Apart from a couple of fillings (When I broke a tooth in half on a tic-tac!) I have usually very healthy teeth and gums, but I've had an ongoing dental problem for a while now.
First thing I noticed a few months ago, is that the outside of my gum above a tooth was swolen. So, Off to dentist, gives me antibiotics - but does beggar all. Dentist then X-rays it, sends it to hospital. X ray shows something in the gum. Hospital come back and say the tooth needs root canal treatment.
Dentist did the course of (painful) canal treatment on this tooth, several times over, before doing the root filling. He then assured me all would be well.
For a couple of weeks, the gum on the inner side of this tooth has now been swolen and raised. Over the last three days, it has been increasingly painful - I'm now at the stage whereas I'm popping Ibuprofen like smarties (Not really, I'm sticking to the label dosage!)
Last night I was sweating with the pain, it was that bad. Called the dentist emergeny number, message says call the NHS Out of hours dental number. So I call that - "this service is closed at 8pm"....please call NHS Direct. So, Call NHS Direct - and after spending about 20 minutes telling them I don't have chest pain and I can breathe, they tell me to get painkillers from the chemist in the morning. how totally useless!
I have an appt. with my own dentist on Monday. I'm not sure what he'll be able to do, though :-/ I only need to touch the gum in that area, and it hurts so much it makes my eyes water
