I have no job at the moment and am also without dental insurance. I was already missing a tooth in the back of my mouth, but now there seems to be an infection on one of the other teeth. It hurts like mad and my cheek is swelling. What kind of treatment do I need?
Gina
Dear Gina,
Dental infections are serious and I am glad to know that you do need treatment for it. You are in a tough spot financially. Many times, patients in your situation will sometimes try to depend on getting antibiotics from their doctor in hopes that will solve their problem.
Unfortunately, dental infections don’t work that way. Once the infection reaches the pulp of the tooth, the tooth dies. When that happens, there is no longer blood flow getting there. This means the antibiotic will never reach the infected part of the tooth, doing you absolutely no good.
If that is the case, why do dentists even prescribe antibiotics? When they do it is because they are trying to either prevent an infection from spreading further or to get a raging infection under control enough that it is safe to work on.
There are generally two solutions for an infected tooth. The first is a root canal treatment. This is ideal because it helps to save the tooth as a whole. That is always a huge bonus. The second option is a tooth extraction. I would consider this a last resort treatment, with the exception of a wisdom tooth.
What if You’re Broke?
You’re out of work. You’re short on money. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, which is making jobs scarce. What do you do?
First, know that many dentists went into their profession because they are compassionate. In emergency situations, such as yours, most dentists will be willing to work with you. I do realize there are exceptions.
How do you find these dentists? I would start by looking for someone who advertises as an affordable dentist. These will either have an in-house payment plan option or will work through Care Credit. Either way, you’ll be able to get the care you need. Communication is the key. Let them know your situation up front.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.