make a tooth smaller?
Discussion
Can dentists reduce the size of a tooth?
Here is my problem
I have a huge wisdom tooth that is smashing into the gum below everytime I try to put my teeth together (had pain for just over a week).
Can dentists drill the high points of teeth down (around the edge), while still keeping it useable.
And yes I am going to the dentist next week, I am just trying to convince myself that the bully tooth 'just needs to be cut down to size', rather than removed.
Here is my problem
I have a huge wisdom tooth that is smashing into the gum below everytime I try to put my teeth together (had pain for just over a week).
Can dentists drill the high points of teeth down (around the edge), while still keeping it useable.
And yes I am going to the dentist next week, I am just trying to convince myself that the bully tooth 'just needs to be cut down to size', rather than removed.
Nicol@ said:
Can dentists reduce the size of a tooth?
Here is my problem
I have a huge wisdom tooth that is smashing into the gum below everytime I try to put my teeth together (had pain for just over a week).
Can dentists drill the high points of teeth down (around the edge), while still keeping it useable.
And yes I am going to the dentist next week, I am just trying to convince myself that the bully tooth 'just needs to be cut down to size', rather than removed.
You can reduce the size of a tooth and the best way is to do this via a cosmetic crown, however, there is absolutely no point in doing this with a wisdom tooth. Here is my problem
I have a huge wisdom tooth that is smashing into the gum below everytime I try to put my teeth together (had pain for just over a week).
Can dentists drill the high points of teeth down (around the edge), while still keeping it useable.
And yes I am going to the dentist next week, I am just trying to convince myself that the bully tooth 'just needs to be cut down to size', rather than removed.
It would be like sculpting a turd on your lawn into a pretty shape so as to make it less offensive when removing it is the correct thing to do.
You can reshape it so that it's not doing so much damage to the gums underneath, by blunting it slightly, but long term it's going to keep on erupting until it makes contact again. It's got to go really, sorry.
Don't worry too much about all the horror stories you hear about wisdom teeth extraction, 99% of them are fine, especially ones in the upper jaw like yours.
Gordon
(Dentist skiving in his lunchbreak)
Don't worry too much about all the horror stories you hear about wisdom teeth extraction, 99% of them are fine, especially ones in the upper jaw like yours.
Gordon
(Dentist skiving in his lunchbreak)
I had the same up until last week.
Had a top wisdom tooth that was chewing up the gum below.
Went to the dentist and it came straight out - no 'filing down' option, as I tried to chicken out of going the whole hog.
He spread some anaesthetic gel on the gum, and then injected the anaesthetc (I couldn't even feel the needle going in).
Sat in the waiting room for 15 mins for it to go numb.
Went back in and he injected some more anaesthetic into the roof of my mouth and then pulled (and pulled and pulled) the tooth out - again, I didn't feel a thing.!!
Had to bite down on some gause for half hour to clot the 'hole' and that was it.
Hardly had any discomfort the next day and now a week later I'm wishing I had this done years ago - I put it off for 3 years.!!!
Good luck - it's nowhere near as bad as you think (or people make out) it's going to be...
Nick
Had a top wisdom tooth that was chewing up the gum below.
Went to the dentist and it came straight out - no 'filing down' option, as I tried to chicken out of going the whole hog.
He spread some anaesthetic gel on the gum, and then injected the anaesthetc (I couldn't even feel the needle going in).
Sat in the waiting room for 15 mins for it to go numb.
Went back in and he injected some more anaesthetic into the roof of my mouth and then pulled (and pulled and pulled) the tooth out - again, I didn't feel a thing.!!
Had to bite down on some gause for half hour to clot the 'hole' and that was it.
Hardly had any discomfort the next day and now a week later I'm wishing I had this done years ago - I put it off for 3 years.!!!
Good luck - it's nowhere near as bad as you think (or people make out) it's going to be...
Nick
Having it removed sounds like it's sensible. I've had 2 out, and you don't really feel a thing, piece of cake.
The first time I was expecting a big struggle, dentist with his knee on my chest the works so I was bracing myself in the chair. Next thing I know he's walking over the other side of the room with my tooth in his hand.
The first time I was expecting a big struggle, dentist with his knee on my chest the works so I was bracing myself in the chair. Next thing I know he's walking over the other side of the room with my tooth in his hand.
Yep, this is very common and it needs to come out. If you leave it and there isn't enough room on your jaw it'll 'make' room, possibly by pushing other teeth forward which can mean that your nice even front teeth may go crooked.
DO NOT worry about the extraction. Decent dentists DON'T tug and heave anymore. They pop a little guard/guide in place and then gently cut out the tooth and root with a scalpel like instrument. Very quick and completely painless. I had to have two teeth out recently and there was a bit of gentle 'fiddling' then as the dentist walked away I mumbled something like "when do we get to the interesting bit" and he grinned and held up both teeth. No probs!
Good luck. Don't worry.
DO NOT worry about the extraction. Decent dentists DON'T tug and heave anymore. They pop a little guard/guide in place and then gently cut out the tooth and root with a scalpel like instrument. Very quick and completely painless. I had to have two teeth out recently and there was a bit of gentle 'fiddling' then as the dentist walked away I mumbled something like "when do we get to the interesting bit" and he grinned and held up both teeth. No probs!
Good luck. Don't worry.
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