Supposed to be having a wisdom tooth pulled out in the morning because I've had problems twice in the last year with it getting infected. The thing is the infection has come back over the weekend having cleared up a few weeks ago after a course of antibiotics. Obviously the dentist is closed so not had chance to tell them. Does anyone know if he'll still pull it with it being infected again? Or am I going to have to have another lot of tablets and wait?

The NHS shut on weekends - or so that's how it feels. How a GP surgery can close on a weekend is beyond me, but anyway.
If you're having an op on the NHS don't hold your breath. Phone the doctors in the morning. When the receptionist tells you they don't have a clue what they're talking about tell them you need a same day appointment with the GP.

Speaking with anybody but a GP will get you nowhere. I went into the local surgery last week and they couldn't even tell me if the pharmacist next door had my prescription or not.

Bones wrote:Supposed to be having a wisdom tooth pulled out in the morning because I've had problems twice in the last year with it getting infected. The thing is the infection has come back over the weekend having cleared up a few weeks ago after a course of antibiotics. Obviously the dentist is closed so not had chance to tell them. Does anyone know if he'll still pull it with it being infected again? Or am I going to have to have another lot of tablets and wait?

I'm quite sure the anti bios are for the swelling to go down.

He'll probably take a look and see.

starting_11 wrote:I'm quite sure the anti bios are for the swelling to go down.
He'll probably take a look and see.

Crikey, you sound like the GP I saw a few weeks ago

The antibiotics aren't given to take the swelling down. They're given to treat the infection, which has caused the swelling.
Ibuprofen would ease the swelling, but it doesn't treat the cause.

Like I've said - phone up first thing tomorrow and see a GP.

The nice guide lines say it could be pulled.but its all dependent on your situation at your appointment.

Could be missing something but I don't understand the point of going to his GP if he's seeing the dentist in the morning.

taio wrote:Could be missing something but I don't understand the point of going to his GP if he's seeing the dentist in the morning.

Very true. I read the OP but missed that bit. I must have just read it and thought NHS = delays and thought he was having a problem with it not being sorted any time soon.

"How a GP surgery can close on a weekend is beyond me"

Your standard full time GP will work a 60+ hour week. My GP works 3/4 time but does a 45+ hour week. Most surgeries are open on a Saturday morning too.

Newly qualified doctors don't want to be GPs, hence the shortage.

If they all work weekends, you won't be able to get an appointment during the week. It would also mean the receptionists etc having to work weekends so there would be problems recruiting and retaining staff there.

The common complaint is that people can't get time off work to go to the doctors when they are ill. That's a problem with the employer, not the GP.

Dentist will sort you out properly tomorrow. Probably pull the tooth and if necessary he will pack it with an antibiotic dressing after giving the area a good clean. It going to taste awful and smell pretty worse if its nice and full of septic cats behind the tooth.
For people that need a gp out of hours, ring nhs direct, 111. A lot of hospitals have an out of hours gp service, they will ring you back with an appointment. Same number for an out of hours dentist, who apart from charging a lot more would just pull the tooth anyway. They don’t do conservation work out of hours.

HatfieldClaret wrote:"How a GP surgery can close on a weekend is beyond me"

Your standard full time GP will work a 60+ hour week. My GP works 3/4 time but does a 45+ hour week. Most surgeries are open on a Saturday morning too.
Newly qualified doctors don't want to be GPs, hence the shortage.
If they all work weekends, you won't be able to get an appointment during the week. It would also mean the receptionists etc having to work weekends so there would be problems recruiting and retaining staff there.
The common complaint is that people can't get time off work to go to the doctors when they are ill. That's a problem with the employer, not the GP.

Most surgeries are open on a Saturday morning too. - Rubbish. You're behind the times. They pulled back on that last year. Sure, you'll get some open but 'most' is completely false. The reason? The GP contract. It gave them a pay rise for less hours. There's nothing to say that GPs can't work alternate weekends, or even one weekend a month. And why weekends? Do people not get ill then? And I can't get an appointment during the week anyway. It's pathetic.

The only way to get a GP appointment is to exacerbate your problem. Make it sound more serious than it is.

I'm a recently retired dentist so may be able to offer some advice. Is it an upper or lower jaw wisdom tooth?

CrispyClaret wrote:Dentist will sort you out properly tomorrow. Probably pull the tooth and if necessary he will pack it with an antibiotic dressing after giving the area a good clean. It going to taste awful and smell pretty worse if its nice and full of septic cats behind the tooth.
For people that need a gp out of hours, ring nhs direct, 111. A lot of hospitals have an out of hours gp service, they will ring you back with an appointment. Same number for an out of hours dentist, who apart from charging a lot more would just pull the tooth anyway. They don’t do conservation work out of hours.

The NHS out of hours emergency service operates under exactly the same terms as the NHS dental service and therefore charges are exactly the same. A private dentist can charge whatever they want, and may well be more expensive for an out of hours call out.

I thought this thread was about England tonight, watching them is a bit like having a tooth out.

Cirrus_Minor wrote:I thought this thread was about England tonight, watching them is a bit like having a tooth out.

Although my Practice was in Padiham, with a large picture of the Turf in the waiting room, I still had the odd idiot turn up for an appointment in a blue and white halved shirt. Used to love watching their facial expressions as I asked my nurse to pass me the blunt needle, rusty pliers and broken drill

Bones wrote:Supposed to be having a wisdom tooth pulled out in the morning because I've had problems twice in the last year with it getting infected. The thing is the infection has come back over the weekend having cleared up a few weeks ago after a course of antibiotics. Obviously the dentist is closed so not had chance to tell them. Does anyone know if he'll still pull it with it being infected again? Or am I going to have to have another lot of tablets and wait?

Best change your appointment to the afternoon for 2.30

Pimlico_Claret wrote:I'm a recently retired dentist so may be able to offer some advice. Is it an upper or lower jaw wisdom tooth?

It's a lower. Dentist said it was food getting under the gum flaps that was causing the infection.

Lowers are generally more problematical, if they are infected then injection into the area can spread the infection. However, every case is different so attend the appointment tomorrow and hopefully your problem will be resolved

Bones:

I cannot stand this any longer!
Did you have it out or not?

Yes thankfully and feeling better already. Took a long time and I was worried he'd pulled them all out when I got out of the surgery but false alarm the tongue was still numb.