<p>My gums have been pretty bad/getting worse. It’s hereditary for me, and I either have or on the verge of having gum disease. So, it’s not unusual for my gums to be painful or inflamed occasionally. </p>
<p>That’s how it started yesterday. However, by last night it was really painful. By this morning, my cheek was bulging out, and what I now think is a tooth abscess was so painful I couldn’t sit still at work (at the time, I still thought it may be the gums). I took two Advil (I NEVER take ANYTHING) and it felt better. </p>
<p>Now, it’s back to hurting quite a bit. My cheek is bulging out (maybe more than before), and I also think there is a red/pink spot on the outside over the epicenter. </p>
<p>I am calling a dentists first thing tomorrow, but I am freaking out. I keep seeing all these articles about people dying from this. My jaw on the right side is numb and hard to open. </p>
<p>I am scared - what if tomorrow will be too late? What if it bursts or the infection is spreading? </p>
<p>Am I freaking out for no reason? Or is this life-threatening at this point? </p>
<p>Why not call the emergency room and ask to speak to a nurse or find a 24 hour clinic. A shot of antibiotics and some wise counsel may help you get some rest. Don’t wait. Just do it now.</p>
<p>I called an ER. They said they were couldn’t give me any advice whatsoever on the phone :(</p>
<p>If it’s not going to kill me or cause permanent damage, I would rather wait 9 hours. I have insurance, but I am afraid the bill to go to the ER will still be huge, and money is very tight right now. But at the same time I have no idea how to figure it the seriousness of this.</p>
<p>Go the ER, regardless of cost. Don’t rely on the internet for your medical inquiries, it’s not reliable regardless of how “experienced” people are.</p>
<p>Um, if you have a dental abscess, which this sounds like, unless it is so bad that it is going to your brain, the ED will only give you pain killers (from what I have been told). I do not believe they will actually lance it.</p>
<p>If it is a dental abscess, the dentist can make a cut to drain the pus which will help the pain. You will still need the tooth addressed, possibly a root canal or even the tooth being pulled.</p>
<p>It is not cheap, but you need to do it.</p>
<p>My random internet guess is that if it is on your lower jaw you are likely okay to wait. If it were me, I would be trying hot packs to see if I could draw the infection to the surface and let it break through itself to help the pain ASAP.</p>
<p>If you are low of funds and you don’t have good insurance, it may be okay to wait until morning and save your money for the dental treatment, but no one on the internet can tell you whether it is safe, whether there is an infection going into your brain (unlikely, but possible, we’ve all read the stories) or if there is a serious infection beginning in your bloodstream.</p>
<p>^ And take it from someone who has been there twice, the CC parent community WILL hound you until you go in and get it checked out. (In the most loving way possible, of course)</p>
<p>Best of luck, OP. Odds are it’s nothing more than some bad pain and will need a simple fix but I hope you’re in an ER somewhere getting it looked at.</p>
<p>If OP has insurance then mostly likely an ER visit would be covered. If money is tight, out of pocket can be paid over time. Hope OP went to the ER and is feeling better.</p>
<p>I wonder if it could be a wisdom tooth. My D called me from Italy in agony this summer - a wisdom tooth erupted and the gum kind of bubbled up over it and became inflamed and probably a little infected. She went to a pharmacy and got a bottle of an antiseptic solution similar to Peroxyl. The symptoms improved within a few hours and she was able to wait until she got home (several weeks) to see the oral surgeon.</p>
<p>ER nurse here. I would definitely go to the ER. Insurance will pay for your visit and the ER has to treat you regardless of your ability to pay. We would most likely treat you with antibiotics, pain management and a referral to the dentist. If its really bad, you might get admitted. But this is just a educated guess without really seeing and examining you. The best way to allay your fears is to be proactive.</p>
<p>If it is abscess then it needs to be drained and taking heavy dose of antibiotic. I had gum disease when I was young due to lack of dental care. My gums were always red and puffed. I thought it was normal until my parents finally was able to get me to a dentist (afford). I didn’t need surgery, but spent a summer to get my gums deep cleaned. The dentist told me that if I didn’t take care of my gums, I was going to lose my teeth by the time I was 40. Since then I’ve flossed my teeth everyday and had regular cleaning. My gums no longer bleed and they are healthy pink instead of angry red.</p>
<p>OP, once this emergency is over, I would strongly suggest for you to get your gums taken care of. It is not normal to have bleeding often. With good dental care, it could be easily taken care of.</p>
<p>Did you get an appt with a dentist this morning? If you are a college student, go to the health clinic. They should have a list of dentists who see students for emergencies and regular care. (I am on call for our local LAC).</p>
<p>Even if you think you are better today, go to the dentist. Sounds like an abscessed tooth, not just periodontal disease, and the problem needs to be treated. However, impossible to diagnose over the internet without seeing you. So please, go to the dentist!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the outpouring of support! I am very touched about how caring everyone has been.</p>
<p>As someone guessed correctly, it is the lower jaw. It may well be a wisdom tooth - in fact, that’s my guess right now.</p>
<p>I am not a low-income person. I actually make a pretty good salary. But I am just starting out, so I do have some debt to pay back, and on top of that it’s just that this year has been really crazy in terms of medical expenses (not mine until now). I am also NOT a college student (I know, the name is misleading), but I have graduated a while back.</p>
<p>Anyways, I decided not to go to the ER last night. I took my temperature, and it was completely normal, so I figured the infection had not start spreading, which was the main thing that made me concerned (quite frankly, I think I may have read too many horror stories when I started researching the tooth abscess).</p>
<p>I made an appointment with a good dentist first thing this morning, and I am going today in just a few hours (the only appointment they had).</p>
<p>I am NOT looking forward to the cost - I have dental insurance, but it’s not that great, but I do realize that my health trumps the high cost.</p>
<p>I am EXTREMELY grateful to everyone for their concern :)</p>
<p>Thanks for checking in and good luck with your appointment! You might want to talk to the dentist about the gum problem, too. I bet it will require frequent cleaning visits to get rid of the bacteria that is causing it. It is unpleasant, but receding gum lines and painful teeth are much worse than the worst cleaning! And a small suggestion: invest in a Sonicare brush!</p>