Dentistry/Terminally Ill

[mcethos]

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Hello, my name is Casey. My mother has a terminal condition called Alpha 1 Trypsin Deficiency, also advanced emphysema. She is about 40 years of age. The problem is that she has had this really bad tooth infection, all her teeth are rotting at this point, and she is in need of a dentist immediately. The only problem is, because she has these conditions, she cannot go to just any dentist; it has to be in a hospital setting. The only hospital my mother says will work on her, is UCSF, but she needs $1,500 down, and there is a 2 month waiting period, she will die if not treated sooner. The infection is spreading to her brain, she experiences temporary blindness and excruciating pain. Can anyone help me to find out where my mother can get worked on right away? She is low income, only has medi-cal. Thank you.

 

[BombayBDS]

Hello, my name is Casey. My mother has a terminal condition called Alpha 1 Trypsin Deficiency, also advanced emphysema. She is about 40 years of age. The problem is that she has had this really bad tooth infection, all her teeth are rotting at this point, and she is in need of a dentist immediately. The only problem is, because she has these conditions, she cannot go to just any dentist; it has to be in a hospital setting. The only hospital my mother says will work on her, is UCSF, but she needs $1,500 down, and there is a 2 month waiting period, she will die if not treated sooner. The infection is spreading to her brain, she experiences temporary blindness and excruciating pain. Can anyone help me to find out where my mother can get worked on right away? She is low income, only has medi-cal. Thank you.

Sorry to hear about your mothers condition.
I am sure if u explain the condition to UCSF staff, maybe along with a letter from her physician, they would move up her appointment.
U can also consult at UCSF's Buchanan dental centre - its a smaller setting and therefore they may be more flexible with dates. CALL before you visit them-
415-476-5608

 

[mcethos]

Thank you for your reply, i will do that first thing in the morning.

 

[tinman831]

If the infection is causing impingement of the nerves, she needs to go to the ER yesterday.

 

[cmcner]

If it is an emergency as you make it sound she needs to go the the emergency room right away. Most hospitals have staff dentists, and even if they don't the ER doctors are trained to handle any life or death situations to the best of their abilities until the proper long term care can be obtained. There won't be a 2 month wait in an ER.

 

[peanutb123]

Take her to emergency room. And when the bill comes you can apply for hospital charity program which will take care of the bill. Take her NOW. F the money.

 

[mcethos]

She has gone to the emergency room before but there is not much they can do except send her away with pain killers and Anti Biotics. The reason being is because she needs a dentist to make her new false teeth, then go to UCSF and undergo surgery to get them put in, which has to be done on the spot because if the gums are left open with no implants put in right away, the gums form wrong permanently. Now the only problem i see is the $1,500 she needs for this surgery. You would think that family would be there to help out but it is not the case in my family. I guess i have two choices, sell my car or take out a loan that i know i cant payback... if only there was another way.
-

 

[charlestweed]

Don't worry about getting false teeth right now. Saving your mom's life should be the number one priority right now. Extraction of infectious teeth should eliminate the dental infection and MediCal pays for the extraction. Once your mom's condition is stable, she can always come back to get false teeth. I used to be a hospital dentist (a GPR resident). I saw a lot of pre-transplant patients and and patients who were terminally ill. In order for the patients to get organ transplant, I had to treat the oral infection by doing a lot of dental fillings and extractions.

 

[mcethos]

Don’t worry about getting false teeth right now. Saving your mom’s life should be the number one priority right now. Extraction of infectious teeth should eliminate the dental infection and MediCal pays for the extraction. Once your mom’s condition is stable, she can always come back to get false teeth. I used to be a hospital dentist (a GPR resident). I saw a lot of pre-transplant patients and and patients who were terminally ill. In order for the patients to get organ transplant, I had to treat the oral infection by doing a lot of dental fillings and extractions.

So are you saying any hospital will perform the extraction?
Also like i said before, UCSF wont see her until sept. if an appt was made today. So that is possibly 3-4 months with no teeth, do they have anything temporary.

From what UCSF, and other dentists are telling me is that first she has to go back to the Dentist and get the molds made. Then once she receives those molds she has to set up another appointment at UCSF, that's just for examination NO SURGERY. Then from that point set up the surgery appt.

You are right, the most important part is the extraction and elimination of the infection. Sorry i am a little slow at all of this, i've just been researching all day and hitting brick walls.

 

[BombayBDS]

So are you saying any hospital will perform the extraction?
Also like i said before, UCSF wont see her until sept. if an appt was made today. So that is possibly 3-4 months with no teeth, do they have anything temporary.

From what UCSF, and other dentists are telling me is that first she has to go back to the Dentist and get the molds made. Then once she receives those molds she has to set up another appointment at UCSF, that's just for examination NO SURGERY. Then from that point set up the surgery appt.

You are right, the most important part is the extraction and elimination of the infection. Sorry i am a little slow at all of this, i've just been researching all day and hitting brick walls.

Didya call UCSF?
I havn't understood ur mm's condition properly. Its best to follow what the doctors are telling you. If it is an emergency, UCSF would have told u that. I wonder why they put her on a 2 month wait-list.

 

[mcethos]

Didya call UCSF?
I havn't understood ur mm's condition properly. Its best to follow what the doctors are telling you. If it is an emergency, UCSF would have told u that. I wonder why they put her on a 2 month wait-list.

Ill put it to you this way. If it were anyone else this would be pretty easy. So because my mom has Advanced Emphysema, no regular or conventional oral surgeon wants to mess with it. The reason being is because she is at a far higher risk of dying than say you or me would be. When the surgery takes place she has to go under anesthesia, therefore she needs to be in an environment that can handle the scenario of her respiratory system failing which cant be done at any ole dentists office.

I called UCSF today and explained to them the situation, and there is not much they can do. The doctor that needs to see her is booked until September, and that is if an appointment was made today. My mom was trying to go for the Immediate Dentures route, but i felt the conventional denture approach would be more suitable, just so she can get her rotting teeth extracted and eliminate the infection. She would be without teeth for a very long time i believe, unless there is an alternative. The dentures cost $3,000, she can put 1,500 down, but my family is povern. I have 3 sisters and a brother all younger than me, and she is a single Mom trying to do everything alone. Our immediate family is small, and those who could help will not. So i am doing everything i possibly can to find solutions and ways to get this done. Again its a process and i realize that, but in this day in age money talks.

Also someone posted that she could go into a hospital and get the extraction done by an onsite dentist, my mom has already gone this route, for whatever reason it did not work. I am still researching this.

 

[mcethos]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to give me feedback.

 

[txlonghorn]

Are there any residents at UCSF, Highland, or the surrounding areas available to help this patient?