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Some of you may know that last month I had an infected wisdom tooth removed. I was supposed to also get another tooth filled, but since I don't have insurance and I don't have a job, we just couldn't swing both. Last week the second tooth started acting up again, but I continued brushing every chance I could get and swishing with salt water and the pain was tolerable. Now, however, it is full blown again. The pain is once again spreading from my tooth, all along my jaw and to my ear. I just don't understand how I can get cavities like this, I brush my teeth =(

Maybe you should try the Listerine with peroxide in it? I would dilute it further if the cavity is that bad, though.

Also, Orijel (sp?) works wonders wink

Me too. And so I can pay my rent, that would be nice neutral lol.

akari_32

I'll look into that, sounds good. I'm not sure when I'm allowed to use mouthwash again though, they said to use salt water instead while the hole from my wisdom tooth is healing.

Oragel and other numbing agents only help so much, sadly. It's mostly an inside pain, so while using a cotton ball dipped in a clove oil mixture helps the outside feel better, my jaw and ear still feel like someone is jabbing them with a red hot poker. I could deal with it if it was outside pain only, that would be heaven, lol.

Die Letzte Nacht

Thanks, me too!

I'm gonna try calling the free place again next week. It sucks, you can only get an appointment by calling on Tues-Wed from 10am-12pm. I have an internet phone, so I can redial VERY quickly, but I still can never get through. Then, if you make it through those hoops the appointment you get is actually just to get your info and see if you're poor enough to qualify, then they have to try and pencil you in whenever they can. I miss living in MA, free health and dental was great.

Closest one is in the next county and they only serve people in their county, which is stupid if you ask me.

I used to have routine tooth problems and spent literally over a year with constant toothaches and massive pain, exactly like you're describing. Eventually I called up my dentist and told him that I couldn't take it anymore and asked what I could do with little money and no insurance.

He prescribed me some Darvoset (which is pretty cheap when you get the generic kind) and it worked wonders. One usually did the trick, but when I wasn't in pain I didn't take the prescribed amount and saved some for those days when I needed two.

I was never on it for more than a couple weeks, because when he prescribed it, he arranged a plan with me where he would fill the cavities with temporary fillings until I could afford permanent ones. The temporary fillings lasted years! They finally came out about a year ago, but I very, very rarely have tooth pain in that spot anymore.

I'm not sure if the filling helped it heal or what, but it did the trick. I'll have to go back eventually but I have a fear of the dentist lol. Dentist for me always = pain.

Oh man, are you me? I have a wisdom tooth that's got a gaping hole in it. The way it came in made it really hard to clean properly, and I guess I didn't clean it well enough. The hole didn't help food getting trapped in there, so it got bigger. And then I have a tooth with a cavity in it, and they both like to flare up randomly but at the same time.

I've been dealing with it for 7 months so far, and will continue to do so until I find a job. I tried looking for programs, but I either don't have enough money to cover the down payment or I have too much (i.e. they only serve homeless people, which I am not). I tried calling the one I did find, but the woman put me on "hold" (actually put it on speaker) and started complaining to her coworker about "this person doesn't understand that you actually have to pay to receive services". I do understand, I just wanted to work something out so I don't have to live in pain (possibly with a potentially fatal infection) until I'm able to pay for it. sad

Good luck getting through to the free place. Tooth pain is the worst, and especially so when you know that your options for getting to the dentist are limited. I know that, for me, the uncertainty (when will I be able to get this fixed, how long will this last, how bad will it hurt this time) makes everything seem that much more awful.

Yes!!!! I finally got through to the free clinic. I have to go next week for a qualifying appointment, but I don't see how they could turn me down since I have no income. Hopefully I can make it til then, I've been getting no sleep at all.