Among my many other fine properties, you may add two more: I have a toothache and lots of dread. I'm projecting a long weekend.
I'm not a big fan of toothaches, at least not the throbbing kind that interrupt and prevent sleep. Whenever I get one I laugh derisively at the "Intelligent Design" folks; Having teeth is not a smart choice. Considering how tiny and vulnerable they are, they can still overwhelm my consciousness and become the focus of all my thoughts.
For the past twelve hours or so I tried to sleep. I'd manage an hour or hour and a half, then wake up and it would take close to that to return to sleep. My problem is with one of my lower teeth, one halfway back, and there's a lump under my jaw that hurts when I push it. I do that, just to see how much pain it can generate.
Normally I'd handle it this way: writing someone a check. The thing is, it's the start of a three day weekend (the beginning of Summer, 2005!) and my dentist is closed for the holiday. As are the university dental clinics. They'll be closed, out barbecuing no doubt, all day today, tomorrow, and Monday. They may even go surfing or looking at wildflowers, though it's a bit late in the season for that.
I've been in this position before. I'm hoping the pain gets excruciating, then the abscess or whatever it is breaks or pops or reaches its maximum level. It feels wonderful when that happens, but the relief is only temporary. Better, and about all I can think of now, is holding in my hand a yellow plastic vial of Penicillin. Nothing beats the relief that follows the reduction of the inflamation.
I've heard about the dangers of a toothache, how the poisin can enter my bloodstream and kill me, and I have little doubt that can happen. Still, that doesn't worry me, if only because I've never heard of that happening to anyone. I don't expect that to be common in the United States, not any more, but I don't see it listed as a very common manner of death anywhere on the planet. I'd expect a lot of it, especially in countries that don't have teeth whitening clinics.
I may be in for a weekend of torturing my stomach. I hope it's up to the task of digesting unmasticated food, even though about all I think it will get is mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs.
Oh, that and ice cream and sherbet.
Dental Distress
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3 comments:
There are some home remedies to relieve the pain, but there's not much to be done about the abcess itself. Some folks say that chewing on whole cloves (or chewing them up and then putting the macerated mess against the abcess) relieves pain and inflammation. Clove oil has been used for centuries for dental pain.
I've also heard that taking a freshly brewed teabag (black tea) and placing it on the abcess (holding it there in the mouth) can help. I used this remedy when I had my last wisdom tooth removed.
From the drug store you might want to try some plain old ambesol. It won't get to the deep down pain, but add a little ibuprofen and you might make it through the night.
You also might consider going to an urgent care clinic that's open this weekend to at least get started on the antibiotics part of it. Though it's unlikely that it'll kill you, you're more likely to lose the tooth the longer you wait and possibly neighboring teeth.
That's good advice. I know about oil of cloves (it was a favorite of my dad's), but there's no hole to put it in (which is how I usually use it). I may try the tea thing, and there's an Urgent Care chain place right around the corner. I wonder how expensive they'd be, compared to a regular place.
Oh, I'm already conceding that the tooth's history. Maybe if I can treat it in time I can save it another few years, but at the moment I want it far, far away from me.
Thanks for your suggestions!
I will drink copious amounts of alcohol until you get this fixed. I don't know what you're going to do.
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