Bounty Hunter
Expert
DING, DING, DING, DING...This is huge. I see every day, people that are walking around with dental time bombs that are totally preventable. I'm not preaching that you should have prevented the cavity but early detection is crucial in preventing the "shut you down" toothache, infection, abscess and in SHTF situation, death. I feel like I keep preaching things that have been known since the 50's. No pain or symptoms is a TERRIBLE INDICATOR of the presence or absence of problems when it comes to your teeth. Its not that some people have to have big cavities before it starts to hurt and some people feel it early on. I can see both situations in one patient. I see DAILY, a person that has a toothache in one tooth and 1 or 5 other teeth that have decay that is bigger, or even an abscess that they are totally unaware of. I'm a realist, not everyone has the money for text book dentistry, but the benefit of a 6 month exam and yearly x-rays is huge if for only the reason of knowing what is going on in there.
I get military guys in my office all the time telling me that these tough guys take a bullet and resist being taken out of the fight, but when a toothache (big one) hits them, they can't think, or function and more often request to be taken out of the game. It's not that it hurts that much more, it is a different kind of pain that wears you down to a point of total dysfunction. Thats not even mentioning the health issues of an abscess. People still die of dental abscesses, not just 3rd world countries.
OK, rant off. Carry on.
You are so right there!!! About 2 months ago I started getting sore around my cheek bone while at work. I have bad allergy and sinus problems so I did not think much of it. When I got off work, I called the Doctor for appointment, I figured I was getting a sinus infection. I woke up in the middle of the night and my cheek and TOOTH were throbbing. Sat. morning of course and I found one dentist open an hour away. Thank God.
I spent the next three days face down in the pillow(with pain meds). By the time I got back in there Tuesday. My gum was about to burst it was so swollen. He had to lance it and drain it. Sounds nasty, but I had no prior trouble or warning from this tooth. Worst pain I ever had!!
I rarely miss work, but I spent three days off from that thing, and another week trying to clear it up just to work on it.
Get them checked!!