Emergency Dentist

[xylophone]

As bad luck would have it, I have developed quite a severe toothache, and it feels a lot like a root canal may be needed, if my experience in the past is anything to go by.

 

 I'm currently taking Panadol on a four hourly basis and although that eases it, the pain still seems to break through. In addition to that I decided to get some antibiotics just in case it was something along the lines of an abscess on the tooth, but as yet, no respite from the constant pain.

 

I phoned a couple of dental practices in Patong and they are all closed, so I phoned Bangkok Phuket Hospital and explained my situation and they said that I could go along and they would look at it but they would not do any procedures!!

 

So I asked how that would help and the person didn't really seem to know, suggesting that they could give me painkillers, which I explained I was already taking. Not only that, Patong and Kathu et al are in lockdown, so getting there and back would require a feat of ingenuity (maybe showing them my Bangkok hospital registration card might help).

 

So any suggestions, or does anyone know of an emergency clinic in Patong which might be open??

 

All replies gladly welcomed.

[Psimbo]

Maybe get some advice from Patong Hospital. I am sure they must have some measures in place for emergency procedures- just depends on what they class as an emergency. Typical reply from BPH- 'give us your money but we will do nothing other than over-priced paracetamol'. 

 

try bashing some paracetamol into a powder and swishing/gargling it around the tooth with a glass of water. not sure if you can get hold of clove oil- its a temporary relief as well.

[lopburi3]

Having suffered such during the bombing of East Pakistan with no dental service or travel available recommend oil of clove as it worked wonders for the pain and is also antibiotic.  Believe any pharmacy should have.  Below appears to be specifically made for tooth treatment (you put on gum area).

 

 

[4MyEgo]

So sorry to hear your pain.

 

My teeth aren't in the best shape, and from time to time do get some toothaches, and what I do is rinse with mouthwash, but not before holding the mouthwash in my mouth till it burns, also sticking in some of those toothpick like plastic brushes to remove any food bits that might be stuck there that cause the pain in my case, a couple of panadol and do the same with the mouthwash every 2-3 hours, it does sort it.

 

I hope this helps, but if it's root canal, not good, and from what I hear only hospitals will treat dental patients at the moment.

 

I know you mentioned you where on panadol, but they are hardly pain killers, you might need something stronger from the hospital.

 

As for the lockdown, well explain to them you are going to the hospital and if they would care to escort you.

 

Good luck and hope your pain goes quickly.

Edited April 9, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[1FinickyOne]

The horror of root canal is not the dental work, it is the pain before... 

 

I think what you might be running into is not only the corona, but places are closing for New Year... 

 

I am going today for my 3rd in the series of root canal treatments... it was scheduled for tomorrow but they asked me to come in today as they want to close tomorrow.

 

Don't wait, if you can find any dentist who will begin the root canal... first day is when the pain stops.

 

Good luck. 

 

ps - you can try rubbing sensodyne toothpaste on the pained area... use your finger to rub it in..

Edited April 9, 2020 by kenk24

[riclag]

Man,I was thinking about that for weeks!

Get in touch with your embassy

 

Good luck

Edited April 9, 2020 by riclag

[ThaidDown]

39 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Having suffered such during the bombing of East Pakistan with no dental service or travel available recommend oil of clove as it worked wonders for the pain and is also antibiotic.  Believe any pharmacy should have.  Below appears to be specifically made for tooth treatment (you put on gum area).

 

 

+1 on the M16.

It contains clove oil and lidocaine. Always keep a bottle in our medicine cabinet just in case, dirt cheap and has quite a long shelf life.

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by ThaidDown

[riclag]

14 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

The horror of root canal is not the dental work, it is the pain before... 

 

I think what you might be running into is not only the corona, but places are closing for New Year... 

 

I am going today for my 3rd in the series of root canal treatments... it was scheduled for tomorrow but they asked me to come in today as they want to close tomorrow.

 

Don't wait, if you can find any dentist who will begin the root canal... first day is when the pain stops.

 

Good luck. 

 

ps - you can try rubbing sensodyne toothpaste on the pained area... use your finger to rub it in..

Hey, Where do you go! The OP might have a emergency acceptance and be allowed to travel ! Its just a suggestion!

[steve73]

My father used to swear by soluble aspirin (Dispirin in the UK).  Just place a pill between the affected tooth and your lips and let it gradually dissolve.  It's good for the pain but don't do it too much as it can "burn" the gums... 

 

Aspirin is better than para, since it works by deadening the nerve cells.  Para only affects the pain receptors in your brain.  As I understand it - but I'm no medical doctor....

[Neeranam]

Tramadol is a life saver for severe pain and available over the counter(where I live). Just don't take for more than a week.

[xylophone]

25 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

The horror of root canal is not the dental work, it is the pain before... 

 

I think what you might be running into is not only the corona, but places are closing for New Year... 

 

I am going today for my 3rd in the series of root canal treatments... it was scheduled for tomorrow but they asked me to come in today as they want to close tomorrow.

 

Don't wait, if you can find any dentist who will begin the root canal... first day is when the pain stops.

 

Good luck. 

 

ps - you can try rubbing sensodyne toothpaste on the pained area... use your finger to rub it in..

Thanks but in that case I think I am stuffed, and I do use Sensodyne but unfortunately won't work on root infections. I will give the hospital another call now!

[xylophone]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

Tramadol is a life saver for severe pain and available over the counter(where I live). Just don't take for more than a week.

Yes it is a good painkiller and took it for other major dental work a few years ago, so may get it again, problem being that it made me into a "zombie" and I didn't know much about life around me...........!! Thanks.

[xylophone]

37 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

The horror of root canal is not the dental work, it is the pain before... 

 

I think what you might be running into is not only the corona, but places are closing for New Year... 

 

I am going today for my 3rd in the series of root canal treatments... it was scheduled for tomorrow but they asked me to come in today as they want to close tomorrow.

 

Don't wait, if you can find any dentist who will begin the root canal... first day is when the pain stops.

 

Good luck. 

 

ps - you can try rubbing sensodyne toothpaste on the pained area... use your finger to rub it in..

Just called the Hospital but got no answer from the Dental Clinic......lunch maybe. I will go there anyway and also perhaps Patong Hospital to see what my options are AND thanks to all posters for their help and suggestions.

 

Will also look for the clove oil and Tramadol as suggested by LopBuri and ThaiDown also Tramadol suggested by Neeranam.

[xylophone]

58 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

I am going today for my 3rd in the series of root canal treatments... it was scheduled for tomorrow but they asked me to come in today as they want to close tomorrow.

Is that at Bangkok Phuket Hospital??????

[Neeranam]

In Scotland, I was always given whisky for a sore tooth, even as a kid. Rubbing it onto the sore area, I mean.

Later in life, I numbed the pain with larger amounts ????

[bkk6060]

I got nothing for you other then good luck and feel for you.

I have been there several times there is nothing really to take away the pain.  Even Vicodin did nothing for me.

I was in another country a few years ago and it started up.  Probably needed a root canal, but they said they could only pull the tooth.  So, I did that and immediate relief and antibiotics.  Then, more expensive followup a bridge or implant (which I chose). But, I would have done anything to stop the original pain so never looked back with regret.

Edited April 9, 2020 by bkk6060

[xylophone]

12 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I got nothing for you other then good luck and feel for you.

I have been there several times there is nothing really to take away the pain.  Even Vicodin did nothing for me.

I was in another country a few years ago and it started up.  Probably needed a root canal, but they said they could only pull the tooth.  So, I did that and immediate relief and antibiotics.  Then, more expensive followup a bridge or implant (which I chose). But, I would have done anything to stop the original pain so never looked back with regret.

Yes, there is nothing quite like the pain from a tooth, especially if it is from an infected root canal, and as you say no matter what you take, the pain never really goes away and as for getting a good night sleep – – forget it.

 

There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon inasmuch as I eventually managed to get an appointment at Bangkok Phuket Hospital here, but she was adamant that they could do no procedure!!

 

However I took the opportunity because they might have some stronger painkillers or another suggestion, or at least might be able to take an x-ray of the tooth to find out if it really is root canal problem, which although won't cure anything, will at least tell me what the real problem is.

 

On the way back I will be looking out for the clove oil treatment as suggested, however I have just done a bit of research on tramadol and it will interfere with my nightly intake of red wine, so that painkiller will be out of the question.

 

What a time to get toothache!!!!
 

[potless]

6 minutes ago, xylophone said:

There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon inasmuch as I eventually managed to get an appointment at Bangkok Phuket Hospital here, but she was adamant that they could do no procedure!!

Beg if you have to. They may relent once they see your predicament. Best of luck.

[Psimbo]

I bet you wish you had titled this 'Emergency Dentist in PHUKET' now.  ????

Good luck in your endeavors- the Pinotage is lovely.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Psimbo

[roo860]

Apparently there's a Thai  bloke knocking about Phuket who's a crack shot with a catapult, maybe he can help?

????????

[schlog]

Xylo go to Patong hospital. Thats your best bet. Know of many thais who where happy about dental department there. Sure now no long lines cause Patong empty as we see. Good luck.

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, xylophone said:

Is that at Bangkok Phuket Hospital??????

No. I am in the North and as I said, they are closing down for the holidays... I know how bad that pain can get... maybe ask at the hospital for an emergency appointment... I think just normal is not going to happen...

 

best of luck. 

[DavisH]

G'day, why do you suspect it is a root canal problem? have this tooth got a filling, or is it crowned? How are your gums? Most of my teeth than needed a root canal had previously been filled. I'm halfway through a dental impant. Got the implant put in, but in the meantime the clinic shut down; had to go to antother dentist to get the stiches out. Got another appointment on the 22nd May for an xray. Implants, while more expensive, have more predictable outcomes than root canals and crowns, so you may want to consider that option if the root is bad. Root canals need several visits too, then more visits to fit the post and crown. But an initial visit, they may be able to do something with the root to reduce the pain. 

[xylophone]

Thank you all for your great suggestions and I am now back from Bangkok Phuket Hospital after managing to get 3:30 PM appointment, but not after having had about a 10 minute delay getting out of Patong when I had to get out of the car, go through a spray compartment and get drenched, fill in a form, show the message from the hospital and my hospital card, and finally get a form filled out, complete with a stamp in order to move forward.

 

In the hospital the dentist told me that they could not do any procedures so I asked what they could do and the dentist did state that she could remove my tooth if she had to (don't know how that constitutes a "non-procedure" but I wasn't about to argue).

 

They took an extensive x-ray of my teeth and showed it to me and they/I could see nothing wrong, apart from perhaps the start of a bit of decay in one of the teeth which supported the bridge, which seemed very strange given the amount of pain, and I usually cope with pain very well.

 

So the prognosis was perhaps the start of a bit of decay, but to continue taking the clindamycin I had already started on, and some strong painkillers, so I asked if they had any codeine and she said I could have a painkiller which had paracetamol and codeine combined, which I gladly accepted.

 

I then shot into Tops and the little pharmacy which seems to sell everything from face cream to antibiotics and bought a little bottle of the solution which Lopburi had recommended and went on my way.

 

Now home and have put the solution on my teeth but it hasn't made a great deal of difference and I noticed that the ingredients did not include clove oil, which would have been great, but in this case it was camphor and Lidocaine (maybe the ingredients have changed over the years) shame really because I remember having clove oil put on a sensitive tooth back in NZ and it worked well..........I may have a search around in another couple of local pharmacies tomorrow.

 

The upshot is I still have some pain, but no serious root canal problems, which is good, and I have some strong painkillers and because there is no serious decay, the antibiotics could well work.

 

Fingers crossed and thanks for all of the suggestions.
 

[kokopelli]

3 hours ago, xylophone said:

Thank you all for your great suggestions and I am now back from Bangkok Phuket Hospital after managing to get 3:30 PM appointment, but not after having had about a 10 minute delay getting out of Patong when I had to get out of the car, go through a spray compartment and get drenched, fill in a form, show the message from the hospital and my hospital card, and finally get a form filled out, complete with a stamp in order to move forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I  am in Pattaya and today saw a dental clinic open. So keep looking and maybe you will luck out.

[stevenl]

On 4/9/2020 at 6:24 PM, xylophone said:

Thank you all for your great suggestions and I am now back from Bangkok Phuket Hospital after managing to get 3:30 PM appointment, but not after having had about a 10 minute delay getting out of Patong when I had to get out of the car, go through a spray compartment and get drenched, fill in a form, show the message from the hospital and my hospital card, and finally get a form filled out, complete with a stamp in order to move forward.

 

In the hospital the dentist told me that they could not do any procedures so I asked what they could do and the dentist did state that she could remove my tooth if she had to (don't know how that constitutes a "non-procedure" but I wasn't about to argue).

 

They took an extensive x-ray of my teeth and showed it to me and they/I could see nothing wrong, apart from perhaps the start of a bit of decay in one of the teeth which supported the bridge, which seemed very strange given the amount of pain, and I usually cope with pain very well.

 

So the prognosis was perhaps the start of a bit of decay, but to continue taking the clindamycin I had already started on, and some strong painkillers, so I asked if they had any codeine and she said I could have a painkiller which had paracetamol and codeine combined, which I gladly accepted.

 

I then shot into Tops and the little pharmacy which seems to sell everything from face cream to antibiotics and bought a little bottle of the solution which Lopburi had recommended and went on my way.

 

Now home and have put the solution on my teeth but it hasn't made a great deal of difference and I noticed that the ingredients did not include clove oil, which would have been great, but in this case it was camphor and Lidocaine (maybe the ingredients have changed over the years) shame really because I remember having clove oil put on a sensitive tooth back in NZ and it worked well..........I may have a search around in another couple of local pharmacies tomorrow.

 

The upshot is I still have some pain, but no serious root canal problems, which is good, and I have some strong painkillers and because there is no serious decay, the antibiotics could well work.

 

Fingers crossed and thanks for all of the suggestions.
 

How is it feeling now, getting a bit better?

[xylophone]

9 minutes ago, stevenl said:

How is it feeling now, getting a bit better?

Just a little bit better thanks Stevenl, but still have some pain as per toothache norm, but not raging, fortunately.

 

Guess I'll just have to wait til the end of the antibiotics, to see if they have made a real difference, and keep on with the codeine/para tablets, which at least help deaden the pain a little and to get some sleep........not ideal in this time of Covid though!!!!

 

Thanks for asking and stay safe and well.

[Cherngtalay]

I have avoided the dentist several times using Coconut Oil, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Gin.

 

The first two you can get at any pharmacy.  the Gin, well, maybe in two weeks...

 

Coconut Oil "Pulling"  https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/oil-pulling

 

3% Hydrogen Peroxide, swish it around your mouth similar to the coconut oil, and spit it out.

 

Gin, or similar, also swish it around your mouth.  helps with pain, and also kills bacteria

 

[xylophone]

34 minutes ago, Cherngtalay said:

I have avoided the dentist several times using Coconut Oil, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Gin.

 

The first two you can get at any pharmacy.  the Gin, well, maybe in two weeks...

 

Coconut Oil "Pulling"  https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/oil-pulling

 

3% Hydrogen Peroxide, swish it around your mouth similar to the coconut oil, and spit it out.

 

Gin, or similar, also swish it around your mouth.  helps with pain, and also kills bacteria

 

Thanks...........thinking about it, I believe the tooth with a problem is under a bridge, so not much can get to it and have tried the clove oil etc, but to no avail, so antibiotics and strong painkillers seem to be my only options, that is until some very expensive rework is needed on the bridge and underlying tooth........<deleted> it, as spent about 150k baht on this 5 yrs ago!!!

[snowballthecat]

Hi Xylo, how is your tooth doing? root canal done? are the dentist open yet?