Went for a dental cleaning on Wednesday. Hadn’t had this hygienist before. My gums were already irritated by aphthous ulcer, which I told her about. Regardless, she whipped out the hook and started scraping. I told her she was hurting me, but still she kept on. Never have I had such pain during a dental cleaning. I probably should have told her to stop but I thought I was just being a total wuss, so I let her keep going. My teeth couldn’t possibly have needed all that much cleaning; I have my check up every 6 months, I brush, floss, rinse, all that shit. Haven’t had a cavity since I got my braces off about 20 years ago.
When the dentist came in, she looked at my mouth and said my gums looked irritated but it was no big deal. Yeah, right. Next day, woke up with a fever of 101 and a mouth full of painful aphthous ulcers (at least 10, a couple as big as a dime). Makes eating and drinking not too fun. Couldn’t get in to see a doctor; they must all be on spring break or something, and the dentist said there was nothing she could do about it, just rest and drink fluids. Thanks, that helps me eat food and sleep and all that. Not.
I really want to grab that hook out of her hand and stick it where the sun don’t shine, and I don’t mean her mouth. This fever is sucking the life me. I have a doctor’s appointment on Monday, and I’m taking Advil, which lowers the fever to a non-miserable level for a while and helps the pain, but my mouth is killing me, which makes me feel in turn like killing someone, namely the person who did this to me… if I could get out from under these 6 blankets while shivering my ass off. Though in 15 minutes I’ll be sweating.
Fevers suck. Hooks in the gum suck. Gaping ulcers in the mouth suck. Fuck. Way to end my spring break. :mad: Thanks for listening to me rant. Might be pretty weak for the Pit, but whatever. Had to get it off my chest.
Your dentist forgot analgaesia. It’s rest, fluids, pain relief, and I doubt Advil will cut it.
Go to your pharmacy. Ask them for Difflam or some other analgesic mouth rinse. Stings like a motherfucker, but should make the pain more bearable. You can also try dissolving some aspirin in water and gargling with it. If you’re really not able to eat, try some clear broth or Complan through a straw.
I empathise. A few years ago I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic and ended up with apthous-type ulcers on my tongue, lips, gums, palate and throat. It was not pleasant, and it was then that I became incredibly grateful that codeine- containing medication is available OTC where I live, as simple analgesics (ibuprofen, acetominophen etc) weren’t even taking the edge off the pain. When even the OTC strength drugs weren’t working I ended up with hourly Difflam rinses and prescription strength opiates.
I had to Google aphthous ulcers to find out what they were. As soon as I saw photos, I said, “Oh, canker sores!” I was always told they were caused by too much sugar. Now I know better (thanks, Mom) The fight against ignorance continues!
I’ve never had more than one at a time. I feel for you, Ruby.
I don’t think my dentist understood the extent of my problem here, either. I didn’t realize that I was going to have a fever for 3 days, so I didn’t holler enough about it when I called. I wish it were just about eating too much sugar. As it is, that hygienist is on my permanent shit list, and I burning her dog.
I feel your pain (or something very similar, Ruby). I get runs of mouth sores sometimes - one clears up and another starts, for what seems like weeks on end. I get canker sores from my crooked teeth - the edge of a tooth will rub too much in one place, I think, and keep irritating the same spot so it doesn’t heal well. There’s a magic potion called Orabase that helps with this - it’s a very thick, sticky, waxy substance that you coat on the canker sore, and it seals it off so it can heal (and not keep hurting, and not keep getting probed by your oh-so-curious but not at all helpful tongue).
On the plus side, the oral mucosa heals very fast. That helps, doesn’t it?
