Abscess on my gums
By lilybug
@lilybug (21107)
United States
March 7, 2013 12:05pm CST
I developed an abscess on my gums the other day. It ruptured and the next day my gums all along one side of my mouth were red, swollen, and painful. I went to work yesterday morning in pain and tried from the pain keeping me awake. I was in tears at work yesterday. After work I went to urgent care and got an antibiotic for the infection. I was also given some 800mg ibuprofen. I don't have insurance, so total it cost me $140. Today I am feeling a little bit better. I hate having to choke down these huge pills, but I am glad they seem to be working. Now I just have to figure out hire to get my dental work done with no insurance and still be able to pay my bills.
Ever had an abscess?
Do you have dental insurance? Have you ever had to choose between bills and paying for medical bills or dental work?
2 people like this
7 responses
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
7 Mar 13
I don't envy you. I've actually never had an abcess.. but I have needed dental work without insurance. It gets to a point where it's necessary, even though you have bills to pay.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
7 Mar 13
I am trying to see if I qualify for reduced fees at the health clinic now that I am making less money. I need a lot of work done. I can try to get in at the dental college to get some of it done, but I don't now how long of a wait I would have there.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
7 Mar 13
It doesn't seem like there are ever any good options when it comes to dental stuff. There are cheap clinics for everything else.. but not dental stuff. When I was on Medicaid I had 2 dental options.. either the clinic where you sit around all day and wait, or this 1 guy pretty far away who was a total jerk!
@AmbiePam (85489)
• United States
26 Mar 13
A dental school will do your dental work for you much cheaper than a regular dentist, and they are supervised by trained dentists. I have learned the hard way it's better to consistently go to the dentist than to wait until I have a problem. I have no had dental insurance for more than a decade. Not going regularly cost me more than 3,000 dollars. I know those abcesses hurt so badly. And they are dangerous if left untreated. I'm glad you went to the Urgent Care. And just in case you don't know, take that Ibuprofen with a meal. I took it with food, and I STILL ended up with ulcers from it. You probably already know that, but just in case...Plus, this was three weeks ago. I hope you're better.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
9 Mar 13
i have been having issues with my Teeth as well, and have no Dental insurance and been having sore gums, etc. It is no fun. I have hydrocodone that I take when the pain is too much. I cannot find anyone I can afford to go see who will look at my teeth due to being Insulin Diabetic and who would take payments. But hope you will have better success with yours.
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
7 Mar 13
Mouth pain is the worst!
I've had an abscess on my gums too. I ended up going to the dentist to get it drained and she prescribed an antibiotic. Luckily a co-worker referred me to this dentist that allowed you to pay your bill as you could. I think it took me 2 years to pay her off for that visit.
I've had a couple of small abscesses since then, but if I remember correctly I avoided going to the dentist by going to my Primary Care Physician. She prescribed an antibiotic which makes the abscess disappear - thereby eliminating the need for a dentist to drain it.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
7 Mar 13
Ow. Haven't been without insurance, but I've had things that insurance doesn't cover, for example visits to the naturopath. It hasn't kept me from paying my bills, but it did get my credit cards run up a bit higher than I liked.
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
8 Mar 13
I have had an abscess a few times actually with no insurance. I went to the hospital and got some antibiotics and they gave me some pain medicine. Then I went to the vitamin shop and got colloidal silver to take the abscess away, it worked thank God because I didn't have the money for a dentist! The silver is $25 per bottle but it's much better than what the dentist would have charged me!
@whittby (3072)
• United States
8 Mar 13
First of all, glad to hear the antibiotics are kicking in. I've had an abscess before and it's miserable.
I have had to put off medical and dental in the past due to more pressing bills. Even when I had dental insurance, the co-pays for a crown and root canal were out of reach. I saved for a couple years to get my last crown and root canal.
It is just depressing looking at those lovely smiles in the dental commercials isn't it? I know the dentists need to be compensated but I do wish we had a better system. I am thinking of going to the dental school. They evaluate the work that needs to be done and then check your income to see what payments would be required. Payment is as you go there and it's up to you to submit to the dental insurance for any repayment.
