Seamus Kiernan smiles to show the location where he has been getting the abscesses, which resulted in two trips to the emergency room and the use of a needle at home to drain it.
Seamus Kiernan is a prime example of why we created Waldo County Dental Care. Twice in the last two years, Kiernan, 34, of Belfast, has found himself in the emergency room at Waldo County General Hospital from the pain of an abscess in his gums. In one case, the infection had traveled up into his face and into his sinuses.
Each time, a sharp blade was “stabbed” up into his gums to lance the abscess, which brought almost instant relief except for the area where the knife went in, Kiernan says.
A few nights ago, the abscess swelled up again. Instead of going to the Hospital’s emergency room again, Kiernan sterilized the point of a needle and poked it into the abscess himself. It was not a pleasant experience.
Kiernan knew the trips to the Hospital and poking the needle into the abscess were short term solutions but he couldn’t afford a trip to a dentist. He’d had surgery for diverticulitis in August and January and wasn’t allowed to lift more than five pounds, which made it impossible for him to return to his prior job as a landscaper and builder of seawalls.
Through his recent time at the Hospital, he learned about Waldo County Dental Care and made an appointment to see Registered Hygienist Michelle Gallant. During that visit, the hygienist took the time to clean his teeth and gums and explain how serious it is to have an infection in his mouth.
Then she made a referral to a participating dentist for Kiernan to receive the additional care he needed a few days later
And Kiernan couldn’t be more pleased. “I’ve been dealing with bad teeth for years. I’m happy to be able to get checked out and it will be good to get some things taken care of for good instead of just getting a quick fix.”