dental abscess while pregnant?

embersoul

After just discovering a tender lump above my last molar, as far back and up as you could possibly get in my mouth, I am 85% sure I have an abscessed tooth as I know some fillings back there need replacing.

Now I'm kind of scared! I wish I had discovered this yesterday or even this morning because my dentist has Saturday hours but only until 1. They're not open again until Tuesday! 

Here's my dilemma: wait until Tuesday, swish with hydrogen peroxide, tylenol, pray.

OR

I have a bottle of Amoxicillin that he gave me a few months ago for when I went to France for a month just in case an infection I had in another tooth flared up. I'm considering starting with those. I'm pretty sure that's what he'd prescribe and I know it's safe to take in pregnancy, it seems better to me to take them rather than wait three days and risk the infection spreading to my baby!

Help! What would you do? I'm a nurse and have been researching this since my discovery, just curious as to what others might do in my position.

VampyGirl

I'd wait...or maybe see a different dentist?

embersoul

yes I'd thought of trying to get in to see a different dentist before then, no one's open on Sunday that I've found yet! Monday I have to work and have no sick hours so trying to find one to see then is going to be hard.

emsrdh03

I'm a dental hygienist...and if it were me I'd be okay with waiting until Tuesday.  I wouldn't self medicate myself if I were unsure.  This is going to sound kind of gross but is there any discharge coming out of the the bump...like a pimple?

Alot of offices will have an emergency line you can call...like an after hours pager.  At the very least it would give you a chance to talk to you dentist and explain what you're feeling.  Have you tried calling your office and seeing if they give anything like this on their recorded message?

mghnmouse

Is your dentist's office associated with an emergency dentist? Try calling the office and see if the recording has any information for what to do in case of dental emergency. They may have a calling service number or perhaps the number for a clinic that has hours while your is closed. Just a thought.

As far as the antibiotics, I know this sounds lame, but you have to do what you feel comfortable with, and unfortunately that is something only you can decide. I figure what you want to know is what would each of us would do, and I would ask myself, if this dose of antibiotics had been prescribed to me while I was pregnant, and if I was comfortable with the information that I could get my hands on about its use during pregnancy, then make my decision from there. If I said yes to both, then absolutely but, I would also do some reading about dental infections and pregnancy to see the sort of time frame the material discussed. Please know that's just how I would handle it, and an opinion

Really hope you are okay!

embersoul

Thanks everybody, that is my next course of action, calling the office for a possible after-hours pager number. Thanks for your concern and helpful opnions. It is helpful to know what others' thought processes might be.

I am also getting ready for my birthday party to start in an hour so at least that'll take my mind off it for now! It's not extraordinarily painful, just a minor/moderate dull ache as long as I don't chew on it, there is a lump, but no pus leaking out or anything (sorry ew). I think it's just begun within the last few days/week.

Not looking forward to having this tooth fixed. Ugh.