Posted by writeradmin
I have a tooth that is very infected. My cheek is swollen. The problem I have is that I was laid off. I don’t have any extra money. I barely have enough to pay rent. My dentist does not take payments and I don’t know what to do. Is there a way to nurse this at home?
Caroline
Dear Caroline,
You are in a tough spot. I don’t want you to try to nurse this at home. Even antibiotics will not give you the help that you need. In order to get rid of a tooth infection a dentist has to get in there and physically remove the pulp of your tooth. There are two ways to do this. The first is with a root canal treatment. The second is with a tooth extraction. With the way you have a swollen cheek, I feel you are in a dental emergency situation and need to get that taken care of.
There are a couple of options for you. The first is to call around and see if there is a dentist who will allow you to get the emergency treatment you need and then make payments. I would start by doing a search for an affordable dentist. These dentists are often more willing to work with patients in a financial hardship.
If you can’t find one, then I would do a search for a charity dental clinic. Every major city has one. You would do an internet search that includes the terms charity dental clinic plus the name of your city. If you live in a small town, you may have to drive to another area, but you should be able to find one.
A root canal treatment is the better option because it saves your tooth. The extraction should be a last resort, but sometimes that is all a charity clinic will do.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. John Theriot.