Which is worse?

ghostguy6 said:
Id have to go with ingrown infected toenail because it could eventually affect your ability to walk and if you cant walk you dont stand much of a chance. with the infection there is a very real chance you could die if it goes untreaded. I have had broken fingers before and have reset the bones myself, its no big deal just an pain in the ass but you do have another hand. Ive never had an abscess tooth but I would imagine you could find some way to pull it or at least chew on the other side of your mouth.
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In most wilderness survival situations you're better off staying put anyhow. I think I could still hobble or crawl around enough with a broken toe or ingrown toenail to gather fire wood and make a bit of shelter.

You're lucky you've never had serious tooth pain. It's the worst thing in the world. Your whole head aches and then your neck and shoulders and back start to hurt too from the tension.

I agree with most everyone else, toothache then toenail, then broken fingers/toes. If I've told someone I trust where I'm going and when I'm supposed to be back then help should be along before long, so I probably wouldn't have to worry much about self medicating, but if by chance I was stranded somewhere with little or no hope of rescuers finding me, then by all means I would attempt to do so.
 
I once had a broken foot and went three weeks before treatment could be made. No real ill effects. Carry Ambosal or whatever its called in your kit. It makes the pain bearably.. Soaking a infected area in Salt water will often keep infection down. Put Cayenne pepper on wound to ward off infection and stop bleeding. Yarrow will stop bleeding very well also. You can get Yarrow and Cayenne capsules almost anywhere they sell supplements. Its easy to stick some in your kit.
 
The abscessed tooth for sure, it can shut down your ability to focus...I've had one, got the root canal...it would really slow me down moving in the woods and sleep would be impossible. I had one episode where the abscess finally broke and drained by itself, with great relief...but a warning, if that happens don't swallow the pus, it can be poisonous enough to give you heart failure.

Never had an ingrown toenail, don't know what that's about.

I've had broken finger and toe joints, but never so bad that they had to be taped up, or splinted, or relocated. I just gimped along until they healed.
 
Of all the injuries I've had, the abcess tooth is the most painful to me. Broken bones can affect you mobility but unless it is a compound fracture with bleeding, temporary fixes work to dull the pain and allow you to get help.

An ingrown toenail is extremely painful. But if you have the fortitude to work on it yourself, it also can be fixed until proper medical care can be found.

Aw, but abcessed teeth? You cannot sleep because you can't lay down. It throbs and muscles of the face and scalp ache too. You can't eat, you can't drink. It can affect your eyes, ears, and sinuses. It messes with your ability to think and reason because of the intensity. I've had to treat and pull a few in my day. Temporary relief with a hot (as you can stand it) wet compress on the cheek. Salt water rinses to help reduce infection. Cloves or clove oil (eugenol) applied as a pain killer and antiseptic. Common prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) is known as the "toothache tree". Willow bark has a compound very close to asprin. And then the...pull. FOr me this works best if I first loosen the tooth over a period of time (catch my breath and wipe tears between sessions). It isn't fun by any means, and there is a reason a dentist refuses to pull an abcessed tooth. It could lead to blood poisoning if the infection gets into the bloodstream. For this reason, I try to keep a supply of my favorite antibiotic on hand. All of the natural painkillers and topical astringents are great as far as they go. But nothing, IMHO, beats modern antibiotics in fighting an infection.

Check out Murray Dickson's book "Where there is no dentist" ISBN: 0-9423364-05-8.
http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download_dentist.php

While you are at it check out the companion book by David Werner, "Where there is no Doctor". ISBN 978-0-942364-15-6 http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download_wtnd.php

This is a great effort by the Hesperian publishers in empowering people in third world countries to become involved in their own healthcare and the two books contain some great information.

Codger
 
Abscessed teeth were a big killer in the Old West. The infection can follow a nerve, making a quick trip to your brain and you make the one trip to Boot Hill.

We carry knives to deal with ingrown nails and you can splint a broken finger or toe. Of course, the toe would make for tough walking. That's what leaving your itinerary with someone and signaling devices are all about-- sit on your butt and wait if you can.

BTW, if you use chlorine dioxide to purify your drinking water, you can use it as a stopgap disinfectant too. I went to some trouble to find Neosporin in foil packs to make sure I had some sort of antibiotic available. I would get some good stuff from a doctor if I was going on a real expedition.
 
DaleW said:
BTW, if you use chlorine dioxide to purify your drinking water, you can use it as a stopgap disinfectant too. I went to some trouble to find Neosporin in foil packs to make sure I had some sort of antibiotic available. I would get some good stuff from a doctor if I was going on a real expedition.
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Some drainage, disinfecting and strong antibiotics sure would buy you some time.

Skam
 
A broken finger could be quite a hinderance, though. Tough to use a knife or even zip up a tent with a splint on say your dominant index finger.
 
trentu said:
The abscess tooth will break and kill you so I will go with the tooth. Penicillian is your friend.
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The good thing is, if you have enough Penicillin to take a proper, full run of it, it will subside for possibly a few weeks before it acts up again. Most Dentists won't even touch one until you have taken a full run of antibiotics, that's how dangerous this type of infection is.
 
the TOOTH!!! fer sure! ive had em. thank god for dentures. id rather take a beating than go through all of the teeth problems again.
 
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