Having recently had a wisdom tooth extracted at the hospital, everything went fine and I was a very happy patient. However three days after the extraction I started to suffer from a great deal of pain. Gums had swollen, were red and irritated, my mouth had a horrible taste coming from the stiches, could not go two hours throughout the night without waking up from excruciating pain and could not eat solid foods at all. I had been doing everything that the dentist had told me to do, salt water mouth washes, keeping on top of my pain killers. The info sheet I was given stated that if swelling of the gums or a nasty taste became present in the mouth that I should call the hospital. So by Thursday evening, after three days of horrendous pain, I rang. I was told by the receptionist that I would have to come to the hospital as this is where I had the extraction. I did state that I live in seaham and my local dentist is only a five minute drive away from me, so that would be more convinient, but she insisted I had to come to the hospital. So I went today and was greeted by a very miserable lady behind the desk. She was very sharp with me about not having an appointment letter, to which I explained that it was an emergency appointment and I didn't not recieve a letter. When I was called for by the dentist she asked what was the problem so I explained the pain, swelling and horrible taste. She read my charts and then had a look inside my mouth, on the wrong side!! I could not believe that this was actually happening and had to say, it's the other side! She then told me that there was no sign of infection and she would rinse out the site with a corsodyl mouthwash. I asked why I would have a disgusting taste and why the area would be red and swollen and she told me because I had a small infection in the area. After previously telling me there was nothing wrong! I asked why I couldn't have antibiotics to clear up the infection and she told me that they were not needed and that painkillers would ease the pain. I told the dentist that I was currently taking codeine, two paracetamol and two Ibuprofen four times a day and the pain did not stop. To which she had no answer. I was then given a soft bottomed syringe to clean the site with after food, and was sent on my way. The dentist was a very pleasant young lady and did seem to sympathise with me, however did not check for a temperature, ask me how I was coping, ask if I had experienced any sickness or shaking spells. Had she done so she would have been told yes! The dentist also told me that I could have just went to my local dentists office and did not have to come to the hospital! I found this disgusting to hear and the receptionist who booked my appointment was insistent upon me coming to the hospital.All in all I felt left down and that my health was not in the best of hands.To walk into an NHS service and describe your excruciating pain, and then to be fobbed off is not something anyone would be happy with
"Massively let down"
About: Newcastle Dental Hospital Newcastle Dental Hospital Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4AZ
Posted via nhs.uk
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