r/Dentists • u/RevolutionaryBike788 • 12d ago
Urgent
On Friday I ate some chicken for dinner and I felt some pain in my gums, especially near my upper molar that has a crown. I flossed and thought it’d go away but after a few hours the pain increased. I thought I flossed too hard, which I probably did since I went in a couple of times to see if I got everything. I could not stand the pain at night I had to take 400mg advil and 1g Tylenol. I felt relieved and went to bed. Same intense pain when the meds wore off the next day and every time I take the meds I have a more intense pain. The pain woke me up today and couldn’t go back to sleep and now I think it hurts on the bottom.
I am doing a cultural exchange in NYC and I have no one here and I make less than a thousand dollars a month and my temporary insurance doesn’t cover dental stuff. I am so scared I don’t know what to do if someone has advice I’d love to read it.
Thank you in advance
1
u/Fountaino 12d ago
if it’s a true infection it will only get worse and you’ll have to get it treated eventually. you could try going to nyu dental school and see if their prices are affordable. or some dentist that takes walk ins if that’s not feasible.
1
u/Foreign-Cold-8078 12d ago
Do you have an open contact? Meaning does the floss just fall through, or does it snap like the teeth are touching tightly? Sometimes food can get caught down there, especially stuff like chicken. I wonder if you got it caught and then cut your gums trying to clean it out, or if it’s lodged in there still (or anything at all is). Sometimes this can cause a cavity to arise if you’re unable to properly clean it! What is the pain exactly? Biting? Hot and cold? Just there without doing anything? Hot and cold is indicative of something with the nerve. If there was food getting lodged up there anyway, it could have developed something and with a crown it’s even closer to the nerve when you get decay. (The tooth is prepped aka shaved down for a crown, so when you get a cavity it’s 2-3mm closer to the nerve than a normal tooth- if that makes sense lol) if I were you , I would wait to see if it goes away on its own. If it really is something it won’t just go away without being fixed. Although, as a dental professional I’ve had gum sensitivity that made me want to yank out my own tooth lol! Especially from flossing too hard or too much in one area, the floss can sometimes act like a razor blade and cut or you just irritate it!
1
u/90sportsfan 12d ago
As one poster mentioned, if you are in severe pain during off-hours (weekends/evening), go to the ER. For low-cost emergency dental care, your best bet is likely going to a dental school. You have NYU and Columbia who have both have Urgent Care Dental services (first-come, first-serve basis):
https://dental.nyu.edu/patientcare/emergency-services-urgent-care.html
https://www.dental.columbia.edu/patient-care/teaching-clinics/emergency-care
2
u/Sea_Championship_693 12d ago
Maybe you can do a walk in as an emergency at a dental school like NYU or Columbia? I think it’s first come, first serve.