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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A Bear With A Sore Tooth

We all have good days and bad days right? Today is an I'm not so sure day. I have a toothache. I haven't bothered ringing up the dentist. You see I am a 'public' patient which means no private health insurance. The 'free' dentist (I use the term 'free' very loosely) has a 6 month waiting list (it might be longer but it was a 6 month wait last time I phoned). 

I am on the waiting list for the dentist and by my calculations I have at least another month or so before I get to the top of the list. Before you ask yes they do allow for emergencies. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to get an appointment for the same day if you phone them early enough or you might be lucky enough to get a voucher and you can see a private dentist. All I know is that this tooth will be pulled they don't usually try to save the tooth it's much cheaper and easier for them to do an extraction.

Considering how much I dislike dentists I will see how I go. I blame my sister Vicki with all of those scary stories she told me when I was little. I should've just listened to Julie & been more like her when it comes to the dentist. Hopefully the pain will go away soon. If not paracetamol with codeine will be my good friend :P at least for the time being. I dare not take anything else due to the other medications I am on. I don't want them to interact badly with one another. I am so glad I am not like a bear with a sore tooth. I haven't been grumpy or anything.

I am feeling kind of nosy. What do you do when you have a toothache? Do you go to the dentist or suffer with the pain? Do you have any home remedies that you use?

4 comments:

PoetessWug said...

Toothaches are the worst!!! And I've had so many teeth extracted, and procedures done to cover up the open spaces, that I sometimes feel like a 'road construction' project!! LOL But I still have to say: "Go to the dentist Jo!" I know because of my medical background that a simple toothache can turn into an infection that leads to the blood stream or the heart....Are you scared yet?! ^_^ All jokes aside...after a short go with rinsing your mouth regularly with warm water and salt, if it persists, you may need to take more forceful methods...like a visit to the 'Ye Ole Extractor'!! ^_^ Taking pain meds is only covering up the issue and fooling yourself into a false sense of security...I KNOW!! Been there/done that!...Here's hoping the warm salt and water fixes it!

Jo-anne Blossy said...

Poetess, I know I should go and see the dentist. You are absolutely right I know that bad teeth can lead to all sorts of other medical issues. I just have a few things on at the moment that will prevent me from travelling so far (the dentist is 40km away that's around 25 miles) Gosh that sounds like a bad excuse but once these meetings are over & done with I will have the time to go.
I have a strong antiseptic mouthwash so I'll use that to rinse my mouth out. Let's hope that helps.

K-Koira said...

Hey, a 6 month wait may seem bad to you, but at least you have a "free dentist" to go to. If you don't have insurance here, you are just plain out of luck if you can't come up with the entire fee every dentist charges.

Jo-anne Blossy said...

K-Koira, I guess I really do live in a lucky country then. We only need to pay around $20-$30 per visit. I know that the 6 month waiting list is just for the clinic I will be going to (a small bonus for living in the country) it is a much longer wait for those living in the city.