I've been having tooth pain for about three weeks. it's been excrucating, but i don't have insurance so i've been trying to tough it out. the pain was centered around a tooth with a loose filling, so i forced the filling back in. what should i do now?

I : I am so sorry to hear that you are in pain. However, notwithstanding insurance, you absolutely must see a dentist! if you cannot afford a private dentist, in new york, there are two dental schools and most hospitals have a general practice dental residency program, which will be more than happy to treat you at a reduced fee and help you file for medicaid help if needed. Dental issues only get worse and more expensive with time. Please do not delay the help that you need. Best of luck, dr. Zev kaufman.

Antibiotics : Antibiotics will only treat the symptoms of your dental problems, and not solve your current dilemma. It is difficult to diagnose exactly what your problem it, but in any event it needs to be physically treated. The longer you wait, the worse things can get. Infections can spread through the head and neck region and turn into life threatening situations, resulting in hospitalization and furthe expense. As advised, there are two dental schools in nyc: new york university & columbia university. Seek them out for reduced fee care. Regardless of insurance coverage, this is treatment you need to have addressed immediately. Best of luck to you.

If : If your face is visably swollen, you need an antibiotic, stat, and you probably will have to have it drained. Take your oral tempature; if it is 101.5 or higher, get to a hospital-you need IV antibitics to get the swelling down immediately. Not to scare you, but this could be a life threatening problem. If it is a lower tooth, the swelling could start to block your airway.

If : If you are having swelling that is visable in the region of your neck then you should seek care as soon as possible. This is potentially a very serious infection that can have dire consequences. If you can't get to a dentist or oral surgeon, go to a hospital emergency room.

Fix it: You will need to either have the tooth extracted or have root canal therapy on it. Visit a dentist immediately for pros and cons of both treatment options.

Can't DIY: Excruciating pain is your body screaming at you that you have a severe infection. You can't fix this yourself, and otc meds may temporarily dull pain but not fix the problem. The cost of rx is much less that the cost if the infection spreads. Go now!

Impossible: Impossible to "tough it out" The problem has to be solved by dental care. Ask for pain meds and antibiotics which will likely give you temporary relief til you can get dental treatment.