Severe tooth decay...can't afford treatment. What can i do?

This is really a 3 part question:





1. I have a back molar that was temporarily filled about 2 years ago and was never finished. the filling came out awhile back, and now there is a quarter of my tooth completely gone, and the nerve is exposed. It is extrememely painful -- i can hardly function, and with a 6 month old son to care for, i need to do something about it! What will need to be done?





2. no matter what treatment i need, i probably can't afford it. i have little to no money after bills, rent, and other necessary costs. Are there any programs in Arkansas that can help pay for treatment?





okay, so it was a 2 part question....


HELP!!

Severe tooth decay...can't afford treatment. What can i do?
I am not familiar with Arkansas, but some states have dental schools that have students perform work on people for either no charge or a small fee, and they do a pretty good job. You may want to search online to see if there is one in your area or nearby.
Reply:Take some advil- (make sure they're the gel caps), take up to 4, it will help but it won't solve the problem.


At night a toothache will really act up, so you'll want to elevate your head so that it will relieve the pressure.
Reply:u need to go to a real dentist
Reply:I dont know if there are programs where you live, but here are somepossibillities to check into:





If there is a charity hospital nearby (state-run), chances are that they at least have a dentist that willpull the tooth. Not the best option, I know, but it would relieve the pain and couldcost little to nothing. Even if you do not have a charity hospital, if there is a regular hospital, call to see if they employ a dentist for emergency treatment. In most states, if there IS you cant be refused ER treatment.





I have been there. This hurts! Try going to local dentists or oral surgeons %26amp; put your pride aside. Plead with them to work out a plan with you. Most doctors will not let you suffer, and will work out a plan with you if they SEE you are in pain. It took me years to pay for an emergency removal, but I only paid a few dollars a week until I was able to pay more. But at least I was paying something, so they never fussed about it.





TEMPORARILY: Gently rinse (I know it hurts) with warm salt water. It cleanses %26amp; soothes. Go to Walmart %26amp; look by the ttothpaste, etc... and look for temporary tooth filling kit. It costs about $2 and is easy to use. My dentist told me about it once when my filling fell out. It is the same stuff they use in the office and will last about a month at a time.





For pain immediately: The BEST and FASTEST by far OTC med is powdered aspirin (BC, Goody's, Stanback). They taste AWFUL, but Take it as fast as you can (I prefer with a soda to distract from the flavor). It will work in about 15 minutes %26amp; last hours and will ELIMINATE the pain.





GL!
Reply:You are going to need to have a root canal or have the tooth extracted. You are going to need to be put on antibiotics to clear up the infection. It is best to do the root canal and save the tooth but that is expensive. You should try to get into a dental school in your area and have them do the work for you . The students will be the one working on you under the supervision of a dentist but it is alot cheaper. Good Luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Gold Teeth