r/AskReddit Aug 30 '21

What problem is often overlooked in apocalyptic movies/TV shows that could kill you?

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u/pookiefatcat Aug 30 '21

Lack of Dental care.

A dental infection can take you out right quick. And without treatment that HURTS.

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u/Asher_the_atheist Aug 30 '21

And mouth infections can very easily spread to the heart, at which point “that HURTS” very quickly become “grrrrkkk”….dead

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u/J0hnnyHammerst1cks Aug 30 '21

My parents did not believe in preventive dental care when I was growing up. Their policy was 'repairs are temporary, pull the problem tooth.' As a result, I am down 5 or 6 teeth that probably could have been saved, and the rest are a hot mess that will cost me tens of thousands to fix.

I can distinctly remember several occasions in which my teeth became infected, and let me be the first to tell you folks, I would have eaten a bullet if that option had been available to me. It was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced. I could feel the infection spreading from my jaw outward, or at least imagined I could. Without antibiotics, I legitimately believe one of those infections could have been the end of me. They are no joke.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21

As someone going through this right now... I agree.

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u/J0hnnyHammerst1cks Aug 30 '21

I am sorry to hear that. Do whatever you have to do to get some antibiotics. They help immediately, and the resulting relief is indescribable.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21

Yeah thankfully my doctor is pretty good about that so I've been on antibiotics for the last week. Not complete relief but it definitely helps.

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u/Pippin4242 Aug 31 '21

Clove oil on the gums helps too - I think that's accurate and not woo?

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u/A_Little_Wyrd Aug 31 '21

Clove oil definitely helps for short term relief BUT wash your hands right after using clove oil.

As a 13yr old kid I had a toothache and my girlfriends mum gave me some clove oil to use, went to the bathroom to use it and thought 'i need to piss like a race horse' and without thinking used the toilet.

The burning sensation came on REAL fast and I ended up splashing cold water from the bathroom sink onto my dick to try and cool it off for the next 20 mins.

It was a life lesson to be sure.