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Unimobiles.com
medicine forum beginner
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:45 pm Post subject:
Tooth Extraction went badly - advice needed!
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Hello,
I went to my UK NHS dentist a few weeks ago who identified a badly
decaying wisdom tooth (rear upper on my left hand side) . He asked me
if it had been causing any pain at all, to which I answered no. He
indicated his surprise that it had not been causing pain.
He said the tooth would need to be extracted to which I agreed. An
appointment was booked for 3 weeks later.
I had the extraction today, however it did not go smoothly. I was
given no advice to the procedure before hand. He injected the area
with an anesthetic before commencing so my face was totally numb.
Basically the tooth did not want to come out, was deeply rooted and
wouldn't budge easily using the elevators/forceps. He had a great
difficulty using the instruments to claw onto anything because most of
the tooth was already gone. It took about 15 minutes of wiggling of
the tooth before it came out.
The problem is not all the tooth came out. I saw the tooth lying on
the table and saw very little of the root. I don't know what's been
left behind, but my guess is, most of the root. The dentist said that
the gum should grow over the remaining piece of tooth, and there
should not be any more problems. But if I had pain the future, to get
back in touch.
After speaking a friend, he said the same thing happened to his
father. His father was told the same story about the gum growing over
and everything being OK, but he has had pain on that side of his mouth
ever since the extraction and can only eat on one side of his mouth!
This was with a different dentist.
This is the advice leaflet I was given after the extraction
http://www.unimobiles.com/dentist.jpg
It describes "discomfort" - but I'm in *pain*, period. I found some
more comprehensive information on
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/tooth_extraction.html
My tooth was badly damaged but this definitely did NOT occur -
"If your tooth is very damaged, there may not be enough of the tooth
left for the forceps to grip, or it may crumble during the extraction.
In these cases, your dentist may need to make a few small cuts in your
gum to reach the roots of the tooth. Some of the surrounding bone can
then be removed with a drill to lift the tooth out in one piece. The
cuts will be closed with stitches which are usually removed about a
week later.7,8"
The website goes on to say
"However, in order to make a well-informed decision and give your
consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the
risk of complications."
Here are the problems and questions
1/ I was not told of any of these side effects and complications! I
was very disorientated after the anesthetic and it took my a while to
get home due to all the confusion followed by pain.
2/ Some of the tooth is still left in there! He didn't cut the gum in
an attempt to take the whole lot out. I'm frightened that I have a
lifetime of pain ahead of me only being able to eat on one side of the
mouth.
3/ Should the dentist have attempted to take out the root as well and
cut at the gum to lift out the whole tooth? Given that he knew the
tooth was badly decayed, did he make a mistake using the
forceps/elevators before cutting the gum first?
--
http://www.unimobiles.com | http://www.unimobiles.com/auctions
UK Specialists in Refurbished Mobile Phones & Accessories |
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Mark & Steven Bornfel
medicine forum Guru
Joined: 30 Apr 2005
Posts: 888
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| Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 4:04 pm Post subject:
Re: Tooth Extraction went badly - advice needed!
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Unimobiles.com wrote:
| Quote: | Hello,
I went to my UK NHS dentist a few weeks ago who identified a badly
decaying wisdom tooth (rear upper on my left hand side) . He asked me
if it had been causing any pain at all, to which I answered no. He
indicated his surprise that it had not been causing pain.
He said the tooth would need to be extracted to which I agreed. An
appointment was booked for 3 weeks later.
I had the extraction today, however it did not go smoothly. I was
given no advice to the procedure before hand. He injected the area
with an anesthetic before commencing so my face was totally numb.
Basically the tooth did not want to come out, was deeply rooted and
wouldn't budge easily using the elevators/forceps. He had a great
difficulty using the instruments to claw onto anything because most of
the tooth was already gone. It took about 15 minutes of wiggling of
the tooth before it came out.
The problem is not all the tooth came out. I saw the tooth lying on
the table and saw very little of the root. I don't know what's been
left behind, but my guess is, most of the root. The dentist said that
the gum should grow over the remaining piece of tooth, and there
should not be any more problems. But if I had pain the future, to get
back in touch.
After speaking a friend, he said the same thing happened to his
father. His father was told the same story about the gum growing over
and everything being OK, but he has had pain on that side of his mouth
ever since the extraction and can only eat on one side of his mouth!
This was with a different dentist.
This is the advice leaflet I was given after the extraction
http://www.unimobiles.com/dentist.jpg
It describes "discomfort" - but I'm in *pain*, period. I found some
more comprehensive information on
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/tooth_extraction.html
My tooth was badly damaged but this definitely did NOT occur -
"If your tooth is very damaged, there may not be enough of the tooth
left for the forceps to grip, or it may crumble during the extraction.
In these cases, your dentist may need to make a few small cuts in your
gum to reach the roots of the tooth. Some of the surrounding bone can
then be removed with a drill to lift the tooth out in one piece. The
cuts will be closed with stitches which are usually removed about a
week later.7,8"
The website goes on to say
"However, in order to make a well-informed decision and give your
consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the
risk of complications."
Here are the problems and questions
1/ I was not told of any of these side effects and complications! I
was very disorientated after the anesthetic and it took my a while to
get home due to all the confusion followed by pain.
2/ Some of the tooth is still left in there! He didn't cut the gum in
an attempt to take the whole lot out. I'm frightened that I have a
lifetime of pain ahead of me only being able to eat on one side of the
mouth.
3/ Should the dentist have attempted to take out the root as well and
cut at the gum to lift out the whole tooth? Given that he knew the
tooth was badly decayed, did he make a mistake using the
forceps/elevators before cutting the gum first?
|
Unfortunately, it's impossible to answer your questions definitively.
Yes, the dentist should have attempted to remove the root. Sometimes
removing root tips involves more risk than it is worth, and it is the
dentist's judgement as to how risky.
My guess is that this dentist didn't have much experience with surgical
extractions. Nothing wrong with that--neither do I. If I see an
extraction I think I will have trouble with, I will refer to my friendly
local oral/maxillofacial surgeon, who can usually remove the tooth in
scant minutes. In those very rare instances where I misjudge my ability
to remove a tooth and get into trouble, I call the oral surgeon anyway,
and they get me (and the patient) out of trouble. They don't mind doing
this for me, as they know it's only going to happen very occasionally.
You may or may not have pain. My advice is to go outside the NHS if
necessary and see an oral surgeon.
Good luck,
Steve
--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001 |
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George Chatzipetros
medicine forum Guru Wannabe
Joined: 14 May 2005
Posts: 161
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| Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject:
Re: Tooth Extraction went badly - advice needed!
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Hi Unimobile,
Your dentist should have proceeded with a surgical extraction is he/she
thought she had a reasonable chance of removing the rest of your wisdom
tooth. Because wisdom teeth can be quite tricky and this one was also
badly decayed, I guess he/she thought she would cause even more danage
if she tried to remove it surgically.
The answer here is to visit a oral and maxillofacial surgeon, who is
trained to deal with such difficult extractions. There are surgeons of
this kind in almost any NHS hospital in the UK. Just visit your dentist
and ask to be referred to the oral surgery department of the nearby
hospital. It usually takes some time, but in the meanwhile some care of
the extraction area and painkillers will usually take care of the acute
pain.
I'm also NHS and do loads of extractions. Every month I have to refer
2-4 patients to an oral surgeon because of broken teeth that seem
impossible to remove.
Good luck,
George |
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Unimobiles.com
medicine forum beginner
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 4:26 pm Post subject:
'Re: Tooth Extraction went badly - advice needed!
|
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On 7 Jun 2006 12:29:02 -0700, "George" <chpetros@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Hi Unimobile,
Your dentist should have proceeded with a surgical extraction is he/she
thought she had a reasonable chance of removing the rest of your wisdom
tooth. Because wisdom teeth can be quite tricky and this one was also
badly decayed, I guess he/she thought she would cause even more danage
if she tried to remove it surgically.
The answer here is to visit a oral and maxillofacial surgeon, who is
trained to deal with such difficult extractions. There are surgeons of
this kind in almost any NHS hospital in the UK. Just visit your dentist
and ask to be referred to the oral surgery department of the nearby
hospital. It usually takes some time, but in the meanwhile some care of
the extraction area and painkillers will usually take care of the acute
pain.
I'm also NHS and do loads of extractions. Every month I have to refer
2-4 patients to an oral surgeon because of broken teeth that seem
impossible to remove.
Good luck,
George
|
Hi George,
Thanks for your advice on this. After reading
http://www.dentalhealth.org.uk/faqs/leafletdetail.php?LeafletID=43#faq582
there is a question and answer
"Are wisdom teeth difficult to take out?
It all depends on the position and the shape of the roots. Your
dentist will tell you how easy or difficult each tooth will be to
remove after looking at the x-rays. Upper wisdom teeth are often
easier to remove than lower ones, which are more likely to be
impacted. Your dentist will say whether the tooth should be taken out
at the dental practice, or whether you should be referred to a
specialist (oral surgeon) at a hospital. Very occasionally there is a
possibility of some numbness of the lip after the removal of a lower
tooth – your dentist will tell you if it is possible in your case.
You will probably have either a local anesthetic – as you would have
for a filling – or sedation. You could also have a general anesthetic
(where you would be asleep), but this will usually be given only in a
hospital."
This is very interesting because X-Ray's were certainly not done.
Although I had X-rays a few years ago, I 99% sure he did not look at
them, I don't even know if he has them on file. From reading the
above, it's clear he would have lost his money (£28 + whatever the NHS
pay him) for the extraction if he had done the X-rays and then
referred to the specialist. When I tell people the tooth wasn't
causing me any pain everyone just says to me "why did you take it out
then?". The simple enough answer was because he recommended it and I
trusted him. However, if I knew of the risks and complications, I
would have applied "if it's not broke, don't fix it".
Anyway, 80 hours since the extraction I'm still in pain. My brain is
blocking a lot of the pain, but it is making me very nervous and I
can't think clearly or work properly as a result. I was up in the
middle of the night, having to take painkillers. Even as I type this I
am making lots of mistakes because my brain is firing a lot of bugs.
It is like a constant dull ache on the left hand side of my
mouth/brain.
He did say to contact him if I was in pain, but I found out to my cost
he closes his surgery early on Friday afternoon. I'm not to keen to go
back to him bearing in mind I was given no information about the
procedure and risks (only a few tips on a sheet afterwards), no X-Rays
being done and the fact I don't think he cut the gum and pulled it out
at the root like he should and as a result left the root in there.
My question is : How long does this pain last? I'm now at 80 hours.
At what point do I call the dentist and say I'm in pain and what is he
going to do? At what point can I assume the remaining part of the
tooth has to come out? I don't want him to try and take out the root,
the only thing I would consider letting him do is referring me to a
specialist. Do I need to visit him again for him to do that, or can he
do it after talking to me on the phone?
--
http://www.unimobiles.com | http://www.unimobiles.com/auctions
UK Specialists in Refurbished Mobile Phones & Accessories |
|
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|
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Unimobiles.com
medicine forum beginner
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:41 pm Post subject:
Re: Tooth Extraction went badly - advice needed!
|
|
|
On 7 Jun 2006 12:29:02 -0700, "George" <chpetros@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Hi Unimobile,
Your dentist should have proceeded with a surgical extraction is he/she
thought she had a reasonable chance of removing the rest of your wisdom
tooth. Because wisdom teeth can be quite tricky and this one was also
badly decayed, I guess he/she thought she would cause even more danage
if she tried to remove it surgically.
The answer here is to visit a oral and maxillofacial surgeon, who is
trained to deal with such difficult extractions. There are surgeons of
this kind in almost any NHS hospital in the UK. Just visit your dentist
and ask to be referred to the oral surgery department of the nearby
hospital. It usually takes some time, but in the meanwhile some care of
the extraction area and painkillers will usually take care of the acute
pain.
I'm also NHS and do loads of extractions. Every month I have to refer
2-4 patients to an oral surgeon because of broken teeth that seem
impossible to remove.
Good luck,
George
|
Hi George,
Thanks for your advice on this. After reading
http://www.dentalhealth.org.uk/faqs/leafletdetail.php?LeafletID=43#faq582
there is a question and answer
"Are wisdom teeth difficult to take out?
It all depends on the position and the shape of the roots. Your
dentist will tell you how easy or difficult each tooth will be to
remove after looking at the x-rays. Upper wisdom teeth are often
easier to remove than lower ones, which are more likely to be
impacted. Your dentist will say whether the tooth should be taken out
at the dental practice, or whether you should be referred to a
specialist (oral surgeon) at a hospital. Very occasionally there is a
possibility of some numbness of the lip after the removal of a lower
tooth – your dentist will tell you if it is possible in your case.
You will probably have either a local anesthetic – as you would have
for a filling – or sedation. You could also have a general anesthetic
(where you would be asleep), but this will usually be given only in a
hospital."
This is very interesting because X-Ray's were certainly not done.
Although I had X-rays a few years ago, I 99% sure he did not look at
them, I don't even know if he has them on file. From reading the
above, it's clear he would have lost his money (£28 + whatever the NHS
pay him) for the extraction if he had done the X-rays and then
referred to the specialist. When I tell people the tooth wasn't
causing me any pain everyone just says to me "why did you take it out
then?". The simple enough answer was because he recommended it and I
trusted him. However, if I knew of the risks and complications, I
would have applied "if it's not broke, don't fix it".
Anyway, 80 hours since the extraction I'm still in pain. My brain is
blocking a lot of the pain, but it is making me very nervous and I
can't think clearly or work properly as a result. I was up in the
middle of the night, having to take painkillers. Even as I type this I
am making lots of mistakes because my brain is firing a lot of bugs.
It is like a constant dull ache on the left hand side of my
mouth/brain.
He did say to contact him if I was in pain, but I found out to my cost
he closes his surgery early on Friday afternoon. I'm not to keen to go
back to him bearing in mind I was given no information about the
procedure and risks (only a few tips on a sheet afterwards), no X-Rays
being done and the fact I don't think he cut the gum and pulled it out
at the root like he should and as a result left the root in there.
My question is : How long does this pain last? I'm now at 80 hours.
At what point do I call the dentist and say I'm in pain and what is he
going to do? At what point can I assume the remaining part of the
tooth has to come out? I don't want him to try and take out the root,
the only thing I would consider letting him do is referring me to a
specialist. Do I need to visit him again for him to do that, or can he
do it after talking to me on the phone?
--
http://www.unimobiles.com | http://www.unimobiles.com/auctions
UK Specialists in Refurbished Mobile Phones & Accessories |
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