Dentist couldnt remove tooth, what am i in for

Dentist couldnt remove tooth, what am i in for

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mat13

Original Poster:

1,977 posts

182 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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Ive had a broken tooth that i was going to have a root canal done on, however over the weekend i was in that much pain with it i decided to have it taken out.

The dentist started trying to remove it before i was properly numbed up, felt like she was trying to pull my jaw off, anyway long story short i was in the chair for well over an hour, with constant drilling and pulling, i then had an xray and was told she couldnt get the roots out without drilling my jaw, or i was given the option of a referal to the dental hospital which i took.

Im now back at home in some discomfort but ide like to know what to expect, is it going to be as bad at the dental hospital or was this dentist in particular just not very good?

sherman

13,408 posts

216 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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davepoth

29,395 posts

200 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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mat13 said:
Im now back at home in some discomfort but ide like to know what to expect, is it going to be as bad at the dental hospital or was this dentist in particular just not very good?
I'm guessing just not very good if she undercooked the anaesthetic and didn't decide she couldn't do it until an hour had passed.

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,910 posts

217 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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Sounds like a bum Dentist!

I had a similar bad experience when I was about 16 years old. Hence, from then on, I did not visit a Dentist.

Fast forward to me being 38 years old. My lack of Dental attention resulted in four lower-jaw molars breaking up into badly decayed bits. Yes, yes I know - I was stupid, and those teeth are long gone now due to my stupidity frown

Anyway, I moved back to where I grew up at the same time, and my broken teeth were giving me hell. My Mum uses a local chap for her couple of false teeth and plates, told him of my situation, and he recommended a friend of his, an Australian chap - private, so pricey, but apparrently very good.

I booked in, and mustered all my courage on the day to go in. I told him of my history, how I was now officially terrified, and that despite me being in the chair right now, I may well get up and run away at some point soon! biggrin

He did x-rays and had a good look inside. He told me that all four (two each side) lower molars were fecked, and the whole things had to come out, down to the root. I was so scared, but he's one of those Aussie blokes who is so laid back, calm, and with a very soothing, un-dramatic and trustworthy voices, that I did feel a bit calmer.

He said 'look, no worries about this, I'll fix it all up for you, but ya gotta trust me and work with me mate, ok?'

So I told him to crack on.

First big surprise: I had my eyes clamped firmly shut with fear, so didn't see what he was poking around inside my mouth with. He was in and out for about two minutes or so, I could feel various metal tools on my lips - I just went with it, eyes still shut, waiting for the first bit of pain from the injection needle to give me the local aneasthetic.

After he stopped poking around, I opened my eyes, he smiled at me and said 'ok, we'll give the aneasthetic a few minutes to get to work, and then we'll start removing the broken teeth.'

I said 'ok - so you're gonna do the injections now, yeah?'

He smiled even more, and said 'ha, no worries there mate - I've already done them all!'

yikes

He had injected my gums with anaeasthetic on both sides of my jaw - and I honestly did not feel a thing!!! I said 'bloody hell, really? How did you do that without me even feeling the needle???'

He replied 'ah, well, they taught me pretty good at Sydney Medical University mate!'

From then on in, I was pretty chilled. It took an hour, but the man removed four broken molars, and cut the roots, and I can honestly say it was almost a plasure - I did not feel a thing, apart from a slight tugging sensation - which was not painful.



I now religiously look after my remaining teeth with a Sonic toothbrush, flossing sticks and mouthwash, and do a hygenists' scale and polish every 3 months instead of the usual 6.

It's a pleasure seeing him for 6 month check-ups now, as he complements me on the great state of my teeth, and I go away happy each time without any further fillings or work!




mat13

Original Poster:

1,977 posts

182 months

Thursday 26th July 2012
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I do think i got a bit of a bum, the last time i had some work done i had it done by a student, she was brilliant, wanted me to try some breathing exercises that were supposed to reduce the discomfort from the needles/drilling/scraping, i went along with it even though i thought it was a load of mumbo jumbo and i didnt feel a thing, i even managed to have a good leer wink

mat13

Original Poster:

1,977 posts

182 months

Thursday 26th July 2012
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Just a bump for the evening crowd, anyone with any expirience of this?

Driller

8,310 posts

279 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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When a dentist is prepared for a difficult extraction things go often go much better than when it's a surprise. Time goes fast when you're poking around at a broken down tooth in a bleeding socket without being able to see what's going on.

You'll probably need a flap of gum raising to reveal the bone around the tooth and the way the tooth goes into the jaw.

Once this has been done, a bit of bone can be milled away around the tooth which can then be levered out.

Sometimes teeth can be difficult to extract though (broken down, decayed and soft, fused with bone, back of the mouth) so don't be too hard on the girl.

P-Jay

10,589 posts

192 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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I had to have a root removed in hospital late last year. The experiance was if anything a little better than my usual dentist, a lot of care and attention went into the xrays and planning stage and it was all over in 15 mins, felt a bit wobbly afterwards (I don't ever get that at the dentist) got home feeling pretty good though.

Fired up the Playstation to see out the afternoon, once the drugs wore off it felt like I'd been hit in the face with a bat, there was also a horrible wet stringy scab over it for a week or so, then one morning I woke up and it was gone - I don't like the think about that too much.


ApexJimi

25,040 posts

244 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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Mat - I had a lower impacted wisdom tooth extracted last week, and one of the first things my dentist did was take a number of x-ray's, to see exactly what he would be dealing with.

It strikes me that if she'd taken a some x-rays beforehand, all this would have been avoided.

mat13

Original Poster:

1,977 posts

182 months

Friday 27th July 2012
quotequote all
ApexJimi said:
Mat - I had a lower impacted wisdom tooth extracted last week, and one of the first things my dentist did was take a number of x-ray's, to see exactly what he would be dealing with.

It strikes me that if she'd taken a some x-rays beforehand, all this would have been avoided.
That was sort of what i was thinking, it all seemed a bit rushed to what i normally have, also someone mentioned feeling woozy after a dental hospital extraction, probably best not to drive myself then?

ApexJimi

25,040 posts

244 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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I drove home last Tues after my extraction - circa 9 miles on a pretty quiet B road. I felt pretty woozy too, but I suppose it depends on one's definition of "woozy" - I just felt a bit light headed, with one half of my face numb.

I would've thought twice about it if I had to face rush hour traffic though.

M400 NBL

3,529 posts

213 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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My dentist refered me to another dentist to have a wisdom tooth out because the root was bent.

I actually expected to go to hospital to get it hack out - but I went to another dentist in town who had no trouble pulling it out.

On the bright side, a dentist extracted it that knew what he was doing. And it was free. On the downside, I wonder whether my dentist is any good! I'd never seen her before. She'd replaced my long term dentist (who I rarley visited, probably 15 years prior) and was much younger than the dentist that removed my wisdom tooth. So I guess as in any industry, experience is as important as qualifications.

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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M400 NBL said:
My dentist refered me to another dentist to have a wisdom tooth out because the root was bent.
When I was 13 I had 4 teeth pulled, all of which had bent roots due to overcrowding.

I was given a general anaesthetic and ended up with ripped gums, stitches in my mouth and a bruised chest as he needed more leverage to get the bds out.

I woke up to my mum crying her eyes out and then looked down at all the blood on my chest.

I didn't go back to that dentist.

ApexJimi

25,040 posts

244 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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You'd never think the word "leverage" would have you curling your toes and going yikes

Edited by ApexJimi on Friday 27th July 13:29

Driller

8,310 posts

279 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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sleep envy said:
I was given a general anaesthetic and ended up with a bruised chest as he needed more leverage to get the bds out.
nerd
All the leverage a dentist gets to take a tooth out is from his own body and from the bone adjacent to the tooth being extracted.

Contrary to popular belief, teeth are not pulled out, they are mobilised by moving them laterally to expand the bony socket and if this isn't enough some of the bone is milled away.

One hand is used to steady the tooth (and head) by grasping around the base of the tooth with thumb and forefinger and the other wields the instrument of choice. If bone is being removed the steadying hand can be used to retract the gum flap so it doesn't get damaged by the "drill".

Think about it, if he leant on your chest your head would just move if he was using that much force, as you have a neck like everyone else. He may as well lean on your legs!

I can't imagine why you would have had a bruised chest afterwards unless someone or a heavy piece of equipment fell on you during the surgery biggrin




sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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No idea if anything landed on my chest as I was out cold, all I have to go on is my mother telling me that the anaesthetist was holding my head and the dentist was leaning on my chest, hence the bruising.

The dentist did admit to my mother that he was glad I had asked for a general anaestitic after that ordeal.

Driller

8,310 posts

279 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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sleep envy said:
all I have to go on is my mother telling me that the anaesthetist was holding my head and the dentist was leaning on my chest....
You were 13 and he was leaning on your chest? I wonder if he leaned on the chests of 13 year old girls as well scratchchin

Maybe he was pissed...

Edited by Driller on Friday 27th July 18:28

Driller

8,310 posts

279 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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Don't mean to sound like I'm mocking BTW, just making light of it, but there's so much myth and legend surrounding tooth extraction and dentistry in general that it's hard not to bite as it were smile

VinceFox

20,566 posts

173 months

Friday 27th July 2012
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Driller said:
Don't mean to sound like I'm mocking BTW, just making light of it, but there's so much myth and legend surrounding tooth extraction and dentistry in general that it's hard not to bite as it were smile

Driller

8,310 posts

279 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
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hehethumbup