Dentistry

[RichardHarris123]

I know there's a couple of dentists on here, so can you help? 

I had an abcessed tooth, I  had to book an emergency appointment. ( I don't have a dentist, no NHS places available). She took two xrays, before the second one, it felt like she was poking my lip with a needle, however I think she inserted a wire between my gum and tooth. Any idea what she was doing?

[Neverenoughwatches]

Hiya matey, tooth abscesses are unbelievably painful, I consider myself to be pretty tough, but after 4 days over an Easter weekend with one I was getting desperate to see someone.  Mine was from an old injury, I took a punch in the face from my old man when I was only 18. A top front tooth that I suffered with on and off for nearly 40 years. Eventully got an infection and abcess from it. Codeine took the edge off it until I got some antibiotics from an emergency dentist. A month later I had a root canal performed on it, the anesthetic injection in the front was insane as it was still tender. The work was painfree though and even afterwards was ok, its been fine ever since, but I expect to lose the tooth one day as the nerve feeding it is removed . I look forward to taking a shit on my dad's grave on that same day .

[RichardHarris123]

Yes, I'm by no means soft but the anesthetic, holy s£%t. Once it kicked in, didn't feel a thing. 

[HectorLooi]

I think your dentist did a procedure called "incision and drainage".

The wire you mentioned is to tract down the abscess to the source of infection. We do this when there are more than one possible tooth causing the infection and need to determine the actual culprit.

The offending tooth will need a root canal or extraction in the near future.

In the meantime, rinse with a warm saline mouthrinse as often as possible and a soft diet for a few days. 

[RichardHarris123]

Sounds right, thanks. 

How does the wire track down the source of the abscess? 

[HectorLooi]

It follows the trail of pus to the source of the infection. The abscess is like a pus filled balloon, once it is punctured, the blunt wire will follow it's tract to the root that is infected.