Emergency Dental Appointment Disaster

I’m not the best when it comes to going to the dentist so I wasn’t totally surprised when some pain popped up on some upper teeth. I went to see an emergency dentist who was willing to see me that day. He said the teeth were too far gone and couldn’t be saved. I went into a bit of a meltdown, so he gave me some nitrous oxide to calm me down a bit. He left to give me some time to relax while he checked on another patient. I was grateful he understood my fear. He came back and extracted the teeth. I went home feeling relieved. That’s when things started to go downhill. A couple of days later I called the office because My nose was hurting and I kept feeling weird pops. They suggested a decongestant never intimating at all it could have anything to do with the extractions. Then, I developed a fever. I called them back and they said they’d give me an antibiotic. It’s been a week. Both my nose and my fever are worse. I called them again and they told me to come in. That’s the first time they mentioned there was a sinus perforation during the procedure. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Shouldn’t they have told me about that right away? He even pulled some bone from my sinus cavity. Then he sent me on my way. I still feel awful and just can’t trust this dentist. What do I do?

Livvie

Dear Livvie,

Crikey! This probably hasn’t helped your tendency to avoid regular dental work. He should absolutely have told you about the sinus perforation. That can be a risk with some types of tooth extractions and there is a standard protocol your dentist should have followed so your healing process would have a better shot at going smoothly. It doesn’t sound as if he did anything he was supposed to after this happened. I would say a total no-brainer would have at least to tell you about the situation and instructed you not to put any pressure on it, like blowing your nose.

Unfortunately, this requires another emergency appointment for you, but not an emergency dentist. Instead, you’ll need to see an ENT. Let them know what’s happening and they’ll get you in ASAP. Also, the dentist has you on the wrong antibiotic. Your fever should be gone and you should be feeling better. Let the ENT know that as well so they can prescribe you a different one. Hopefully, they can get you on the path to healing fairly simply. I will warn you that this has progressed for so long without treatment that it could require surgery.

How to Never See an Emergency Dentist Again

I don’t want you in this type of situation ever again. I know you’re not keen on dentists and after what you’ve been going through I can’t say I blame you. However, preventative care truly is the best way to avoid situations like this. I wouldn’t want you to have another dental emergency.

You need a dentist you can trust. One who treats you with respect and integrity. A dentist who really cares about their patients and is gentle with them.

I’d like you to do an internet search under one of the following terms:

• Gentle Dentist
• Sedation Dentist
• Cater to Cowards Dentist

Dentists who advertise with these terms are usually more compassionate. A word of warning though, it’s important you check their reviews before going. Saying you’re gentle and compassionate and actually being so are two different things.

This blog is brought to you by Sedation Dentist Dr. Warren Krutchick.