in 1979 i fell in the hallway of my school and broke my two front teeth off at the gums, I had temporary "posts" implanted into the bone but these posts have since loosened and fell out, leaving an open hole straight to the bone. I also had my wisdom teeth pulled a few years back and the Oral surgeoon chipped the 4 surrounding teeth next to the wisdoms and now they are broken off at the gums as well. I have learned to deal with the pain without using orajel or anything (which i have used an abundance in the past) The companies I have worked for in the past didnt cover anything becuase it was pre-existing conditions and i do not have the cash to pay for Dental work but know this cannot be done without I.V Sedation and Gas. TODAY i woke up and my top lip is very swollen and I have pain up to the bottom of my nose and cannot afford to goto the dentist. My teeth have been broken off at the gums for years but I dont have insurance. Im afraid of bone cancer. suggestions?
bbpip2006-07-02T10:37:13Z
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You Need to go to your Emergency room. I have been working in the dental field for over 10 years. YOU NEED to go. Facial swelling affects more than your face. There is not much except a few mm between your face and your brain!! An infection could eventually run to the tissue between these and infect your blood stream. You Will end up at the ER eventually, it just depends on how much of problem you arrive with.
honey you can't afford NOT to go to the dentist. There are clinics that offer finanance programs like Care Credit but the fact that you woke up with facial swelling and pain is not good. Sounds like you have an abcess. Do not under any circumstance put any heat on your face. Use ice packs in 15 min intervals. If you have to, go to the emergency room...some hospitals have dentists on staff. You need to be seen and treated right away, at least with a round of antibiotics to get the infection down. Ask a friend or family member if they can loan you some money and call around to some dental offices and ask about financing dental treatments.
Well, cancer does not come from broken teeth, so relax about that fear. [I'm NOT saying that you don't have cancer, because I could not possibly know that, but it doesn't come from broken teeth.] At the very least, you need to see a dentist and get an x-ray or two and find out what the swelling is all about. It isn't free, but you can find the money somewhere. Or, if you have been a regular patient, your dentist may extend you credit or he may accept credit cards.
I just had a call from an occasional patient who said they she just wanted a prescription, because she could not afford to come see me, because....... she was about to leave on her TWO WEEK VACATION in THE OUTER BANKS. Trust me. Two weeks in the Outer Banks AIN'T CHEAP! I'm not saying that she should stay home from her vacation, but if she figured out how to pay for that, she can figure out how to pay for an office call in a dental office. Or, she could go for just one week and use the rest of the money to get every single tooth in her head fixed.
Just venting... But seriously, the peace of mind of finding out what is really wrong will be worth the little bit of money it costs.
It sounds like you may have a dental abcess. You need prompt dental care now! Do you live close to a dental school? They will take patients at little or no charge, if you are willing to let students work with you. Dental abcesses are very dangerous. Abcesses can swell so big that your breathing tube can be blocked or they can spread infection to your brain (your oral cavity is just inches from your brain). Good dental care is not just for looks--it is part of staying healthy.
You have an infection and you need medical attention. Call the social services dept. at your county offices and see what they can do for you as far as health insurance is concerned. There should be a health program that you can sign up to receive. Explain that you have an emergency and you need to be seen by medical personnel right away. I hope they will be able to help you.