Getting a Tooth Pulled - A Personal Experience

[jtbell]

I found out last week that I had a broken tooth (one of the lower rear molars), and today I had it taken out. I've been sitting at home all afternoon with the left side of my lower jaw numb, occasionally rinsing the blood out and waiting for the anesthetic to dissipate.

The procedure was rather quick and clean, because the tooth wasn't impacted against its neighbor, and pretty much painless because of the anesthetic. Just a slight twinge as the oral surgeon was heaving away on it. He gave me a prescription for a painkiller, but it looks like I probably won't need to use it, just some ibuprofen. I think the anesthetic has pretty much worn off now, and all I feel is an occasional slight throbbing. I'll have to keep on eating using only one side of my mouth for a couple of weeks.

In a couple of months he'll check the site with an X-ray to see how the socket is filling in with new bone, and we'll discuss whether I want to get an implant to replace the tooth.

 

[Evo]

I found out last week that I had a broken tooth (one of the lower rear molars), and today I had it taken out. I've been sitting at home all afternoon with the left side of my lower jaw numb, occasionally rinsing the blood out and waiting for the anesthetic to dissipate.

The procedure was rather quick and clean, because the tooth wasn't impacted against its neighbor, and pretty much painless because of the anesthetic. Just a slight twinge as the oral surgeon was heaving away on it. He gave me a prescription for a painkiller, but it looks like I probably won't need to use it, just some ibuprofen. I think the anesthetic has pretty much worn off now, and all I feel is an occasional slight throbbing. I'll have to keep on eating using only one side of my mouth for a couple of weeks.

In a couple of months he'll check the site with an X-ray to see how the socket is filling in with new bone, and we'll discuss whether I want to get an implant to replace the tooth.

Hmmm, I had broken several teeth, one completely down to the gum line. My prosthodontist told me that as long as the root was intact there was no need to pull it, he'd just place a fixture on that anchors onto the root below the gum line and then glue a tooth onto it. Cost $650 (after the piddly amount insurance paid) for the entire procedure. I ended up getting 6 teeth in various stages of serious breaks done. I thought each one would need to be pulled. Some had broken in half with only a half left, some with just a piece jutting out.

Why did your tooth need to be pulled? I can give you the name of my prosthodontist if your dentist isn't aware of new procedures for saving teeth (and your money).

 

[Danger]

What coincidental timing; it's a root canal for me at 8:00 tomorrow morning.
Anyone who crabs about socialized health care should dig on this: the procedure costs about $1,500, more than double what an extraction would be, but the government is going to cover it to avoid wasting an otherwise great tooth. (If only they could have done something about the scheduling. Any day that starts before noon is not worth living.)

 

[Evo]

What coincidental timing; it's a root canal for me at 8:00 tomorrow morning.
Anyone who crabs about socialized health care should dig on this: the procedure costs about $1,500, more than double what an extraction would be, but the government is going to cover it to avoid wasting an otherwise great tooth. (If only they could have done something about the scheduling. Any day that starts before noon is not worth living.)

Nice to know they're doing the right thing. Don't want a bunch of toothless canucks wandering around!

I agree on the morning thing. What is wrong with people?

 

[Danger]

Don't want a bunch of toothless canucks wandering around!

No kidding! We'd all starve to death; seal meat can't be "gummed".

 

[Evo]

no kidding! We'd all starve to death; seal meat can't be "gummed".

lol!

 

[jtbell]

My prosthodontist told me that as long as the root was intact there was no need to pull it, he'd just place a fixture on that anchors onto the root below the gum line and then glue a tooth onto it.

In my case, the crack extended down into the root, so the tooth couldn't be saved. If the crack had simply carved off (or was about to carve off) a chunk of the upper part of the tooth, then I could have gotten a crown like I have on two other teeth.

I'm surprised that I'm still not feeling any pain except for sensitivity around the sutures that the surgeon put into close up the empty socket. It must have been a very clean extraction.

 

[Evo]

In my case, the crack extended down into the root, so the tooth couldn't be saved. If the crack had simply carved off (or was about to carve off) a chunk of the upper part of the tooth, then I could have gotten a crown like I have on two other teeth.

I'm surprised that I'm still not feeling any pain except for sensitivity around the sutures that the surgeon put into close up the empty socket. It must have been a very clean extraction.

So sorry jt. Unless the tooth dies, it can be saved. It can be a deep break that most dentists will just say has to be extracted. I had a tooth extracted by one of the top dentists in the area. It was just a half break but beneath the gum, it could have been saved, he was old school. It will cost me $10k for an implant, or I can get a partial bridge. The tooth did not need to be pulled.

Yeah, you will be sore for a few days.

In the future get a second opinion. I found out the hard way. Is the tooth dead, or just broken? A root canal and then prosthodontics can save a tooth and save you thousands of dollars. I was looking at $60k worth of replacements until I found this guy 2 years ago. I didn't even have to get root canals. I didn't realize that this technology existed.

I'm having to deal with a missing tooth, thankfully it is a back tooth. I want to save others from unnecessary tooth extractions and alert them to the new technology.

 

[jtbell]

It will cost me $10k for an implant, or I can get a partial bridge.

That much? The oral surgeon gave me a quote of $1800 for doing the implant. That's just for the titanium socket. The crown itself would go into that later, after the socket heals, and I think that would be done by my usual dentist. I haven't yet checked what that would cost, but the two crowns that I've already had put on existing teeth by the same dentist were $840 each.

The extraction was about $230, including the evaluation session last week after my dentist referred me to him.

Still no pain, not even when I rinsed my mouth out with salt water as instructed, after brushing my teeth just now. I thought that would at least sting a bit.

 

[Danger]

This whole thread actually reminds me of one thing that pissed me off about my ex. She pleaded (almost demanded) that I buy her a $200 ultrasonic toothbrush for X-mas, so I did for the sake of domestic harmony despite the fact that I'm an Atheist and therefore do not celebrate that fiasco. The ironic part of that is that she has only 3 teeth, and she takes them out to clean them.

 

[Evo]

That much? The oral surgeon gave me a quote of $1800 for doing the implant. That's just for the titanium socket. The crown itself would go into that later, after the socket heals, and I think that would be done by my usual dentist. I haven't yet checked what that would cost, but the two crowns that I've already had put on existing teeth by the same dentist were $840 each.

The extraction was about $230, including the evaluation session last week after my dentist referred me to him.

Still no pain, not even when I rinsed my mouth out with salt water as instructed, after brushing my teeth just now. I thought that would at least sting a bit.

Wow jt, I need to see your dentist about an implant! Amazing how much things vary from place to place.

This whole thread actually reminds me of one thing that pissed me off about my ex. She pleaded (almost demanded) that I buy her a $200 ultrasonic toothbrush for X-mas, so I did for the sake of domestic harmony despite the fact that I'm an Atheist and therefore do not celebrate that fiasco. The ironic part of that is that she has only 3 teeth, and she takes them out to clean them.

Lol!

 

[jtbell]

Yesterday I went back to the oral surgeon for a followup. He took an X-ray, eyeballed the empty tooth socket and said it was filing in nicely with new bone. In about a month it will be ready for implanting a metal socket for a crown if I decide to do it. It would cost about $1800.

By chance, today I visited my dentist for my regular teeth-cleaning. He gave me a quote of about $1700 for the crown, which would be installed 3-6 months after I have the socket implanted. So that's a total of about $3500.

I don't have any trouble eating, and I'm getting used to that empty space at the back of my jaw. I'm inclined to go ahead with the implant anyway. Over time, the neighboring teeth will tend to "wander" if that space stays empty, and I'm hoping to be around for another for 25 years or more. I'll think about it for a couple of weeks.

 

[ThomasT]

I found out last week that I had a broken tooth (one of the lower rear molars), and today I had it taken out. I've been sitting at home all afternoon with the left side of my lower jaw numb, occasionally rinsing the blood out and waiting for the anesthetic to dissipate.

The procedure was rather quick and clean, because the tooth wasn't impacted against its neighbor, and pretty much painless because of the anesthetic. Just a slight twinge as the oral surgeon was heaving away on it. He gave me a prescription for a painkiller, but it looks like I probably won't need to use it, just some ibuprofen. I think the anesthetic has pretty much worn off now, and all I feel is an occasional slight throbbing. I'll have to keep on eating using only one side of my mouth for a couple of weeks.

In a couple of months he'll check the site with an X-ray to see how the socket is filling in with new bone, and we'll discuss whether I want to get an implant to replace the tooth.

When I was about 50 I had all of my upper and most of my lower teeth pulled. The only thing that hurt during the procedure was the pressure on the gum, not the pulling of a tooth per se. Following the procedure, they gave me 6 pain killer pills, I think. They did work, and actually made me sort of high. When the pain killers were used up there was a persistent, throbbing pain for a few days, then no problem. Then, about 10 years after that, I got the rest of my lower teeth pulled, and again was prescribed about 6 pain killer pills. That time, the pain killers also eased the pain, but did not produce a high feeling. So, apparently, they now have pain killer pills that can reduce pain without the high effects. Which is a good thing, an advancement, imo.

I have not, to date, completed the refinement/fitting of my lower dentures, and so have done without any lower teeth for about 4 years. Which means that I can't eat nuts and certain raw vegetables. I seem to be able to sufficiently chew up most everything else. I do miss eating corn on the cob, beer nuts, almonds, etc., but considering that the average cost to tweak my lower dentures is around $2K, I think I'll just do without that stuff. The upper dentures are perfect, and I'm able to consume all the protein, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins that seem necessary for healthy living. In fact, sometimes I eat without any teeth at all. But the uppers make it a bit easier.