Tooth Extraction: Is Pain Normal?

[pivoxa15]

I had one wisdom tooth taken out the other day and it went okay with the usual pain and headache after the extraction. During the extraction, all the dentist did was inject an anaesthetic and started pulling out the tooth with all her strength. Is this how dentists extract a tooth? She had to hold my jaw to keep it still which exerted a very hard grip. So she pressed on the rest of my teeth very hard and I felt pain in those teeth (especially the front) days after the extraction but not great pain. Is this common? I only had one tooth taken out. Some people may have 4 taken out on the same day, meaning more time pressing the rest of the teeth and more pain on them. Could she have done something to prevent this?

 

[radou]

By the way, what's that with these 'wisdom teeth'? Another unresolved PF mystery, or am I just unimformed?

Luckily, I never had dental problems. The only time I got a pair of teeth pulled out was for the sake of braces, to make the growth correct or something like that. I remember the dentist with a psycho-look sweating all over me while pulling these out. Didn't feel a thing, of course, but it was kinda weird. Looked like he was trying to pull out a screw with a pair of scissors.

 

[Astronuc]

In my case I had one wisdom tooth extracted (in preparation for othordontic work), and the dentist put his foot on the armrest of the chair, and pulled with both hands on the pliers, and leaned back pushing with his leg.

I didn't have any pain or headache. That seems unusual.

Then again, I had a root canal without anesthesia, and in fact I generally decline anesthesia for dental work and superficial surgery as it is unnecessary. I just manage to control pain very well.

 

[radou]

I just manage to control pain very well.

Whoa, just?

 

[Evo]

I had one wisdom tooth taken out the other day and it went okay with the usual pain and headache after the extraction. During the extraction, all the dentist did was inject an anaesthetic and started pulling out the tooth with all her strength. Is this how dentists extract a tooth? She had to hold my jaw to keep it still which exerted a very hard grip. So she pressed on the rest of my teeth very hard and I felt pain in those teeth (especially the front) days after the extraction but not great pain. Is this common? I only had one tooth taken out. Some people may have 4 taken out on the same day, meaning more time pressing the rest of the teeth and more pain on them. Could she have done something to prevent this?

It's becomimg more common to give general anesthesia when extracting wisdom teeth as they are usually more difficult to extract than other teeth. Anyone that I know that had two or more extracted at the same time were "put to sleep". It's a light anesthesia and they allow it to wear off right about the time that the extraction is over.

 

[Knavish]

Mind if I ask my own question? About a week ago one of my wisdom teeth "erupted." Today I can clearly feel parts of the tooth with my tongue. I'm scheduled to go to the dentist next week. When is it a proper time to have the tooth extracted? Before it has even erupted (from x-ray work?) or some time after it has? I am totally clueless about this whole process, and my mom never had hers come out.

 

[Astronuc]

Whoa, just?

It a skill like riding a bike or swimming. One learns how to do it - then one just does it.

 

[Evo]

Mind if I ask my own question? About a week ago one of my wisdom teeth "erupted." Today I can clearly feel parts of the tooth with my tongue. I'm scheduled to go to the dentist next week. When is it a proper time to have the tooth extracted? Before it has even erupted (from x-ray work?) or some time after it has? I am totally clueless about this whole process, and my mom never had hers come out.

They only need extracting if they are causing problems. Somethimes they become "impacted" meaning that they are stuck inside the jaw, usually trapped by bone, and cause intense pain and/ or infection. Other times there is not enough room in the mouth for them and they start pushing other teeth out of the way causing biting and chewing problems and need to be removed to keep the other teeth in alignment.

 

[Moonbear]

Somethimes they become "impacted" meaning that they are stuck inside the jaw, usually trapped by bone, and cause intense pain and/ or infection.

Actually, impacted just means they're growing in the wrong direction. Mine were impacted, even though two of them had partially erupted. They were growing angled toward my other molars and that was the problem, because they were damaging the other teeth. Had they come in straight, there'd have been no problem (I have a plenty big enough mouth).

Nonetheless, when they start to erupt, it's a good time to have the dentist check that they are growing in a normal direction, and if they haven't erupted by the time you're about 21 and the dentist hasn't previously checked their position, it's time to find out if they're impacted.

With so many people getting braces nowadays, if their teeth are very crowded, often the orthodontist will opt to remove them before installing the braces.

 

[Evo]

Actually, impacted just means they're growing in the wrong direction.

I believe the term "impacted" means that the tooth will not completely erupt due to being blocked and that blockage is usually due to them coming in at the wrong angle, sometimes there just isn't enough room. In my case, the two removed were blocked by bone. The child of Evo had two blocked by bone and one by a tooth.

http://www.animated-teeth.com/wisdom_teeth/t1_wisdom_tooth.htm

 

[pivoxa15]

Another problem I have had after getting the wisdom tooth extracted is I seem to have food stuffs getting stuck in the place where my tooth once was.

 

[Evo]

Another problem I have had after getting the wisdom teeth extracted is I seem to have food stuffs getting stuck in the place where my tooth once was.

For awhile, food will collect in the hole were the tooth was, A good vigorous mouth rinsing is the best thing. I also use a soft tooth brush over the area to loosen and remove any food that is stuck inside the gum

 

[pivoxa15]

For awhile, food will collect in the hole were the tooth was, A good vigorous mouth rinsing is the best thing. I also use a soft tooth brush over the area to loosen and remove any food that is stuck inside the gum

Would this problem persist throughout my life or will the socket disappear over time? If the former than it seems extracting a tooth has great costs as well. Moreoever, over the years the tooth near the socket could decay more easily.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I'm just wondering if my teeth will move back any to fill the gap where the wisdom teeth were taken out. I've finally got some space back there. Before that, I had I almost had teeth coming out of my ears!

 

[Gokul43201]

I almost had teeth coming out of my ears!

These are a godawful menace. Especially the part where you have to get the toothpaste onto a Q-tip!

 

[verty]

The socket will disappear. I had two upper incisors removed because apparently there was not enough room for all the teeth in my upper jaw. They were removed just by pulling with pliers (having been anaesthetised of course), but he didn't use other teeth as a fulcrum. I wouldn't think that should be done. Perhaps your dentist was getting tired and decided to lever them out.

 

[russ_watters]

Pivoxa15, you had it eady - if they are impacted, they need to break through the bone with a chisel to get to them!

 

[brewnog]

Evo, over here it's becoming less and less common (in fact more and more discouraged) to use general anaesthesia for wisdom tooth extraction. I believe it's due to unnecessary risks with airway compromise.

 

[Evo]

Evo, over here it's becoming less and less common (in fact more and more discouraged) to use general anaesthesia for wisdom tooth extraction. I believe it's due to unnecessary risks with airway compromise.

In the US, most dentists will refer you to an oral surgeon and you will have an anesthesiologist in attendance. Most dentists don't want to take the risk of trying to extract an impacted tooth. Too many complications can occur and they'd be subject to a lawsuit.

Oddly just a few days ago a 24 year old man died while having two wisdom teeth extracted by a dentist under local anesthesia. If he had gone to an oral surgeon and had an anesthesiologist monitoring him and emergency staff present, he'd probably still be alive. Instead all he had was a dentist and a hygenist and he wasn't being monitored.

"LEAWOOD, KAN. -- A Kansas City man died at a Metro dentist's office and his family wants answers. The attorney for Dr. Harold Wallin would not do an on-camera interview but gave us some insight into what happened.

Anthony Brown's family said he was so full of life. So when he went into Dr. Wallin's Leawood office last week to have two wisdom teeth pulled no one ever thought it would be the last time would see him alive.

Dr. Wallin's attorney said Brown, 24, started having a reaction to the sedation immediately. The attorney who would not go on camera also said that Dr. Wallin and his nurse called 911 and started CPR right away. 30 minutes later Brown was dead.

Dr. Brett Ferguson knows the dangers of oral surgeries

"Most patients have a dental fear anyway," Dr. Ferguson said. "To make it easier we offer IV sedation. Not only that but you are getting teeth out you are getting a local anesthetic you are having respiratory and conscious responses effected by IV sedation."

But even with that Ferguson said incidents like Brown's are rare. "

http://www.myfoxkc.com/myfox/pages/...n=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

 

[brewnog]

Yeah, I think sedation is frowned upon nowadays too. Obviously if the surgery requires it, the densist will refer the patient to a dental hospital where general anaesthesia will be considered, but in normal dental surgeries I believe local anaesthesia (without sedation) is the norm.

 

[Moonbear]

I agree with that view, brewnog. If it's an uncomplicated extraction, there's no need for anything more than a local anesthetic. Even with my impacted teeth, I had a very long discussion with the oral surgeon before ultimately deciding twilight sedation was the way to go in my case (that's the IV drip of basically valium that leaves you awake, but out of pain and not really caring what goes on...except most people think they are asleep through it because it also has amnesic properties, so you don't remember anything until it wears off). But you should only have that done in an office if they have the equipment and training to at least maintain airway support should you have a bad reaction to it. And I only did it because they had to cut two teeth out that hadn't at all erupted and weren't sure how easily they would come out. There's really no need for full anesthesia, and if they don't need to surgically remove the teeth (i.e., can just yank them out with pliers in a dental office), local anesthesia should be plenty.

 

[radou]

Until now I didn't know what wisdom teeth are. Amof, I thought that it was some internal PF joke. Then I realized that it's what these teeth in the back which come out later are called. I feel quite stupid.

 

[pivoxa15]

Until now I didn't know what wisdom teeth are. Amof, I thought that it was some internal PF joke. Then I realized that it's what these teeth in the back which come out later are called. I feel quite stupid.

I take it that you haven't had yours removed? Do you know the risks of not doing so? Is it just that they are hard to brush and so over time are more prone to decay? Is that the only risk? You could have fillings for your wisdom teeth couldn't you?

I have 3 wisdom but took only 1 out because that one did not grow properly in the first place.

 

[pivoxa15]

The socket will disappear. I had two upper incisors removed because apparently there was not enough room for all the teeth in my upper jaw. They were removed just by pulling with pliers (having been anaesthetised of course), but he didn't use other teeth as a fulcrum. I wouldn't think that should be done. Perhaps your dentist was getting tired and decided to lever them out.

You had your incisors removed? They are important aren't they? Are there now gaps in your front teeth? Those teeth are easier to remove aren't they because their roots are much skinner unlike a fat, cubic wisdom teeth.

How will the socket dissapear?

 

[symbolipoint]

pivoxa15,

That's correct; that the wisdom teeth are more difficult to clean, and also that they are more difficult for the dentist to repair and treat. Be ready for your dentist to suggest extraction of a wisdom tooth which develops any significant decay or breakage problem. A good dentist could be talented enough to save most such teeth, depending on his skill, his experience, and available technology, and the varying conditions which are in need of repair. Always try to discuss options for repairing/saving them with your dentist before accepting wisdom tooth extraction.

 

[teknodude]

I had one wisdom tooth taken out the other day and it went okay with the usual pain and headache after the extraction. During the extraction, all the dentist did was inject an anaesthetic and started pulling out the tooth with all her strength. Is this how dentists extract a tooth? She had to hold my jaw to keep it still which exerted a very hard grip. So she pressed on the rest of my teeth very hard and I felt pain in those teeth (especially the front) days after the extraction but not great pain. Is this common? I only had one tooth taken out. Some people may have 4 taken out on the same day, meaning more time pressing the rest of the teeth and more pain on them. Could she have done something to prevent this?

I think there are different methods for pulling teeth out...
Back when I was little I had to have some teeth pulled for braces
I swear the guy had to pull and pull until the tooth popped out.

Now about 4 years ago I had my wisdom teeth taken out ( mine were all fully grown out). I was expecting the same horrible procedure, however, this dentist (not the same guy as before) was able to get the tooth out in less than 10 seconds. He didn't even have to pull with a lot of force.

To this day I still don't know how he did it and I didn't want to ask. It was over quick and that's all that mattered. Even thought it was quick, I never want to go through that again.

Well the way he did was I think he scraped part of the gum away around the tooth, then hit it real hard with some object to dislodge it (breaking the root i guess??). Then he just took a plier or something to gently move it out without effort.

 

[radou]

I take it that you haven't had yours removed? Do you know the risks of not doing so? Is it just that they are hard to brush and so over time are more prone to decay? Is that the only risk? You could have fillings for your wisdom teeth couldn't you?

I have 3 wisdom but took only 1 out because that one did not grow properly in the first place.

They aren't even getting out yet.

Some of my friends encountered strong pain from time to time, due to the wisdom teeth breaking through the ice. Some had to remove them, some didn't, it all depends on how aggressive they are. That varies from person to person.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Last time I had a molar removed I thought he was going to put his foot on my chest at one point, the nurse had to hold me down, they aren't coming out without a fight generally.

 

[Math Is Hard]

My wisdom teeth removal was really easy but I went to an oral surgeon and had full IV sedation. I went in at 7:30 am, and they whisked me into the room and a bunch of techs worked like a pit crew hooking me up with monitors and starting my IV. I was out like a light.

I was expecting pain afterwards, but didn't have any - just a little bit of soreness for a day or two when eating. The worst part was that I puffed up a little on one side on the third day, but that was completely gone by the end of the week.

 

[verty]

Sorry, I made a mistake. If you look at http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZTD0TCGJC&sub_cat=525 , I had my upper first premolars removed.

The socket just seemed to close up before long, also the teeth seem to have moved closer together (there is no gap now, my canines were displaced upwards but they have come down into the gap with a little help).