Posted: 2/14/2011 9:59:42 AM EDT
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I have an abscess tooth and I'm going to the dentist tomorrow.
That said, wtf would I do if no dentists were up and running? I'd hate to think that I need to pull them all and get falsies pre event, but I'm useless right now. |
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Careful six.
Antibiotics are used to take the infection out and take the pain away but it doesn't solve the problem. Worse, each time you use the antibiotics for a particular tooth the less it works. Worse still, you pull an abscess tooth before the infection is taken down, you risk your life. You need to get it fixed pal. ......and yeah, our options are only two, drill or pull. Unfortunately these days drill can be three levels, drill and patch, drill and cap, or root canal and cost goes up dramatically with each one. Abscess with lots of pain, I'd say that pretty much means drill and patch is out and you are into one of the costly two. As you know, I've been there with half mine gone already and actually have another one pending. Getting old sucks man. Tj |
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Roger that TJ old friend. If I can find some Amoxi, I'll also find a chart on dosage and what not. I have an appointment in the morning though, I ain't trying this on myself. Wsix, amoxi is for SHTF to maybe buy yourself some time... And to assist in reducing the likelyhood of dying from infection when someone cuts your gum with an Exacto knife or extracts your tooth. [The HARD way] Also to hopefully make you productive once more and shorten recovery time. The body can do self-healing in amazing ways but that doesn't mean it will be fast or that you won't suffer mightly in the process. |
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Something else to consider. Would dentistry be more important or less important after SHTF?
Would people use less sugar because it is more rare or would people consume more because it helps preserve and is a great energy source? I wonder how many people have sugar beet seeds in their stores? Or a book on post-apocalypse dentistry. |
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My plan is to remain in contact with my dentist or A dentist after TSHTF because I am not pulling my own tooth with a leatherman and Jack Daniels... Haha. The GOOD news is, after you suffer for a month or so with an abscessed tooth w/out med intervention, it may well loosen sufficiently you won't need your leatherman to extract it. 
If you don't die from the infection first. |
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Go here.
Lots of free downloads geared towards medical care and sanitation in non developed countries. |
look at my smile! It's GTG!
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I was thinking the exact same thing... white figure skate, size 9. |
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I am pretty lucky in the tooth dept, at 52 I have all my own teeth and not a single filling.
The dentist says I have "perfect spit", LOL. My wife, however, is not so lucky. We are fortunate and have an MD, in fact a Cardiologist in our group of 'friends' We're still hunting for a dentist, the wife does not like my selection of ChannelLocks.. |
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There is a dentist in East Tn that gives a two day course of field dentistry. I attended last year and it was quite informative. I wouldn't mind doing filling repair but I wouldn't want to try an extraction unless I had no other choice. He does teach some basic anesthesia techniques, but also mentions once the offending tooth gets to a certain point of pain patients will often tolerate an extraction without lidocaine. For those that can not attend he also sells a booklet and CD showing some basic procedures thats pretty good.
Who has a treatment protocol they teach to laymen :http://www.whocollab.od.mah.se/expl/ARTManual2008.pdf |
Sister is a dentist, have a full set of tools at the BOL. Am currently looking for a low tech third world type drill set up (have seen dentists in the third world operating out of the back of a van with a battery powered drill set up) , but she says in a pinch a dremmel will do ! WTF, I am not sure if she is jerking my chain, she is the master of the dead pan delivery.
stasiman |
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Im getting mine all fixxed up . Spent 2 days last week out getting work done on my teeth and going tomorrow to have 2 more repaired and a wisdom pulled . Im unlucky and lucky all in the same , Im unlucky to have inherited my moms dental issues , Im lucky Ive never had a tooth hurt me even in critical disrepair. |
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Maybe a stupid question, but how does one go about pulling a tooth?? A string tied to a doorknob isn't going to do it. My biggest fear in removing a molar is that I shatter the tooth. Dental forceps are available online. In some cases you may need to intentionally break a molar up with a punch and mallet, or have it sectioned with a drill in order to remove it. |
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Maybe a stupid question, but how does one go about pulling a tooth?? A string tied to a doorknob isn't going to do it. My biggest fear in removing a molar is that I shatter the tooth. Pulling a tooth is a multi step process. Gum tissue around the tooth is loosened with a curette, Second step is to use a tool called an elevator to further loosen the connective tissue and root, Final step is to extract the tooth using dental forceps. He discouraged using pliers or other non-dental tool. The forceps were designed to hold the tooth firmly without breaking it and warned that a broken tooth would likely worsen the situation. I had no idea how equipment intensive dentistry was until I went to the field dentistry class. There are many types of dental forceps designed to best extract various teeth. The Dentist does sell a field extraction kit that has what he feels are the the minimum equipment needed. It contained a #11 miller curette #34 cryer elevator, #62 forceps, #10S forceps, and #17 forceps. You can find a lot of the stuff on ebay. He had also developed plans to use an air-powered drill using a small portable air tank that could be pumped up, but it wasn't cheap, almost 2K to build yourself. Those babies run much faster than a dremel tool, several hundred thousand RPM IIRC. |
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Dental forceps are available online. In some cases you may need to intentionally break a molar up with a punch and mallet, or have it sectioned with a drill in order to remove it. dude, shoot me first. It's not pleasant, I can attest to that. |
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Dental forceps are available online. In some cases you may need to intentionally break a molar up with a punch and mallet, or have it sectioned with a drill in order to remove it. dude, shoot me first. It's not pleasant, I can attest to that. I really can't imagine doing it without pain meds. I just went up stairs to get a warmer pair of socks, on the way I hit the head, washed my hands, and the next thing i know I'm flossing. Funny how the mind works. |
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Dental forceps are available online. In some cases you may need to intentionally break a molar up with a punch and mallet, or have it sectioned with a drill in order to remove it. dude, shoot me first. It's not pleasant, I can attest to that. I really can't imagine doing it without pain meds. I just went up stairs to get a warmer pair of socks, on the way I hit the head, washed my hands, and the next thing i know I'm flossing. Funny how the mind works. It was bad enough with the pain meds and the local. Nerves were so tender from being infected that the injection basically did nothing for the tooth itself. Dentist started sectioning with the drill and it felt like he'd rammed a red hot icepick through my jaw. |
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150 #1 winter 35s Rongeur Spoon currette bone file All on ebay and cheap  Sterilize with 10% bleach water, then use a very aseptic technique.
PCN V K Problem solved
You have to treat the problem. There is no place for swelling to go at first so there is great pain. It will build up into a potential space that could be in your CSF. In SHTF extract the fucker and most of the problem will be solved on its own. ETA: I have extracted hundreds and one of my own fractured molars on a Sunday evening when no one could see me  Gow Gates mandibular block, 150 and a 34S, life got much better.
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My Dad is a dentist and this is something we have discussed. As with other prep items, prevention is key. Take care of those teeth by brushing AND flossing. Flossing is very important and neglected by most people. It is also very important to not use your teeth as scissors or pliers. My Dad has a constant stream of people who come pay him major bucks to fix their teeth after they bite their fishing line or some other dumb behavior when they should have been using a small swiss army knife for the job.
Also, go get your dental issues taken care of NOW. If you have problems, it's not something you want to deal with when TSHTF. A dentist should be very high on the list of people you want to know and be able to do some kind of business with, come any disasters. Fortunately my Dad and many of his dentist buddies have a sufficient supply of items that could be useful in their occupations come a variety of emergencies. |