'm not trying to stuff anything into that hole. :)

[roguevalley]

18. get some of the baby numbs it stuff, honey.

[TexasLady]

3. Can you get someone to prescribe you some steroids?

Imean, the kind that takes the swelling away? I had an awful swelling, and no amount of hydrocodone, or vicodin, or anything else helped like that stuff did. Pain was gone in an hour.

I have an awesome dentist, who also makes sure I am never ever in pain.
Ive had my share of rotten ones, and its like finding a gold mine when you can find a really good one out there. And after a few thousand dollars and many years, I feel WHOLE again! He was worth every dime.

Hope so much you can get relief SOON!

[Der Blaue Engel]

4. I feel for you

as I've been having a recurring toothache that can't be fixed for a while for the same reason (not as bad as yours, though).

I agree that the system is crazy, but just thought I'd correct one assumption...doctors are not trained to remove wisdom teeth. That's the reason an oral surgeon specializes in it, because it's not all that simple. There are nerves that have to be navigated that could leave you without sensation, especially if it's the lower jaw, and bone that you don't want to crack, and it's very easy to leave something, even a slight chip of bone in the incission and cause serious problems that could actually kill you. So, while it's little consolation, I don't think the medical doctors are against you, they just really aren't trained to do it, and probably couldn't legally do it either.

You may be able to find a different oral surgeon in your area who will take a payment plan. Have you tried 1-800-DENTIST? I've never tried them, but they sound like they might be able to dig someone up for you without you having to do all the work while you're suffering.

Good luck!

[Occulus]

5. Thanks for that

Of course I knew about the problems regarding the position of the wisdom teeth... I just wasn't thinking so well through the drugs.

Thanks for the 1800dentist number, I'll try that in the morning.

How would you feel about EMTALA-style legislation for oral surgeons? These are some of the most painful problems one can have, and I'm getting the impression they at least actually trade on that fact.

I'd say that's just a trifle unethical, and that something telling them they must accept certain patients is in order.

[Sgent]

8. Actually

they are subject to the EMTALA.

Most hospitals have oral surgeons on staff. The trick is to find out which ones do, and approach those hospitals -- or individual dentists in their office. These should at least be willing to take payments -- esp. if you mention EMTALA and the fact that you'll go through the ER otherwise.

Many hospitals have a referral line or nurse line which will direct you to oral surgeons on staff.

[Occulus]

9. Ah, but get it covered on my medical insurance.

That's not the overall issue- the overall issue is, I want this fucking rotten, painful tooth OUT OF MY HEAD! :)

I went to the ER last night, and they didn't say anything about having an oral surgeon on staff. This is Bronson Methodist, the premier hospital in SW michigan.

As I understand things, they decide whether it's a medical emergency in my mouth- not me. I guess an active infection isn't 'medical' enough for them. /snark

[Der Blaue Engel]

12. Absolutely, and in addition

medical plans/employers should be obligated to consider teeth part of your fricking body and cover the expenses. It makes me crazy that teeth and eyes are seen as optional body parts in the insurance business.

[Mist]

10. There are oral surgeons on call at most hospitals to deal with

people with fractured jaws from car crashes, fights, etc. Maybe you could get it done that way? I REALLY feel for you--I had problems w/my wisdom teeth years ago, but at least could get it taken care of in a timely way. Yes, most dentists and doctors are all about the money, but sometimes calling every goddamn oral surgeon in the phone book will hook you the one that will accept payments. I haven't had health insurance for 20 years, so believe me, I know persistance pays! Please get this taken care of soon, if you can, it's painful and dangerous to have an abcessed wisdom tooth.

[Occulus]

11. Oh, I know how bad it can be

my roommate had to have his top two front teeth removed because they were infected. His credit was already shot from a divorce and he's on disability besides, so he just went and stiffed 'em. I won't do that, but I am tempted to go in, get the work done, and then tell them they'll take payments, or nothing, and either turn me over to a collection agency or take me to court for it- and in either case, I'd end up on a monthly payment schedule- which is what I wanted in the first place.

I'm even willing to draw up a contract legally binding me to a monthly payment, and I'll even be a big heart and tack on interest to sweeten the pot, and foist that on whoever does the work. I just can't pay it all at once, like they want me to.

It's almost like I'm being punished for not having dental insurance.

[WillowTree]

13. You shouldn't have to go back to the ER...

....to get something for pain. Your dentist should be able to give you an Rx for that, as well as for an antibiotic for the infection.

I had an abscessed tooth that became infected just last month. Over a period of less than two hours, the right side of my face swelled-up so badly that my cheek was pressing against the side of my nose and it was pushing my lower eyelid upward, interfering with my sight in that eye. Not wanting to wait for an appointment, I went directly to a wonderful local immediate care center where they became very concerned very quickly. An oral surgeon was contacted and I was placed on IV antibiotics for a couple of hours and given an Rx for more to be taken orally that night and the next morning to quell the infection before surgery.

If you're having noticeable swelling with an infected dental abscess, you need to be on antibiotics. Such infections can be very dangerous and need to be treated immediately and aggressively. After a couple of doses of antibiotics, the pain and swelling should begin to subside, too, but even if those go away completely, it doesn't mean that the tooth doesn't have to come out. It will all just keep reoccurring until you get it extracted which will only keep costing you more money.

And it isn't a matter of MDs not caring, either. Oral surgery is a very specialized field and very few medical doctors have the training to perform such procedures, particularly if the tooth is impacted. Depending on where you are, a regular MD would likely not even be licensed to perform such a procedure. And even if they could or would, it would still be considered to be a dental procedure and would not be a covered expense by your medical insurance unless it was the direct result of an accidental injury.

[Occulus]

15. I'm taking penicillin and have been since last night.

The doc told me that should take care of the swelling, which is part of the reason the Vicodin isn't working as well as it ought to. It's mostly getting neutralized by the pain.

The issue I have with the argument that it's such a specialized thing to do is that doctors in hospitals will do it in the case of, for example, a car wreck, or in situations where the bad tooth becomes a "medical issue". Well, I call an active infection a "medical issue". They don't.

:grr:

[WillowTree]

17. I think you're mistaken.

While teeth can be pulled in a hospital, as a matter of routine they have such procedures performed by either a DDS or DMD on staff. ER docs and "regular" MDs simply do not do it.

I had a tooth go south on me while I was already hospitalized due to a completely unrelated condition and was under the care of a surgeon. They had to bring in an oral surgeon to pull it while I lay in my hospital bed. (That was 20 years ago and interestingly, and entirely by chance, the oral surgeon that was called by the immediate care center last month just happened to be the same fella. I got lucky. He was absolutely fabulous both times.)

[Occulus]

20. I guess maybe I'm being unclear

The impression I got from them was that they simply didn't have anyone there able to do it (which is odd, because we're talking about one of the largest and most modern hospitals in SW Michigan).

Ultimately, I need this tooth gone any way I can. It HURTS. :cry:

[WillowTree]

24. I understand that.

The memory of my recent experience is very fresh and clear in my mind and I do sympathize.

But as a matter of routine, they don't do dental extractions in a hospital setting unless you need to be in the hospital for another reason. And if they did, would you really want to be on the hook for another $1,500-$2,000 for the hospital OR charges in addition to what you're going to have to pay the oral surgeon? Because that's what would happen.

When I had mine pulled last month in the surgeon's office under general anesthesia, it ran $550, and worth every damned cent.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. Had my right-upper wisdom tooth removed a little over a week ago....

...the relief was complete and instantaneous, and I paid for it out of my own pocket.

We have no insurance at all, much less dental insurance.

[Occulus]

16. Yes, and?

I'm willing to do so- I just can't afford several hundred dollars in a single lump. I literally went, :wtf: when she told me she couldn't give a ballpark figure, but only a possible maximum.

Any other business, and I'd be walking out the door muttering "scam".

[Media_Lies_Daily]

25. I paid a dentist $115.00 cash....and I couldn't afford it either..........

...why are you getting testy? All I did was state that the relief from the pain I've had for the last 3.5 years was wonderful.

If you want to continue dealing with it, that's your business.

[Occulus]

27. Sorry for seeming testy

I'm crabby right now. Being in relatively constant pain for the past two days has done some pretty bad things to my manners. :)

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

19. OUCH...hate to tell ya, but...

I've been there 3 or 4 times, and the only relief I ever got was a root canal. I just had one in March, it hurt like hell, and I'm still walking around with a temp crown, but it made the pain go away. I know it's not fun, but I hope the dentist finds a way to help you out.

[Occulus]

22. No crown possible

the two bottom wisdom teeth came in rotated 90 degrees forward. My only solution is to get 'em yanked. :(

[notadmblnd]

21. go to your county health department

I know ours provides dental services.

[Occulus]

23. That's a good idea

I'll look into it tomorrow morning.

Huh... never even considered doing that.

[earth mom]

26. Sorry you're in such pain. I feel for you and I can totally relate

because I went through a badly abcessed tooth several years ago and it was a week before the infection cleared up. I couldn't sleep the pain was that bad! At the time our family had no health insurance and we had to pay up front before the tooth was removed! I couldn't believe how I was treated either-how do these jerks sleep at night???!!! :grr:

My only advice to you is to call around and find someone who will work with you. They are out there, but it may take some doing. Good luck!

[Horse with no Name]

28. Best advice

Find a University Hospital that has a dental department.
Most of them should.
Show up on a Saturday or early evening.
Tell them you are in excruciating pain and nothing helps--tell them you have been in excruciating pain for days. Tell them you rate your pain a 10/10.
Tell them you cannot eat or drink because of the pain.

They generally will go ahead and call the dentist on call and he should go ahead and make arrangements to treat you.

If you tell them you cannot eat or drink--you throw the ball in their court.

Granted, this will end up costing more, but it will also force them to give you a payment plan.

Good luck.

[Conservativesux]

29. There ARE payment plans for dental work. Most dentists can hook you up.

Although $1000 dollars to pull one tooth sounds way too high to me.