Infected Tooth and No Money
Posted by writeradmin
I lost my job and don’t really have any money right now. To top it off I now have an infected tooth. At first it was just painful, but now my entire cheek is swollen. I don’t know what to do. My dentist wants payment up front and I just don’t have the money. I don’t know what to do. I did notice that I have a prescription for antibiotics that my medical doctor gave me to have on hand because I get strep throat regularly. If I filled that will it take care of my tooth infection?
Kaylee
Dear Kaylee,
I’m glad you wrote. You’re in a difficult situation. Because your cheek is swollen, it means that your infection has spread outside your jaw. Believe it or not people die from untreated tooth infections every year. Unfortunately, the prescription for the antibiotics you have will not solve your problem. The most it can do is hold your infection at bay until you run out. Then your infection will blow back up worse than ever.
The only way to deal with a tooth infection is for a dentist to physically get in there and remove the infected pulp. There are two ways to do that. The first is with a root canal treatment. This is the ideal procedure because it will save your tooth. If the tooth is too far gone, the only other option is to extract it. Eventually, you will want to replace the tooth.
That does not help your financial situation. I would start by calling around to see if there is a charity dental clinic in your area. If there isn’t, then the next option is to call around to different dentists and explain your situation. Most dentists went into their field because they want to help people. I feel quite certain that if you will find a dentist who will be willing to deal with your emergency dental situation and then let you pay out the treatment.
This blog is brought to you by Mt. Dora Dentist Dr. Michelle Stillman.