Abcesses On My Gums - No Emergency Dentist In My Area!!!

[numan]

For the past couple of years, I’ve had a problem with abscesses on my upper right gum. For the past few months, I have had a sort of gumboil on the top, that comes back every few weeks, fills with puss and that I have to burst (although it will burst on it's own accord, if I so much as lift my top lip to look at it!). For the past few days, I now have enormous abscesses on both my upper and lower right gums that fill with puss and burst daily. My face has been swollen in these areas for the past couple of days, but today, the whole of the right side of my face is swollen and drooping, the bones are too sore to touch, my glands are up and my ear is popping. I have tried and tried all over the weekend to get to a dentist (before it got this bad), but the only one remotely near to me, won’t take me on because my postcode doesn’t coincide with the borough I live in (Greenwich) and ‘the computer says no’ (a problem I have with all sorts of issues here)!!! I rang my local hospital and they say that they can’t deal with it as it’s a dental issue and they don’t deal with those. Even though I’ve told them that I have none of my own teeth in the area of my mouth in question and that the problem has spread all over my face! Another big problem I have, is that I cannot take any form of oral anti-biotics, only intravenous or shots, so they can’t even give me those. The 111 service looked up emergency dentists in my area and the nearest one (apart from the one that wouldn’t take me), is Carshalton in Surrey!!! What do I do now? I’m quite afraid to wait till tomorrow to go to my dentist (who will only see me if he has a gap in between appointments anyway), as the difference in my face from going to bed last night and waking up this morning is so vast, that I fear for what might have happened by then. The fact that my eye is starting to ache is frightening me now. PLEASE help – I feel that I’ve gone back to Victorian times, where trying to get treatment is concerned. (By the way, I did have a couple of appointments with my own dentist over the past few weeks, but went into hospital and so had to cancel them.)

[boxtops]

If it's that bad, go to your local walk-in centre, or (given the problem with the eye) go to A & E.

[whirlyhurly]

Oh, how terrible for you, I agree with Boxtops just go to A & E, most hospitals have a dental dept (as a friend of mine got his wisdom teeth extracted in hospital). But why not dial 999 for the paramedics, please don't suffer in silence.

[boxtops]

999 is for life threatening emergencies - this doesn't sound quite that bad?

[whirlyhurly]

Well paramedics round here {North West}, do respond for problems that are non life threatening. Numan is at the end of his tether.

[boxtops]

Worth a try then, but he says on his duplicate thread that A&E won't take him, so what would the paramedics do?

I'm appalled that his dentist hasn't tried to get to the bottom of these abscesses over the past two years, but that doesn't help him now.

If your eye is hurting, numan - it's worth a try, you don't want any infection to spread to the eye.

[slinky.kate]

that is shocking,we have a walk in dental hospital where you will get seen but its in Glasgow.

[jno]

that happened to me, though in my cheek rather than my gum: I went to A&E, got taken straight in to hospital and had it drained in an op.

[boxtops]

A&E then, numan - http://www.greenwichccg.nhs.uk/Local-Services/Pages/Accident-and-Emergency.aspx

[Prudie]

I'm not sure why you think this is a dental problem now, it's way beyond that, you need some kind of urgent antibiotic treatment and I'd definitely go to a walk-in centre or A&E (not an ambulance). If you're not careful this infection will get into your blood, cause septicemia or something nasty.

[jno]

as Prudie says, it's beyond dental. I think once they get a look at your face A&E won't send you home.

[jno]

oh, and just to add, even when I had mine drained, I was still on antibiotics for eight months afterward. That's a reason for doing something today and not tomorrow.

[numan]

Thank you all so much for your comments. There seems to be a lot of caring people out there! (I may have to change my profile pic tho', as I'm a woman and you all seem to think I'm a man.. lol)
I've just been back on to A&E and they're still telling me the same thing. They also say that there is no dental department, although as it's a university teaching hospital I find that hard to believe!
You're right whirlyhurly, I truly am at the end of my tether. I think I just may have walk into A&E and lie, tell them that it started in my cheek! We don't have a walk-in center that deals with gums in my local area, boxtops.. I've tried those too (via online enquiry). It amazes me how your mouth doesn't appear to be part of the rest of your body when it comes to health issues, according to the general medical fraternity. Good job it doesn't apply to every different part of your bloody body, innit?

[Sqad]

OK...Plan B.
Ibuprofen 600mgms for the pain......that is if you have pain.

Dentist's tomorrow.

[MallyJ]

Guys hospital trains dentists .... not too far from where you are ... and an a&e.

[Fusion5]

Numan, try this number as you are in London. 0208 299 5509.

[ladyalex]

They may not have a dental department but I think most teaching hospitals would have an Oral Surgery Department.
If it was me in your situation, I would just turn up at A&E.
Phoning them inadvance just gives them the option of turning you away before you get there.
Hope it all works out for you very very soon.

[jno]

any luck, numan? Here's hoping.