Vent

[sathor]

So I'm rather pissed off today. I've had some incredibly severe tooth pain for a few days now and today I'd had enough. So I called into work, used a personal holiday (because that's what you're "supposed" to do) and called the dentist. Instead of anyone actually giving a fuck or trying to help me out, I was forwarded to two different receptionists after the first, the final of which the oral surgery department. They are only there on Thursdays (I thought for a moment, wow, what a relief - I'm lucky for once!.) I was told that even if they could get me in today, it would only be for a consultation. I was then forwarded to my dentist's department specifically. Apparently they have Thursdays off, because nobody was there at 8:30, and nobody was there around noon. This is probably because they share the same part of the building with the oral surgeons.

So yeah, I'm pretty fucking pissed. For one, I think my dentist botched the fucking job he did on the tooth that is right next to the wisdom tooth coming in. And for two, even though he mentioned said wisdom tooth was coming in, he didn't suggest moving my next appointment up so he could check on it. He just said he figured it would come in just fine (and only 15% of wisdom teeth do, apparently.) He gave me no instructions to call and ask for an antibiotic if things got bad, or painkillers. Nada. I don't have a scheduled appointment until late February. Somehow I knew they wouldn't be able to get me in.

I've been sleeping very erratically for the past three days, waking up due to the pain, and it has made it impossible to focus on anything for long. Today is the first day in two that I've actually had a "reprieve" - I've had an hour or so twice now where the pain subsided mostly. I understand teething hurts and that it's totally possible this wisdom tooth will come in just fine.

I guess I'm really just pissed off about the fact that, lets say this were a real fucking emergency and I had a serious infection and unbearable pain (and the pain has been unbearable at times, and it may be infected) that my dentist office would have been no fucking help whatsoever. Not any of the three departments I spoke to. These guys and gals are supposed to be the biggest gig in this one horse town. Maybe I should just vote with my feet. Or maybe I should just figure what I always have - that most people in the medical field are fucking crooks who are more interested in charging an insurance company as many times as possible rather than actually help anyone. I know everyone in this area (and anywhere else) overbooks, but it seems to me that if one were a medical practitioner, they might consider leaving windows open every day for emergencies.

Comments

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear you're in so much pain! *hugs* What are you taking for it? I have found naproxen sodium (Aleve) to be pretty effective for teeth. Beware of acetominophen (Tylenol) - if you take that, make sure you're not combining it with alcohol or exceeding the recommended dosage.

If you're having a real emergency - if your temperature goes up past 100 - then go to the emergency room or Urgent Care, because that would mean you do need antibiotics right away. If it's not that bad, I'd suggest rinsing twice a day with Listerine Original Formula - for the rest of your life, actually (your gums will thank you,) but definitely whenever you're having any kind of bleeding or infection in the mouth. Only Original Formula is any good - it doesn't taste so great, but it kills the hell out of bacteria. Don't use hydrogen peroxide.

My daughter, who went through utter hell with her braces, suggests sucking on ice, alternating ice packs and a heating pad externally, and applying clove oil with a Q-tip to the bad spot, which will first sting, then go blissfully numb. Be careful not to get it on your tongue or any other place you don't want it.

If you think your dentist botched a job, you certainly can 'vote with your feet' and go to someone else for a second opinion. No dentist is ever going to tell you to call and ask for an antibiotic, though, let alone a painkiller - doctors don't do that; if you want a prescription, you always have to have an examination first.

Yeah, wisdom teeth hurt, but there's no use 'checking on them', because the only thing to be done about them is to have them out, and they've got to emerge first - unless they're impacted, like two of mine were, in which case they can't emerge. Since your dentist is looking at your x-rays, if he thinks there's enough room for yours to emerge, he's probably right. There's no point in taking more x-rays until you're about to have the extraction (if you turn out to need one.)

The people in the medical field don't actually 'overbook' - if you have an appointment, you will be seen. They do fill their appointment books up solid, though, and they won't 'bump' a scheduled patient to fit in someone who waited till his problem became acute before seeking help. Overhead on medical offices is insanely expensive; there's no way they can schedule an unpaid hour in the middle of every work day for the convenience of last-minute patients who may or may not come in.

I must agree, it would be nice if your dental nurse had explained all this to you, but it probably wouldn't have made you any happier to hear it. Most dental and medical offices have websites these days, where you can check their hours of operation before calling for an appointment. Very few medical offices besides Urgent Care offer same-day service, so if you need an appointment, call ASAP, and schedule your day off after you've made it.

The whole insurance-company thing is very bad for both doctors and patients - which is why Physicians for a National Health Program exists, and ought to be supported. But honestly? Even if we had one, it wouldn't help much in this sort of instance. My doctor friend in England complains that even though patients only have to pay a pittance for medical appointments, they still wait till the pain gets excruciating, then come in to the ER in the middle of the night, wanting a pill to make them all better. But there is no such pill, alas.

Anyway, I hope you'll be feeling better soon, and that the tooth emerges without difficulty - though, as you mention, most of them don't. Having wisdom teeth extracted is not fun, but it's not as bad as one might imagine - they knock you out for it, and they will give you strong painkillers afterward; expect to spend about five days in bed, sipping protein shakes through a straw. The wonderful thing about having wisdom teeth out is that it's totally a one-time deal, because they never grow back. Hang in there!