TKR Fire wolf recovery<

[Lil Cyborg]

I hope everything calms down for you, @Fire wolf. Tooth pain is the worst! I have been putting off going to the dentist myself, and do not relish going in a couple of months to see what needs to be done. I hope you get through this as quickly as possible.

Spoiler: out of date medical advice

Regarding Spence and infection, the following is what I have read and heard and is my opinion.
Foreign bodies, like our knee prosthesis (or a heart valve, etc.) are easily colonized by bacteria. That is why most surgeons of patients with knee replacements advise their patients to take antibiotics before (and maybe after also) dental work, or colonoscopies, or other procedures where the environment may be "dirty." Some surgeons suggest this be done for at least three years, other surgeons suggest this be done for the rest of the patient's life.

Not to be unnecessarily negative, and certainly not to scare anyone, I think those of us with knee replacements should be aware of these situations and discuss with our surgeons what they advise.

I do not think that there is any way of guaranteeing that our knee replacements will be forever protected 100% from infection, although we would love for this to be true. We need to be careful, prudent, and observant, and follow our surgeon's advice. From what I understand, and of course @Josephine can address all of this far more expertly, the incidence of knee infections is very small.

I wouldn't worry too much about Spence. He sounds a little bit too ornery and independent to get himself into that kind of trouble.

 

[liam2015]

oh Fire wolf...that sucks. hope it doesn't get too painful.

 

[Fire wolf]

@Lil Cyborg, I did premedicate with 2000mg of amoxicillin an hour prior to appt, and dentist gave me a prescription for amoxicillin 875mg, with instructions of take 2 stat, then 1 every 12 hours until finish the bottle (20 pills).
I didn't ask if it was infection or just decay as I didn't think about it until later. The whole thing just threw me off as it was not what I was expecting.
Thank you, @liam2015. It hurt quite a bit for the past couple of days which is why I called. She almost sent me through the ceiling at one point, and then piled in more novacaine. It is starting to wear off, even though it has only been a couple of hours, which is surprising to me considering how much she used. I can definitely feel the aching coming back. Hope the 800mg ibuprofen she gave me helps. I took one as soon as I got the script filled.
I guess if Spence doesn't keep me awake tonight, my mouth probably will!

 

[Thesoutherncook]

Oh, you poor baby! What a horrible thing to have to go through at this point in recovery! I hope you sleep tonite and Spence behaves. Maybe he will get the message that, for now, he needs to be a team player! Extra Pixie Sleep Dust for you tonight!

 

[SusieShoes]

What @Lil Cyborg said. She laid it all out, including the part about Spence being ornery, so you can see you did it right by taking the antibiotic. You had to get that tooth treated, and treating the tooth was the best thing you could do for Spence also! Decay is infection. It's caused by bacteria. Getting rid of it was the thing to do.

You can try using ice on your face, if that's convenient and especially if you have swelling. It might help the pain a bit.

I'm so sorry you're having this trouble. Dental pain is awful and it bogs down everything. Talking, eating, thinking. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Fire wolf]

@SusieShoes, I think that part of me was trying to make myself feel better by thinking of it a *just a cavity* as opposed to a raging, festering infection. I am glad that she got everything out and did the root canal today. When she first started the exam and found the problem, she said that she would have to cut the crown off to assess the decay and that I would then need a root canal, which I thought would then have to be scheduled at another time, as that was like a prior experience I had. Once she started drilling I knew it was bad, so very grateful it all got removed today.

 

[Fire wolf]

And I will definitely make Spence share his ice! Ice has been my bestest friend in the whole wide world since college! I would sit in the trainer's room with ankles in slush buckets and using ice cups on knee!

 

[jboles]

Sending (((hugs))) your way. A toothache is awful . I'm glad you're taking antibiotics, my OS is one of the old school doctors that recommends taking antibiotics before/after any dental work.

 

[rubyyarn]

Oo, @Fire wolf ! A bad tooth? As if a new knee isn't enough! Hang in there, we are thinking of you!

 

[Polkadot]

NOOOOOOO, Fire Wolf! You don't deserve this! Just remember, in addition to ice, at some point ice cream may help. I greatly fear that I am not working fast enough on the new law.

 

[Pheebs52]

Oh, NOOOO!!! A dastardly root canal? Egads, I'm shaking in my boots. Really, I am, for you...mostly. A bit for me though as well. I'm a severe dentalphobe and basically, hafta be almost unconscious for one of those. Just....nooooo!

Ugh, I know your face must really hurt tonight. I suspect you're correct about your stomach upset possibly being related to this nasty tooth. I wish I knew the answer about this in relation to Bionic Spence, but I do not. I see my surgeon's PA tomorrow and I shall inquire of him and get back to you.

Wishing you some heavy medication and if at all possible, some sort of zzz's tonight. Try really hard not to sleep on that side!

 

[kmak81230]

Sleep well - glad you went to the dentist and are on your way to clearing out the infection. Dental work is the pits!!! And on top of TKR - double

 

[becticu]

Oh I am so sorry about the dental issues! No fun at all. I suspect as you do that may have had something to do with your tummy upset. I believe that Celle has said that is isn't common for that type of bacteria to be a problem for implants. Did I understand that correctly @Celle? I hope you rested well last night and don't have to work today! Baby that mouth and yourself!

 

[kmak81230]

Happy 4 month Kneeversary Fire Wolf. I hope you are not in too much pain from the root canal yesterday. Be nice to yourself, your mouth, and to Bionic Spence today. You deserve a day of rest and relaxation - if not today due to work, then perhaps a long holiday weekend?

 

[Josephine]

Foreign bodies, like our knee prosthesis (or a heart valve, etc.) are easily colonized by bacteria. That is why most surgeons of patients with knee replacements advise their patients to take antibiotics before (and maybe after also) dental work, or colonoscopies, or other procedures where the environment may be "dirty." Some surgeons suggest this be done for at least three years, other surgeons suggest this be done for the rest of the patient's life. Not to be unnecessarily negative, and certainly not to scare anyone, I think those of us with knee replacements should be aware of these situations

This is so not correct any more! You should all read this article to know the truth about this old wive's tale!
Dental antibiotics: Evidence insufficient to recommend prophylactic antibiotics for dental procedures

I did premedicate with 2000mg of amoxicillin an hour prior to appt, and dentist gave me a prescription for amoxicillin 875mg, with instructions of take 2 stat, then 1 every 12 hours until finish the bottle (20 pills). Thank you, @liam2015.

Fire wolf, please read the article I have linked here. There is no cause for you to worry about this.

 

[Lil Cyborg]

Thanks for the recent articles @Josephine.

 

[kmak81230]

Yes, thanks @Josephine. My OS told me I needed antibiotics for every dental appointment for the rest of my life! That seemed extreme to me so am glad to have additional information.

 

[Celle]

My first surgeon said I should take antibiotics for dental work for the rest of my life. My dentist said I didn't need to,

I decided I would only take antibiotics for invasive work, such as root canals and extractions.
However, for the past 2 years I haven't even done that. I have not experienced any problems.

 

[SusieShoes]

I'm taking antibiotics for invasive work like the dental implants I'm getting this month (I had two teeth extracted before my surgery, because abscesses). That's not because I have knee replacements, though. My OS said for one year to take antibiotics before cleanings, etc. I figure I'll do it. My dentist would gladly pre-medicate me for the rest of my life, but I'm going with my OS.

 

[Lil Cyborg]

I, myself, am also concerned about potentially developing resistance to certain antibiotics or experiencing side effects, if I took them every time I went to the dentist.