dental infections Archives - Drake & Wallace Dentistry

Infection from Wisdom Tooth Returned

Posted on January 5, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had a wisdom tooth that was hurting and went to see my dentist. He said it was infected and sent me to some kind of specialist. He told me all the wisdom teeth needed to be removed, but can’t do it for a couple of months. He did prescribe me an antibiotic but that is gone. Now the tooth is hurting again. Does this mean the tooth infection is back? What do I do?

Erin

Dear Erin,

Yes, your infection has returned. You don’t want to leave this until your appointment. Your jaw is very close to your brain. If the infection reaches there, a dental emergency turns into a life-threatening emergency. One thing you can do is call the dentist and ask him to write you another prescription. It should last from now until a few days after your extractions. He shouldn’t have a problem with that.

Even if your symptoms go away again keep taking the antibiotics. A tooth infection is only solved by the infected tissue being removed. You are on your way to doing that, but too many people make the mistake of thinking when symptoms are removed, so is the infection. The antibiotics are there to hold back the infection, not cure it.

You didn’t mention your age. That is an important factor in wisdom tooth removal. The ideal time for them to be removed is your late teens to early twenties. The older you get beyond that the higher risk you are for complications. Make sure if you are in a high-risk category, your dentist goes over all the risks with you.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Can a Dental Infection Cause a Fever?

Posted on October 31, 2019 by writeradmin.

My daughter has been a bit of a fever and now is complaining her tooth hurts. I know this sounds callous, but I’m really hoping it is medical and not dental because medical is cheaper. I can just give her an ibuprofen and hope it’s viral. If it can mean there is a tooth infection then I have to see a dentist and I just don’t have that kind of money right before Christmas. Does this make me sound like a terrible mother?

Paula

Dear Paula,

No, you don’t sound like a bad mother. You simply sound like a mother not wanting to spend money unnecessarily. That is an important quality too. While a tooth infection can cause a fever, that doesn’t necessarily mean that is what she has. It usually takes a bit for a dental infection to leave the confines of the tooth, which is when there would more likely be a fever.

Sometimes a cold or sinus infection can mimic tooth pain. That is because our tooth roots of our upper teeth are close to our sinuses. As a result, referred pain is a real possibility. If you’re talking about her bottom teeth, that is not as likely.

When you have children, finding affordable dental care is a must. Things blow up quickly in little ones. If it was a tooth infection and your daughter needed treatment, most dentists are understanding and have some type of payment plan option. They may have an in-house plan or work through Care Credit.

In your case, I would give her some ibuprofen along with some cold and sinus medication and see if that takes care of things. If it doesn’t, then you would need to look into seeing a dentist. What you don’t want to do is know it is a dental issue and leave it to fester. Then, it could quickly turn into a dental emergency.

Prompt attention to issues truly saves money in the long run. If it turns out it isn’t her sinuses, take her to see a pediatric dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

I Need My Cater to Cowards Dentist

Posted on May 21, 2018 by writeradmin.

Before I left home for college, I had a fantastic dentist. He had a way of putting people at ease even when they were terrified. He was gentle and fun. He would joke that he “caters to cowards”. Well, now I’m away from home and had to go to a different dentist. It was one of the single worst experiences of my life. He was rough and when I told him he was being rough and he told me to stop being a baby. Really?!
At the moment I have a slight toothache. Can it wait until I go home? The semester is almost over. I miss my cater to cowards dentist. At least he wasn’t rude.

Daphne

Dear Daphne,

A dentist shouldn’t make you want to hide!

Wow! That was inexcusable on the part of your “new” dentist. You never deride a patient. You weren’t at fault at all. I’ve had patients that needed a good wack on the head from their rudeness, but even then we were always polite. As to whether or not you can wait it’s hard to tell. Some decay takes its time and some move at the speed of light. Well… maybe not that fast. But, you’ll want to get it filled before it becomes a full-blown infection.

If you can get home in the next few days it is possible you can make it. I’d suggest having your doctor call in an antibiotic though. It will stave off the infection until you can get to see your old dentist.
That being said, if it will take you longer to get home, you’ll need to see someone else pretty soon. Plus, you don’t want to always have to go to your old home for dental care. You’ll need a good dentist to see to your needs on a regular basis and in case of the odd dental emergency that may pop up.

Finding Your New Cater to Cowards Dentist

I want to assure you there are compassionate dentists in every area. Here’s what I’d suggest you do to find your next “cater to cowards” dentist. Dentists who like treating anxious patients, usually want them to know they’re available. Because of that they often have a page on their website related to it.

If you did an internet search for one of the following terms you’d likely find a list of them:

Sedation Dentist
Cater to Cowards Dentist
Gentle Dentist

Don’t just go to any old dentist that advertises as compassionate and gentle. Check their reviews to make sure their treatment of patients backs up their claims. Better to be safe than sorry.

This blog is brought to you by Drs. Drake and Wallace.