Dentist couldnt get the root out............hospital for me now :(

[ColinJ]

Ok, no looking back now ... I went round to the dentist today and made an appointment for early March! The receptionist said that I could phone for an emergency appointment if my bad teeth flare up again before then.

I will report back in a month or so once I have been treated. Fingers crossed that it goes well!

 

[Paulus]

I had a wisdom tooth removed last year. It was laying horizontal under the gum and the tooth it butted up to need some treatment. My dentist had to refer me to a dental surgeon for the removal. He had to cut the gum either side, then saw the tooth in three bits and then lever the bits out. Apart from some strange cracking sounds and a lot of levering, the anaesthetic worked well and I had the minimum of discomfort afterwards. The stitches were the dissolving type so didn't have to go back to have them out.

 

[ColinJ]

That's more like what I want to read!

I have already decided that I am going to put an hour's worth of upbeat LOUD music on my phone, stuff the old earphones in, close my eyes and try to forget where I am and what is going on. I will obviously still feel vibrations and pressure through my jaws but hopefully I will feel no pain and will be able to distract myself.

If my 2 rotten teeth are sorted out without major trauma then I will discuss a full programme of less urgent dental work that needs doing, and will start regular checkups after that has been completed. OTOH, if these extractions are as bad as previous ones then I will probably do what I have done in the past and wait until I can't wait any longer before seeing another dentist.

Oh well ... I'm off for my initial consultation in a few minutes time. Not looking forward to it, even though it is only an assessment of what needs to be done. I'm sure that a lot of things are going to be on the list!

 

[Gravity Aided]

Very best of luck @ColinJ ! Last time I had an extraction from beneath the gum, where a regular dentist over here won't touch, he sent me to an old school chum of my bosses, and he did the job quite quickly. I think it was 30-40 minutes of waiting in the anteroom and waiting for the novacaine to take effect, and about 80 seconds of actual surgery. Then I was sent back to work, feeling a lot better.

 

[User482]

I had a wisdom tooth removed last year. It was laying horizontal under the gum and the tooth it butted up to need some treatment. My dentist had to refer me to a dental surgeon for the removal. He had to cut the gum either side, then saw the tooth in three bits and then lever the bits out. Apart from some strange cracking sounds and a lot of levering, the anaesthetic worked well and I had the minimum of discomfort afterwards. The stitches were the dissolving type so didn't have to go back to have them out.

I had the same last year - both sides on the lower jaw. Because I was referred to the hospital, the procedure was free, whereas I would've paid to have it done at the dentist. The NHS moves in mysterious ways...

It didn't hurt much, but seeing the dentist levering away, the sound of the power tools and cracking of the teeth did make me feel pretty queasy. I kept my eyes closed and laid back for a few moments, and felt better.

It took a few weeks for one side to heal properly - some bits of tooth were still embedded in the gum and had to work their way out.

 

[Dave7]

Just an update.
Its nearly 6 weeks now and I'm still waiting for the hospital appointment........obviously what I've paid my taxes for, for 50 years Grhhh.

 

[gavgav]

I've had nagging toothache for the last 2 weeks and finally plucked up the courage to visit the butcher/dentist today......Mr Taylor your molar has a crack that appears to be right through the middle of it down to the root and with it already being root canal filled we will need to take it out for you

A lot of wrenching and crunching later the tooth came out in 2 pieces and I'm now sat on the sofa feeling bruised, battered and sorry for myself.

First one I've had out since my teenage years and hopefully the last for a while!

 

[Gravity Aided]

As my boss asked me after my root canal,
"Don't you want to take a day off ?"
I'm like
"No, I feel a heck of a lot better than I did an hour ago".

 

[ColinJ]

Well, I am pleased to report that my new dentist was very understanding. She told me that my wimpish fear of dentistry is not unusual. In fact, she estimated that about 50% of her patients are anxious about appointments.

As expected, my 2 worst teeth will have to come out. Apart from that, one small new filling is needed and 3 old ones can do with being replaced. The dentist said that most of my teeth are in pretty good condition considering my sporadic dental appointments - previous ones being just at 7, 14 and 45 years of age, and now this one at 60!

The remedial work will be spread over 4 appointments. I have opted for nitrous oxide sedation each time. I might be able to cope without it but I don't want to stress myself worrying about the appointments.

They will spread an analgesic gel on the gums before discussing that day's treatment. That will numb the gums enough that the subsequent injections into the gums will not be felt

They don't mind patients listening to music on earphones during treatment so I will make sure I have some uplifting tracks on my phone.

It all seems very civilised compared to the brutal treatment that I endured as a child.

So if any of you are as nervous about dentists as I am and have been putting off making an appointment ... find a dentist with a good reputation and sit down with her/him and discuss your fears. You might get a pleasant surprise.

I'll report back again after having had the 2 teeth out to see if I still feel as positive then!

 

[ColinJ]

The dentist and I decided that it would be best to start with the simplest filling, which I had done this morning. It went very well, as well as it could do without me being sedated and that was not necessary. I might opt for nitrous oxide for the extractions though.

The dentist I saw before is off on maternity leave so it was her husband who dealt with me.

The gel did numb my gum enough for me not to feel the needle going in afterwards. I didn't much like the vibrations from the drill rattling my skull, but that was only for about 15 seconds so it wasn't a huge deal.

I was already thinking of slashing my chocolate and cake intake, and that resolve was strengthened by the chat I had with the dentist about the effects of sugar on the teeth.

I will be making another appointment for a month or so's time to continue getting my dental health back on track.

I paid for my treatment, but I have just noticed that the practice does do some NHS work, I will ask about that when I make my next appointment.

If you are as nervous as me about dentistry and live somewhere in this area, I can recommend Blanc Dental Care of Todmorden.

 

[Dave7]

3 months on and I'm still waiting for my 8 weeks hospital appointment. I could (and should) phone up but the first experience was so bad that I have to confess to being a bit frightened

 

[Zeffer]

That's not good at all. I hope you can get in soon. My tooth ached then died last week but the dentist got the root out OK and the pain during the week was a change from a pain in the hip!

I would phone though, nothing seems to happen without some pestering.

 

[ColinJ]

I will be making another appointment for a month or so's time to continue getting my dental health back on track.

I paid for my treatment, but I have just noticed that the practice does do some NHS work, I will ask about that when I make my next appointment.

I just had my second filling done, replacing a 45 year old one which had finally failed. It took slightly more drilling than the first one did, but it wasn't too bad.

I had a scale and polish after that. I was surprised that it was actually quite painful so the dentist stopped and gave an anaesthetic for that too. I didn't want to have an unpleasant experience which revived my fear of dental treatment!

NHS work is only a very small part of their practice and they were straight about it and told me that I would probably die before I got to the front of their queue! This first year will be quite expensive, repairing years of neglect, but costs should be much more reasonable subsequently.

One good thing - the dentist noticed that I had been charged for a scale and polish last time, before I'd actually had that work done, so they didn't charge me for it this time when I did!

Next week is the biggie - what is left of 2 really nasty broken teeth have to be extracted. Surgery may well be required on my gums to make sure all the bits of rotten teeth are removed. It could get a bit messy because I am on warfarin and will therefore bleed more than most people. I am having a blood test the day before my dental appointment just to make sure that I am not dangerously 'bleedy'. (I should be ok - my results have always been good, but the dentist wants to know that for sure.)

After that, I have one complex filling to be done and there is another tooth which will need attention at some point. It is at the back and would probably need more work and money spending on it than I am prepared to endure. It broke about 20 years ago and has somehow lasted all this time without anything worse happening to it so I think I will leave it a bit longer, and eventually have it extracted when it fails completely.

I've gone into all this detail to try and reassure fellow dental-phobics that modern dentistry is pretty civilised compared to the nightmarish things that were done to me as a child! Find a dentist that you trust to take their time and reassure you.

PS I have decided that I don't need sedation for routine dental work. That saves me quite a lot of money. If I ever need anything really scary doing, then the option is always there.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I'm also new to the dentist. Very bad experience years ago put me off.

I have overcrowding which has resulted in several broken teeth. I have been twice now, and they have filled and repaired what they can, and have referred me to an orthodontist now to look at having 6 roots removed that are at, or below the gum line. So we will see how long this referral takes to come through. My dentist has been very good with easing my fears. But I am going to try and get general anaesthetic for the root removals.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I just had my second filling done, replacing a 45 year old one which had finally failed. It took slightly more drilling than the first one did, but it wasn't too bad.

I had a scale and polish after that. I was surprised that it was actually quite painful so the dentist stopped and gave an anaesthetic for that too. I didn't want to have an unpleasant experience which revived my fear of dental treatment!

NHS work is only a very small part of their practice and they were straight about it and told me that I would probably die before I got to the front of their queue! This first year will be quite expensive, repairing years of neglect, but costs should be much more reasonable subsequently.

One good thing - the dentist noticed that I had been charged for a scale and polish last time, before I'd actually had that work done, so they didn't charge me for it this time when I did!

Next week is the biggie - what is left of 2 really nasty broken teeth have to be extracted. Surgery may well be required on my gums to make sure all the bits of rotten teeth are removed. It could get a bit messy because I am on warfarin and will therefore bleed more than most people. I am having a blood test the day before my dental appointment just to make sure that I am not dangerously 'bleedy'. (I should be ok - my results have always been good, but the dentist wants to know that for sure.)

After that, I have one complex filling to be done and there is another tooth which will need attention at some point. It is at the back and would probably need more work and money spending on it than I am prepared to endure. It broke about 20 years ago and has somehow lasted all this time without anything worse happening to it so I think I will leave it a bit longer, and eventually have it extracted when it fails completely.

I've gone into all this detail to try and reassure fellow dental-phobics that modern dentistry is pretty civilised compared to the nightmarish things that were done to me as a child! Find a dentist that you trust to take their time and reassure you.

PS I have decided that I don't need sedation for routine dental work. That saves me quite a lot of money. If I ever need anything really scary doing, then the option is always there.

They are usually very good down at the local hospital.

I needed 2 wisdom teeth out & 1 of them was broken level with the gum so tricky to get out, he got the first 1 out in about 3 seconds and the broken one took a little bit longer but still measured in seconds.

Shame about the 3 months I spent in agony waiting to get the damn things removed though