I am in so much pain I can't even begin to describe it!! I have a dental abscess and it's the weekend so I can't see a dentist for it today. I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to get one to do anything anyway. For the moment my doctor has called in an antibiotic and some pain meds.... the pain meds barely do much except sort of take the edge off so I'm atleast not screaming in pain for a few hours at a time. I am still waiting for them to kick in because it takes about an hour. It's the worst pain EVER.

The abscess just showed up yesterday but I've been calling dentists all week trying to get someone to deal with the tooth. It was a tooth that has been ground down and capped 2 years ago and the cap fell off. No dentists that I can find on my insurance plan are willing to do what needs to be done to fix it because I'm pregnant and they aren't willing to risk it because they have to either put me under or have 4 men to hold me down while I scream so they can pull it because numbing shots don't work on me. (which I'm willing to do but they aren't.. apparently it scares their other patients too much)

It's just really sad that they really don't care at all how much pain I'm in or the fact that this could actually cause problems in the pregnancy because they don't want to be liable for putting a pregnant woman under even though the doctor said he would write a letter OKing the procedure! I really don't know what they expect me to do because I can't be on antibiotics and pain meds for the rest of pregnancy! The dentists just flat out don't care though. It's not their problem and they refuse to see me for it.

I have tried all sorts of home remedies too and they just don't work. Any ideas how long antibiotics take to start working on an abscess? If the swelling would just go down some, I think the pain would ease up. My whole upper lip is swollen at the moment because it's one of the top front teeth. I was in the process of getting a lot of work slowly taken care of when I got pregnant and the pregnancy halted all of it in a really bad place. They left me with a total of 9 teeth, only 2 of them molars that I can chew with, and one of them perpetually infected. It was taking a long time to do it because it costs SO much money and I didn't qualify for state funded insurance until I was pregnant. They will finish the work after the baby is born but that's not until April.

I really really really hate dentists. I think they go into dentistry because they like to put people in pain. I've also had them do some really messed up shit to me that left me horribly traumatized so I have panic attacks as soon as I make an appointment and until it's all over. They always say that it's never as bad as your mind makes you think it will be.. but I've had it be WORSE than I could ever imagine and that's hard to get over. I've got genetic problems with my teeth that have put me in the dentists chair *tons* of times in my life and now they are just pulling all the teeth a few at a time until they are all gone and will replace them with dentures.

I just don't know how to deal with this pain anymore. It's more pain than a person should have to be in when they COULD do something about it if they wanted to. I swear if I end up with a blood infection from it or serious pregnancy complications, I am going to call each and every one of these dentists that refused to see me and explain to them exactly what they could have prevented if they had just done what they should have done.

Sorry about this long rant... I am at my wits end and DH is at work and I am trying to focus on anything at all until the pain medicine kicks in and it all becomes more bearable.

Hiya i just wanted to say i had a tooth infection when i was about 8 weeks snd it was appsolute so painfull you wouldnt believe,i had an emergancy dental appointment and he gave me penicilin i didnt want to take them but i had no choice.The pain went in 3 days and hasnt come back thank god.Hope you get it sorted x

3 days... My doctor gave me keflex because I'm allergic to penicillin. If I remember right from when I worked at the pharmacy it's a bit stronger so maybe it will start to ease the swelling a little sooner... god i hope so. Did the dentist have to pull the tooth for the infection to stay away? It's like a half a tooth left so it gets infected more easily but I have been using heavy duty mouthwash everyday trying to keep infection away. Didn't work!

And I'm really not so worried about the medications.. I've read as much info as there is available about both and haven't found anything bad related to them with pregnancy. I ust need it to work FAST. The pain med sucks and I KNOW there is another one that is just as safe and way more effective but he refuses to do it. I'm stuck with a doctor right now that isn't my normal one b/c my normal one is out of the country until the 13th. The one I'm seeing in his place sucks! He doesn't ever remember I'm pregnant and I have to remind him everytime I go in.

Oh crap honey! That sucks! I can't believe everyone is letting you feel this shitty. I'm so sorry...I wish I had better advice because you're always so quick with it. The only thing I can think of is maybe calling an oral surgeon instead of a regular dentist? They may have more experience with this.

Good luck hunni. I feel for you.

I also had a horrendous experience recently involving a tooth extraction. the root was curved and would not come out and it was extremely painful. I would rather give birth any day.

i can only think of a few things for just now that might help. If you picture the colour black apparently that can work as an anesthetic (my sister told me). Or maybe distract yourself with heat (hot water bottles) and ice (in a flannel) not on your mouth but somewhere so it's distracts from your pain.

Sorry this is kind of weird advice. Suppose it's stuff I would try as well as painkiller.

Maybe try salty water (warm boiled water) around the absess. I think this might help with the infection and maybe soothe it.

I think it's shame you can't get it treated. Maybe someone you haven't tried will do it.

I hope it gets better....

I have been calling oral surgeons also. The last one to work on me was an oral surgeon but he was a really bad man. I let him pull 4 teeth without putting me under. He had 4 men hold me down while I screamed and the entire time he yelled at me to "SHUT UP you are scaring my patients!! It doesn't hurt! You only feel pressure!" Then he proceeded to pull 7 teeth instead of 4. And I assure you I felt a hell of a lot more than pressure! I really do have a really high pain tolerance even though I joke that I suck with pain. I just do whatever I can to avoid it is all. If I'm screaming from it, then something is really major. I didn't even scream during the labor pains I felt when I was induced with my son and thrown straight into hard labor! Did 3 1/2 hours of that with just moaning!

I've tried the heat and ice and have been regularly using the salt water rinse. I think time and antibiotics is going to be the only cure for it. I just wish I could fast forward 2 days!

I suffer so BADLY with my teeth i told my dentist to rip them all out and give me false ones lol... (he said no because there healthy)... i would rather false ones than tooth ache it has to be the WORST!!!!! i had an absess last year and my whole side of my face swelled up as soon as i started taking the antibiotics it eased up within 48 hours... i hope it eases up soon xxxxx

Yay 48 hours sounds better! I think just knowing that the end is near is helping some.

you have my deepest sympathy I know how bad pain that can be hope it eases o soon xx