Toothache

[crosspatch65]

Last resort!
Son in law having iolent toothhe, he is taking wafarin, the dentist will not treat him because if this.
Any suggestions please!

[tonyav]

Have you got any whiskey, if you have take a swig and swill it around the mouth but try and hold some on the painful area, this has a numbing affect.

[Mamyalynne]

Well that sounds patently wrong, people on Warfarin are as entitled as anyone to dental treatment - has he referred your son to the Dental Hospital or simply abandoned him??

[tonyav]

Thats what I thought mamya, but I posted something to try and give some immediate pain relief. Toothache is one of the worst pains imo.

[Bluestone]

Yeah, but how long will it stay numb for Tony? Should he continue doing this until he passes out? lol

Dip an aspirin in a cup of water, until it just starts to fizz. Then put it directly on the tooth/gum that hurts. Tastes minging, but helps.

[Sqad]

Relief of pain is priority for anyone in the healthcare field....I agree with mamya, this is unacceptable.

Take him to A&E.

[tonyav]

Do you live anywhere near Birmingham, there is a dental hospital there, I think he may get seen as an emergency.

[bednobs]

well as i presume he's going to be on warfarin for some time, is he expected to just have toothache all the time?

[RATTER15]

Bluestone, he is on Wafarin, I think taking aspirin would not be a good idea as it also thins the blood.

I may be wrong!

[tonyav]

If you phone NHS direct they may give you the phone number for an emergency dentist.

[Maydup]

Call the out of hours number for the dental practice now and maybe he'll be fefered to a different more understanding dentist?

[Psybbo]

Rub Sensodyne toothpaste on it, dentist's tip

[LazyGun]

It sounds like the dentist is a little behind the times. When a patient is on warfarin, it is the INR that is important, and the recommendations are that primary dental extractions etc can be carried out, without a hugely increased risk of uncontrolled bleeding, providing the INR is less than 4.

http://www.ukmi.nhs.uk/med_info/documents/Dental_Patient_on_Warfarin.pdf

[Sqad]

LazyGun...I agree with your comments, but i think that surgical extraction whilst on Warfarin is not the issue...........as he is probably worried about drug interaction.

I may be wrong.

[Gizmonster]

Toothache - OUCH !!
There's only one thing worse than toothache ...... and that's teethache ..... soz, but I just couldn't resist :P

[honey33]

hi

i find either putting a disprin directly on the tooth to dissolve... or dabbing clove oil on.. little bottle from the chemist for £1 ish...... would check with the chemist on anything you use tho if taking warferin

[theprof]

I concur with lazygun. My local health board advises dentists in my area not to perform any extractions or scaling when a patient has an INR of 3.6 or above.

I've raised the issue with a number of haematologists and dental lecturers at my medical school over the last few years and their opinion is that the health board are being ridiculously overcautious.

Yes, sqad is right about potential warfarin drug interaction with other drugs as a patient on warfarin has limited scope to take other drugs at the same time - warfarin interacts with a huge number of drugs including analgesics and antibiotics that might be needed after an extraction. However a good dentist will have assessed this situation beforehand. If the dentist considered that treatment was beyond his expertise, he should indeed refer the patient to a dental hospital or A&E as a matter of urgency.

I'm afraid this constant risk of litigation against the medical and dental professions nowadays is seriously hampering capable and good primary care to the detriment of patients.

[Sqad]

LazyGun/the prof.

Interesting topic and the advantages of being " non clinical" is that accurate and relevant statements can be made, without having to apply them.

Doctors are well paid and in this sort of situation they are certainly going to " earn their mone."

Whatever the INR, whatever directives and guidelines are applied by professional bodies on is left with a patient in pain and looking to the professions to relieve the pain. relief of pain in medicine is a fundamental principle and if there is a certain amount of danger, then so be it.

crospatch 65 has been badly let down by the dental profession and if he/ she is not careful, the medical profession is about to follow suit.