Ugh, I have an abscessed tooth! Wait till tomorrow?

[blondeviolin]

My tooth started to feel sensitive to the touch yesterday. Today, there is a pointy swelling under the tooth. I'm also running a very low fever (99.3 or so). I'd prefer to see my dentist in the morning. There's no pain.

 

Think it can wait?

[Truscifi]

I wouldn't wait, but we had a bad experience waiting once when dh had an abscessed tooth. He woke up in the middle of the night with his jaw swollen so much on that side it looked like he had a tennis ball tucked between the cheek and gum. We went to the ER and he got IV antibiotics because it was apparently a very serious anaerobic infection. :scared:

 

Also, once I thought ds was developing an abscessed tooth and was scheduled for the dentist the next morning, but the next morning there was swelling down his neck and he skin was red and hot to touch so we called our family doc instead. It turned out his salivary gland was blocked and infected.

 

So, yeah, we have bad luck with stuff like that.

[Cindy in FL.]

I don't have any first hand knowledge, but I've read that you need to be careful with abcessed teeth. Best wishes to you!

[Mandylubug]

Hmm I'd call the dr office and aee if there is an emergency number to call. Usually there is and maybe they can call in antibiotics. The fever would worry me. Oral infections are dangerous and shouldn't be ignored. Sometimes if the pustule bursts (gross I know) you can get some temporary relief. However, you are run ing a fever which tells me your body is fighting it pretty hard. :( I think I'd attempt to get in contact for a prescription. If not, I'd go to urgent care.

[City Mouse]

I would wait until tomorrow morning. My DS just had an abscess tooth. He had been complaining of his mouth hurting for a couple of days. Then on a Friday evening I saw the lump under the gums. No emergency dentists around here, but his regular dr gave us antibiotics until we could get in to the dentist.

[minuway]

When this happened to my daughter a few days after she had a tooth worked on (a pulpectomy I think) - she woke up with a swollen face, fever, and a lot of pain. I called her dentist's emergency line - it was a Sunday - and they called her in an rx for antibiotics because she had to be on those for a few days before they could deal with the tooth. They saw her a few days later to take care of the rest of it. I would at least call now to see if they can call you in some drugs to get a head start on it - when it starts to hurt it sucks.

[Guest]

It makes a HUGE difference whether it's a periodontal abscess or a tooth abscess. They can't do much for a periodontal abscess besides antibiotics and pain meds so it's not really an emergency and you ARE going to need an extraction within a few weeks or months. If it's a tooth abscess, they might be able to save it if you get to the dentist in time or (I hear) it could cause bigger problems than needing/living without false teeth if you don't.