Is this a normal wait time? Should I be trying to get something done more urgently?

Tails142

Hi folks,

Just looking for some advice and whether you think this is typical or should I be doing something else…

About 12 months ago I noticed a pain in my face which seemed like an abcess or cyst. It was only mildly painful if I poked the top of my gum through my cheek. I was with the doctor a few weeks later to get a repeat prescription for something, he felt around and thought maybe it was an ulcer and recommended mouth wash - I thought at the time he was possibly right so went that route for a few weeks but it made no change.

In June then this year, I still have the same issue but its only mildly painful, barely painful at all really, so I go see the my dentist. They're not sure what it could be, but I don't seem to have any sensation to cold in a few of my teeth and they're not sure about the xray, they try do a couple of further xrays but cant get a good angle. They prescribe an antibiotic as they can see inflammation in an area of my gum and refer me to an endodontist.

So, it takes a few months to get to see the endotontist privately, I see him at the start of October. He does a CT scan but can't see any issues with my teeth or that there is anything that would warrant a root canal. so good news on that front at least. The CT scan gets sent off to a radiologist service for further examination which I was happy about. This comes back a week later and they have detected that there is a mass in my sinus cavity which is shown on the CT scan and its possibly an odontogenic keratocyst but it's only partially imaged and needs further investigation. This is what is pushing through my gum/cheek. Endodentist explains that it looks benign but they can't say for sure until its removed and they do a biopsy. Ok, so the endontontist recommends a referral to a maxillofacial specialist.

I can't explain really what happens next - the endodentist emails my dentist recommending that I be reffered to maxillofacial specialist and my dentist does nothing. I call the dentists office a couple of times, I call the endodentist, they call my dentist, my dentist just isnt sending the referral. This goes on for two weeks and during this two week period I start to get dizzy spells which makes me a bit concerned so I end up going to my GP to do the referral, showing them the radiology report, they explain again its probably benign, might end up eroding bone but that they'll send the referral and mark it as urgent. The GP doesn't really address the dizziness I'm having. I ask for a private referral for this to a private hospital/specialist nearby that the endodontist has recommended.

So another two weeks have passed now nearly and I've hearding nothing from the maxfax specialist. I call up to see if they have received the referral and I have an appointment for mid December in about 6 weeks time. I thought going private I would be getting seen a bit faster but there ya go.

So yeah, I'm just wondering what people think, is this just standard wait times or should I be looking elsewhere?? I'm not living in Dublin at the minute so I wonder would it be a different response if I was going to the Beacon or Mater Private? I would have expected maybe a more urgent response to an unknown tumour growing in someone's head? Should I be going somewhere to get a more thorough MRI or CT scan done? Or... just sit tight for six weeks… lol wtf?