I don't wanna!!!
Well, on the 27 November 2005 I wrote about a filling having come out of a tooth and the tooth being broken and having to contact a dentist. Well the public dental system over here has gone down hill in recent years and they are grossly understaffed. It turned out I had not been on their waiting list (as I had thought I was), and in order to have an emergency appointment one must be in pain. At that time I was not in pain, so no emergency appointment.
Well, if my tooth had been attended to then I am sure they could have saved it. Now though, over a year later it has deteriorated badly and in recent months has begun to ache a little. In recent weeks it has begun to ache a lot more often and in the last week or two it has been constant although a dose of ibruprofen has always settled it down.
Until yesterday...
Yesterday it hurt after dinner and NOTHING seemed to work until I got tygrr to make me a warm cup of tea. The warmth seemed to soothe it but a while but as soon as that wore off it would really cane again.
Tygrr eventually remembered she had some Orajel swabs in her gear she brought over from the USA when she first arrived. Yes, they are over two years out of date but by that point I didn't care less. I used one before bed last night and it worked wonders. I was completely pain free for the first time in months. I had not realised how much the tooth had gradually been building up to worse and worse pain.
Unfortunately over the last year it has been breaking more and more and is now level with the gumline and I think in places has actually worn my gum down as it has broken. I strongly doubt it is repairable. I strongly suspect it has to come out. I also strongly suspect they are going to have to cut the gum to get it out as there is virtually nothng left above the gum line to grab and pull. I strongly suspect it's going to hurt like hell during and after removal. I don't suspect, I KNOW I am a chicken when it comes to dentists.
*sighs*
But the pain last night was incredible, as was the utter relief from it when I used the Orajel swab. So I have bitten the bullet (albeit delicately) and made an appointment for tomorrow to have the tooth seen to. I know I am doing the right thing but I have this odd sinking feeling of doom in the pit of my stomach.
*whimpers*
I don't wanna go to the dentist!!!!!
The only thing that is consoling me is the knowledge that unlike years ago when I used to go to the dentist and have a tooth pulled and have to suffer the pain of it for another week or so as it healed, I now know they have developed a range of oral painkillers that work, so I live in hope that I may have some comfort and freedom from pain relatively soon afterwards.
But you know, all that logic still isnt' helpng much.
I really, REALLY don't want to go to the dentist...:(
Well, if my tooth had been attended to then I am sure they could have saved it. Now though, over a year later it has deteriorated badly and in recent months has begun to ache a little. In recent weeks it has begun to ache a lot more often and in the last week or two it has been constant although a dose of ibruprofen has always settled it down.
Until yesterday...
Yesterday it hurt after dinner and NOTHING seemed to work until I got tygrr to make me a warm cup of tea. The warmth seemed to soothe it but a while but as soon as that wore off it would really cane again.
Tygrr eventually remembered she had some Orajel swabs in her gear she brought over from the USA when she first arrived. Yes, they are over two years out of date but by that point I didn't care less. I used one before bed last night and it worked wonders. I was completely pain free for the first time in months. I had not realised how much the tooth had gradually been building up to worse and worse pain.
Unfortunately over the last year it has been breaking more and more and is now level with the gumline and I think in places has actually worn my gum down as it has broken. I strongly doubt it is repairable. I strongly suspect it has to come out. I also strongly suspect they are going to have to cut the gum to get it out as there is virtually nothng left above the gum line to grab and pull. I strongly suspect it's going to hurt like hell during and after removal. I don't suspect, I KNOW I am a chicken when it comes to dentists.
*sighs*
But the pain last night was incredible, as was the utter relief from it when I used the Orajel swab. So I have bitten the bullet (albeit delicately) and made an appointment for tomorrow to have the tooth seen to. I know I am doing the right thing but I have this odd sinking feeling of doom in the pit of my stomach.
*whimpers*
I don't wanna go to the dentist!!!!!
The only thing that is consoling me is the knowledge that unlike years ago when I used to go to the dentist and have a tooth pulled and have to suffer the pain of it for another week or so as it healed, I now know they have developed a range of oral painkillers that work, so I live in hope that I may have some comfort and freedom from pain relatively soon afterwards.
But you know, all that logic still isnt' helpng much.
I really, REALLY don't want to go to the dentist...:(