Dental question

[barackmyworld]

DU always figures out what's right...I need some advice:

So about a week ago, the gum by one of my back molars started swelling up. I don't think there is anything wrong or unusual with the tooth. The gum in that area is still swollen and it hurts, and sometimes it's so puffy that when I close my mouth, the gum gets caught between my molars! I have zero problems with my gums in other places in my mouth. I have been brushing it really well, flossing to see if there is something stuck in the area, and using listerene. What gives?

edit: It would cost me tonnsssss of money to go to the dentist while I'm at school, and I won't be home until the middle of december to see my real dentist.

[Aiptasia]

1. unless it's wisdom teeth...

it's probably an infection. You probably should bite the bullet and see a dentist.

[skypilot]

2. How old are you?

Could it be a wisdom tooth coming in? What you describe sounds like what happened to me when mine started coming in.

[elehhhhna]

3. yep sound like a wisdom tooth. Take your temp. If you have a fever,

it may be an infection. Any glandular swelling or tenderness in your neck, etc?

[kittycat1164]

4. happened to my husband

he thought it was his wisdom teeth too since they've never come in (he's 40) but ended up that the gum was infected and he had something stuck way under the gum line. good luck. hurts like hell for awhile.

[cyn2]

5. Dental Clinic?

Does your school have a dental clinic? Is there one in your town. That could save money.

You should get someone to look at it. Even if it's just someone in "student health". Sounds like an infection and if it goes untreated, it could spread.

[Ready4Change]

6. Get it checked out.

Jaw infections can be nasty things, and can be the result of a wisdom tooth trying to grow in when there isn't anyplace for it to grow. I've a relative who had similar gum problems, ignored them, and developed an infection in the bones of his jaw that nearly killed him.

Don't mess around with the chance. Getting a checkup now will nearly always be cheaper than the emergency care than may follow ignoring a problem.

[Ready4Change]

7. PS: Many colleges have free dental clinics.

The students can examine you and determine if you've got a real problem or not, and often do so for free, or for very low cost, as part of their training. Worth looking into.

[cyn2]

8. aside: lol Thought this would be from an older person

Having just been introduced to the joys of periodontia I assumed it was from another old hippie enjoying the experience of aging!

[amazona]

9. unfortunately $ or no dental infections must be checked out

It is probably a wisdom tooth but whatever it is, an infection in the mouth is serious business. This is how James Joyce went blind, IIRC. Dental infections are also linked to heart disease. If you don't have time to go blind or die, you should probably have this checked out and nipped in the bud. I guess in theory you could wait until mid-December but I would just charge it and worry about paying it later.

On Edit -- in my area, the dental school requires appointments many months in advance. Infections don't work that way. Sometimes you just have to find the money. Give everyone a card or something instead of a Christmas gift this year, believe you me, from a student they'll understand.

[Skittles]

16. yes, they can be very serious

get thee to a dentist quick - most of them will work out a payment plan for the less moneyed among us.

[barackmyworld]

10. oh man, maybe I will get it checked out

I am 19, but according to x-rays, I don't have wisdom teeth. It might be something stuck way down.

[babylonsister]

11. Don't let lack of wisdom teeth

bother you. I'm pushing 50 and mine never grew in.

[AlCzervik]

13. Try some warm salted water a couple of time a day

also, something may be stuck in your gums. I had a probelm after i had eaten some popcorn and it took almost a month to get one tiny piece of kernal out.

[freeplessinseattle]

12. don't wait to see your regular dentist-even if s/he is much cheaper

If your regular dentist cuts you a deal, other places might, too, they see situations like this all the time. They just want to ensure they'll get paid eventually, and if you have decent credit most places have their own year-long payment plan.

trust me, I waited too long after a crown feel off, so the tooth got a long, thin fracture that was unrepairable-so it had to be extracted! Two and a half hour procedure, this happened two months ago and I was in severe, I mean, severe, pain for a couple weeks. by the time a tooth starts hurting damage is usually already becoming extensive and gets worse. If I had only got that crown replaced at the time I could have saved my tooth (and I'm only 32, btw, and have good dental hygeine, so it can happen to anyone!)

good luck!

*in the meanwhile, rinse with a solution of 1/3 hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water, and take an anti-infammatory med, like Aleve. It can help with thec sweeling, but won't necessarily repair it if it's an abscess.

[miss_kitty]

14. heres the deal

go now pay little, go later, pay lots. It's pretty simple. Warm salt water and the other sensible things you've been told to do-that too. But go ASAP.

[Dora]

15. If it is your wisdom teeth...

If it is your wisdom teeth, you can look into participating in a pharmaceutical study for having them removed.

I live in Austin and there are all kinds of pharma studies happening here all the time, and I'm sure that hundreds of students in this town have had their wisdom teeth removed for free in exchange for participating in a pain med study.

[DebinTx]

17. That happened to me

and I flossed the devil out of it. Finally went to the dentist, a popcorn kernel had worked down under the gum. If you're in school, you should be able to see a dental student cheaply.

[yellowdogintexas]

18. I had a bone spur that kept working its way out of the gum line

where my wisdom tooth used to be. It got infected, went to my dentis, she gave me antibiotics and drained it. Which settled it down for a while.

Ultimately, it worked through the gum and I broke it off..no trouble after that and it has been several years. I did not break it off on purpose, just from aggravating it mostly but once it broke off, no more pain, healed in 24 hours.

GO SEE A DENTIST!!!!!!! You don't want this to spread. It should not be as expensive as a cleaning, filling or any other stuff that is more specialized and your regular dentist can order you antibiotics if needed. Also, can numb the spot with a topical so it can be flossed out if it is an old piece of popcorn shell or something causing the trouble