Ugh!

Hi, everyone, I hope you're all doing well.

A few days ago, I posted about my health worries and was directed to resources that helped me take care of my problems (Dentistry From the Heart).

However, I'm now worrying once again about my health. Because the dental care was only free for one day, there was really no time for prescribing antibiotics before the procedures, which in my case was the extraction of a very infected, decayed upper back tooth. I had never had a procedure like that done before, so I don't know what they're supposed to feel like. However, I feel in my heart there was something wrong about pulling out a sick tooth without first giving antibiotics. Anyway, the dentist prescribed me a huge dose of antibiotics afterwards (well, what I think is a huge dose). I'm now on 875mg of Amoxicillin twice a day for one week. I had the procedure done on Saturday afternoon, and it is now Monday and I'm worrying myself sick about having the infection get into my bloodstream or a brain abscess.

I resumed the bad habit of looking things up on google (like I said, I couldn't shake that feeling of WRONGNESS when the dentist pulled out my infected tooth) and the stories haven't been very reassuring!!! Everything I've seen has said it is ABSOLUTELY WRONG!!! to pull an infected tooth! Now I'm waiting for my head to explode or for me to collapse or have a heart attack or something. I don't know how bad the pain is supposed to be (it's at a 4/10 right now) but it definitely hurts worse now than it did yesterday and I am really, really making myself nervous here. I can't go back to the dentist because I DO NOT have health insurance (neither can I afford it) and it was only free for ONE DAY.:(

I don't think this is very good for my healing process, either! Is my pain normal?! Will the infection spread?! Will the antibiotics work?! Was the dentist right?! I don't know! My thoughts are racing and I'm going insane. :( :( :(

I'm presumin yr in American ( u sed bowt health insurance ) surely u have the right to call and spik 2 sumone if uve had sumink dun by them ?

I had to have a wisdom tooth pulled that was creating a hole in my cheek (which I did not know). I went to the dentist with the intent of just having my teeth cleaned, I even told them I did not want to have it pulled, yet due to the situation it was enforced that I have it pulled asap. I went through with it and managed, the pain did get worse for a couple days after but then it subsided completely and I actually felt better. I too was paranoid about infection, etc.. so I went out and bought a dental mirror and had my husband look into the space to make sure it was clear. I also was given a syringe with a curved tip so I could spray warm salt water into the area (which will help with bacteria) and all was well. Maybe you could get a mirror and ask someone to check it a couple times a day to be sure it's clear?! Also.. note that it may smell... which is completely normal, I freaked out only to find out that that's how it smells as it is healing. You will be okay!

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Originally Posted by onebreathatatime

I had to have a wisdom tooth pulled that was creating a hole in my cheek (which I did not know). I went to the dentist with the intent of just having my teeth cleaned, I even told them I did not want to have it pulled, yet due to the situation it was enforced that I have it pulled asap. I went through with it and managed, the pain did get worse for a couple days after but then it subsided completely and I actually felt better. I too was paranoid about infection, etc.. so I went out and bought a dental mirror and had my husband look into the space to make sure it was clear. I also was given a syringe with a curved tip so I could spray warm salt water into the area (which will help with bacteria) and all was well. Maybe you could get a mirror and ask someone to check it a couple times a day to be sure it's clear?! Also.. note that it may smell... which is completely normal, I freaked out only to find out that that's how it smells as it is healing. You will be okay!

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Thank you for your response, that actually really comforts me! I have been rinsing my mouth as often as I can, and like you and your husband, I'm having my boyfriend look at it to make sure nothing's falling out of me! According to him, there's a white film developing over the hole, so I take that as a good thing. I was given ibuprofen for pain but have been doing well with half a tablet --yesterday I was okay with half a tab in the morning and the other half in the evening, so I guess I got my hopes up. I didn't really think I'd need any more today, but I guess I was wrong. Took half a pill about an hour ago, and the pain's basically gone, so I assume that if half a pill can make it to away, that I'm probably okay. :) I just make the HORRIBLE mistake of looking things up online that I shouldn't...

One thing I have learned the hard way.. NEVER google... no matter what you will end up with focusing on the bad information. I have my husband google certain things that I am curious about having myself and let him tell me what he thinks, it satisfies the need to assure myself without allowing myself to focus on the bad information. Just keep cleaning the space and before you know it, you'll forget it was even pulled! :)

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Originally Posted by onebreathatatime

One thing I have learned the hard way.. NEVER google... no matter what you will end up with focusing on the bad information. I have my husband google certain things that I am curious about having myself and let him tell me what he thinks, it satisfies the need to assure myself without allowing myself to focus on the bad information. Just keep cleaning the space and before you know it, you'll forget it was even pulled! :)

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I think I'll keep that in mind. :) I'm trying not to be afraid so I'm distracting myself with movies! I'm doing well not to google things right now, so that's a small victory, though I do wish I could have taken time off from school, because things are getting quite intense! :) I've always thought about WHY I worry about these things and can never figure it out. Maybe I just need something to worry about...it almost seems too good to be true that this tooth is gone, it had been sitting in my mouth for a couple of years worrying me.

I suppose in the battle with anxiety you're never really satisfied! :p

Doctor Google has never once put my mind at ease, in my opinion he is a total quack. Typically antibiotics are administered before pulling a tooth, but I have heard of it being done the other way around. I had a root canal performed on a still infected tooth with no troubles. 875mg of Amoxicillin twice a day I think would be enough to keep any infection in the tooth from spreading. The Amoxicillin can sometimes cause some mild stomach troubles when first starting it so if that pops up it is normal.

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Originally Posted by Walking Circles

Doctor Google has never once put my mind at ease, in my opinion he is a total quack. Typically antibiotics are administered before pulling a tooth, but I have heard of it being done the other way around. I had a root canal performed on a still infected tooth with no troubles. 875mg of Amoxicillin twice a day I think would be enough to keep any infection in the tooth from spreading. The Amoxicillin can sometimes cause some mild stomach troubles when first starting it so if that pops up it is normal.

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I was told by the pharmacist that issues like that may arise, so today I started having a cup of yogurt in the hopes that it might counter such an effect. I'll probably keep having it until my antibiotic course is over. I would hope that all the antibiotics I'm on would help keep the infection at bay, though I'm also aware that they take a few days to begin working...I really regret google, I've read about these horrible side effects and something called Ludwig's Angina where your throat starts to close...I can't seem to get those out of my head, and it's even worse that I'm out in the country with my boyfriend and his family, where the closest hospital is half an hour away :( ahhhhh :: panic attack ::

I understand, I used to live about 30 minutes from the nearesy hospital and hated it. I now live about 3 minutes from one and that fact played a role in deciding on my current apartment. Even though they say it takes a few days for the antibiotics to go to work my doctor has always told me that they start working within about 12 hours and just take a few days to really hit peak blood serum concentrations. I would not worry about anything crazy happening with this, I am sure you will be fine.