Tooth abscess but can't afford dentist..?

Question

Please help, I'm freaking out because my friend said I could die from this..

I don't have enough money to go to the dentist, and my mom wont take me there for this reason..every time I mention it she gets all mad and says something like "yeah, I know. my teeth are bad too, but you learn to deal with it."

It's really painful though..my gum is all swelled up and I can't even eat on that side of my mouth.. if I brush the spot thats abscessed will it help to make it go away? Will it help keep it from getting worse? Is there anything I can buy over the counter that will help and isn't expensive? How long does it take for people to die from this? Can abscessed teeth still be saved, or do they have to be pulled?

I did research and theres no dentist schools near me...so is there nothing I can do? Just leave it?.. Help?

Answer 1

not sure if you can die from it...but if you get a bad enough infection anywhere on your body you can die....not really common.  anyway, lots of dentists offer payment plans and work with you as long as you make your payments each month.  you can also open a care credit account and finance your dental work...but you have to do that through care credit and it's only used at certain dentists.    

Answer 2

Oh wow hun I am so sorry. My husband had an abscessed tooth and he was in such a state of unbearable pain. It's a long process and he never had the insurance either. To put it bluntly, if you're anything like he was, money is no option. Get to the oral surgeon asap. Your friend is definitely wrong. You cannot die from it, but the pain can end up excruciating if not taking precaution. I did a lot of research when my husband went through this. If you have any clove oil, that can help. Add a couple of drops onto the hole or injured spot. Or you can suck on a bag of tea. Once you start ripping through the bag, throw it away. I don't think there's any flavor in particular what to use or not use. He also found it helpful to chew on food on the same side, only to get some crumbs into the hole to stop it temporarily from hurting. Don't eat thin foods, like bacon. It makes you close your mouth further to bite lower, if that makes sense. Also, he is a smoker, and sucking on the cigarette helped pull some tension from the tooth. Take plenty of Tylenol or ibuprofen, but DO NOT overdose (he ended up doing that because he was in so much pain that he almost had pancreatitus). Call your local dentist and more than likely they will refer you to an oral surgeon to get it pulled. There is no sure way of saving the tooth. Getting it filled will be more of a hassle and an abscessed tooth is only rot. Call an oral surgeon and get an estimate of what it will cost to get it pulled. If you're lucky, it will be about $150 like my husband's was. Good luck. I've witnessed the pain this can lead to. But do something soon.  

Answer 3

So sorry - you must be living in the States. A country where profit is more important than peoples health.  

Answer 4

well i'm afraid that abscessed teeth mostly have to be pulled..and actually even brushing your teeth in this stage won't do any good that's cause the abscess is already formed ..you can take antibiotics and pain killers and hope for the best ..anyway you can't die from tooth abscess and besides maybe it's not an abscess after all and its just an acute inflammation that will be treated by anti-inflammatory drugs.. hope you feel better soon :)  

Answer 5

Sweetheart, abscessed teeth are NO fun and they don't get better on their own, you need antibiotics, if indeed it is infected.  For now, take ibuprofen {if able} for the pain, brush as you normally would, then follow by rinsing with warm, salt water. Also, talk to your mother again and be respectful, yet insistant that this isnt a plain ole toothache that will eventually subside and you need some medical care. Even a doctor could help by perscribing the appropriate meds for infection.

Hang in there.

Answer 6

People Die from Tooth abscesses all the time.  However, very rarely the young and healthy.  Usually the old and the already weak.

Penicillin is the way to go.  Unfortunately the Emergency Room is your best hope.  The kind and compassionate Govt. would rather pay $800 to the ER in write offs than to pay a dentist to see you. Even if you are a minor,  Go to the ER

Answer 7

You can't leave this, and your friend is right, you can absolutely die from a dental abscess spreading to your brain.

You have to get another adult to help you:  your advisor, your friend's mom, your dad or another relative.  Explain to them that you're in AGONY--the pain is just terrible--and you can't concentrate in school and you can't sleep, and your mom will not take you to a dentist no matter what.  The school counselor or nurse may be able to help you figure out if you qualify for aid from your state or county.  It's child neglect/child abuse not to get you appropriate medical care.  Look in your Yellow Pages, even, to find a dentist who will take payments if money's an issue with your mother.  You may need a root canal, which means that your tooth won't need to be pulled.  You don't want to pull a tooth--otherwise the nearby teeth will move and then your bite will get screwed up.  Does your mom get child support for you from your dad?  Are you on your dad's health insurance?  You need to be persistent about getting help, and if you get someone at your school to help you then they'll check to make sure you got to the dentist.  There is no excuse for this.  I'd keep doing warm salt water rinses to make your gums less sore but this is not a permanent fix, and nothing from the drugstore will fix this.  Your mother has to get up off her rump and do her job.  Keep stressing to your school principal that it's interfering with school because you're in too much pain.  And if that doesn't work, then ask your friend's mom if she won't call Child Protective Services on your behalf (or you can do it yourself).  You can do this--be brave and ask for help as often as you need to until you get to a dentist.  If your mother gets mad, tell her you asked for her help and she blew you off, and you couldn't understand why she didn't care about you.  

You have a good friend, and I bet her mom is nice too.  I'm sure they'd help you.  Dental pain is just awful, I don't know how you've stood it this long.  Be persistent, and good luck!  I will keep you in my thoughts, sweetheart  :-)  (and if your mom wants your painkillers tell her to forget it!)

Answer 8

You can go to the emergency room and get penicillin it will get rid of the Abcess! I get them all the time, and the penicillin works wonders. You'll be alright sweetie, just get your butt to the ER ASAP! It's basically just an infection

Answer 9

You can rinse your mouth w/Peroxide several times a day...but I would go for the antibiotic.  An infection in a tooth can kill you.  I knew of a man who had it and even tho he went to the dentist, the infection went to the lining around his heart and killed him.

Answer 10

where do you live? if you are somewhat close....go to mexico. 60% of the dentists down there are american and it is 1/4 of the price you will pay in the US. you will most likely need to get a root canal and a crown, or have the tooth extracted. if mexico is too far and the tooth is towards the back and you can't really see it, you may just want to have it pulled. $150-250 (i think) as oppossed to $2000 for a root canal and crown.....big difference.

in the mean time, rinse with hydrogen peroxide (it says right on the label that one of the uses for it is as a mouthwash). it may not taste great but it will kill the bacteria.

Answer 11

A dentist most likely can't help you.  I have the same problem and finally went to the dentist and they just did an x-ray and told me what i already knew and gave me some amoxicillin and then refered me to an oral surgeon.  So if your like me and have medical and not dental I'd go to the doctor's office.

Answer 12

You cannot die from tooth abscess. You should try to brush your tooth after every meal and use some additional products for cleaning, as mouthwash. There are also some medical gels or similar products that can be applied locally. Do not brush the spot with force, because there can be more painful.

Abscessed teeth can be salved, but try to get the money to go to a dentist for proper help, because nobody should suffer that pain.

Answer 13

Take the advise. Brush your teeth 3 times a day, use teeth cord once a day, get a mouth wash and use it every day. Mouth wash will take all kind of pain out of your mouth.

For the abscessed get over the counter, "Miel Rosada", is "Pink Honey" it is cheap and it works. I use it whenever I need it. Use it and you will see the result. And please, do not believe what was said by your friend. Safe money and get your teeth fix whenever you can.

God bless you.

Answer 14

Oh, feel so sorry for you

:-(

I just asked my Mum who was in a similar situation last year and she told me to tell you to go to the Doctor (if you can afford that also) and explain truthfully to the Dr your situation.

(eg) That you're in alot of pain, simply cannot afford to go to the Dentist and ask for some antibiotics please.

Mum had a kind Dr and this worked - she was pain-free for months and was able to save up and eventually get to the Dentist and have the tooth seen to.

Apparently, the Dentist will tell you the same thing and will prescribe antibiotics (but pricier!) and he may be reluctant to treat your absess as it is.

Also, I'd recommend buying some PURE Essential Oil of Tea Tree (can be sourced from some chemists, drug stores or natural health food stores) and apply some neat to your absess with a cotton bud.

Granted, the taste is a little strong but will work to clear up your infection somewhat.

Tea tree oil is a great natural antibiotic, antiseptic and antifungal   :-)  Tea Tree Oil is one of the very few Essential Oils that can be applied neat to the body without the need for dilution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tree_oi...

All The Best, Take Care of Yourself & We Both Hope You're Feeling Better Soon

xx :-)