» Dental Pain And Other Issues
By Vince on October 1, 2011
Sorry I haven’t written in so long. It turns out a 12 year molar I’ve had for 38 years, decided to become infected. It had been sitting under the gum line for that long. How this happened is anyone’s guess, since neither my dentist nor my oral surgeon know why.
I actually tried to get away with not getting it removed. No dice both dentist and oral surgeon conspired against me and rightly so. Infection spreading I could have lost a section of my jaw or died.
I opted to use local. Bad idea. If you have the choice, get knocked out. The discomfort, pounding, crunching, snapping, feeling you are choking is not worth the extra bucks or time you think you are going to save.
I did go with my wife, who retreated to the car due to how cold the oral surgeon kept his office. During this time it, of course, started to rain like the sub-tropical place Miami is.
All the above mentioned 15 minutes of discomfort, 5 stiches, a hole in my jaw and a wad of gauze to stop the bleeding later. I’m out in the downpour with instructions and two prescriptions’ trying to get in the car.
Not enough hands. I and the papers get wet. Prescription paper and ink, it seems, are much hardier than the instruction paper as that one runs.
Turns out one of the runny parts says, “Don’t drink from a straw!” Around 1 am pain is setting in, my jaw is stiff from all the trauma of the removal and I really don’t want to move it much…so straw…bad move.
Turns out the blood clot in the hole in my jaw is a fragile thing and the suction of a straw, however mild will loosen it. My mouth starts filling up with that salty, metallic taste…and won’t stop!
Now if it was a wound on the outside of my body, I felt I could have dealt with it. Israeli bandage, a gauze pad or at worst a tourniquet and stop the flow till I can get better help.
But with your mouth full of blood you can’t even talk! Using the phone was out of the question…how do you put a tourniquet on your mouth?
I gotta tell you guys, panic set in.
I am always the first one NOT to panic and think thru things and think rationally. A strange departure for me and an eye opening experience!
Thank God for my wife, a level headed woman, intelligent and quick thinking. Thankfully it was as simple as sticking another wad of gauze in my mouth and clamping down.
I guess if I hadn’t let panic slip in, I’d have thought of it eventually. Apply direct pressure, first rule.
Which lead me to think, this could happen to anyone.
I have some limited training in first aid but none in emergency dentistry!
As soon as I can, that situation will be remedied! I am going to brush up my emergency aid and I am going to add the emergency dentistry issue to the package.
As soon as I do, I am going to share what I learn with all of you. If possible I am also going to set up a class or classes to share this knowledge with everyone.
Because we need to know! Lord knows I did!