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wisdom teeth (cavity)

K

kibbz

Junior member
Joined
Nov 18, 2008
Messages
10
hi,

i think the last time i went to the dentist was about four years ago. my teeth were fine. just had a general clean up... he did say i had a cavity but they were too small to do anything about it. anyway i ignored what he said and kept drinking juices and fizzy drinks etc. it would sometimes hurt my teeth (where the cavity was) when i had sweets.

last week i decided to stop eating and drinking sweets after a scare of seeing my top wisdom tooth in bad shape (and some other slightly bad looking molars)... i booked an appointment to the dentist for monday. i've read up alot about cavities. now at the moment, it's got the darkish color and the enamel is half way destroyed. i can slightly see a pinkish color which to my knowledge is the dentin. most likely i'll get all the dark stuff scraped off and then a filling or that white stuff i hear that heals the enamel back to normal.

a few other teeth are fine with just tiny spots of cavity in the very early stages. it's the other wisdom tooth i am worried about which has brought me here to ask of opinions... it's grown out of the gum but slightly sideways. i thought it would grow more and push into the other tooth but nothing has happened and it's been like this for maybe a year or more. it probably stopped growing just in time. never had pain there at all. just a small gap that sometimes captures food that i might have to brush out or scrape out with dental tools that i have.

this is what i wanted to ask... i can't really see that far but i THINK there is a cavity happening in that wisdom tooth. can't see it cause the other tooth towers over it a bit and i can only see half. will the dentist tell me i need to remove it or can it still be saved? if it doesn't hurt it doesn't need to be removed right? because of it's angle will the dentist be able to fill it?

sorry for the long post... i guess i got a bit of a dental phobia myself ;):hidesbehindsofa: :censored::censored::censored:
 
It probably depends in part of the world you live as there are differing opinions about wisdom teeth. In my view, if it's angled out, prone to decay, and not really serving too much of a purpose being back there, taking it out might be the best route. It's like having a rusty old spare tire tied onto the back bumper of your car dragging a bit on the ground.

Sure it could come in handy one day maybe in a blue moon, but it's a bit of an eyesore and sort of difficult to keep clean around it. If there's room on your bumper for it, and if you can keep it clean and don't mind it back there, then sure leave it. If it's rusting and causing some havoc as it's dragging on the ground then maybe it's time to say bye bye to it.
 
thanks for the reply :)
 
I am not a dentist, but my dentist suggested taking it out. I had three wisdom teeth with some decay. I resisted because the thought was "horrifying," however, her logic was as above plus since I do not like dentists in my mouth, taking the back teeth out will be a relief down the road.

She was right.

Taking the teeth out means no further need for reaching way back into the mouth. It means that you will not have to take care of those back teeth. The dentist does not have to shove an xray as far back.

Truthfully, there is no reason to fill the cavity. It would be better IMo to extract the tooth. And from what you say, it is probably a simple extraction. If so, it will be out in two minutes...literally.
 
i should probably add that when i scrape out the food that's trapped in there it has a yucky smell. i'm afraid i might have to remove it. why am i scared even though i know it won't hurt. lol... probably the thought of cutting my gum apart .. eek!
 
The yucky smell is from decaying food. This is normal...but not acceptable.

If this is a top wisdom tooth and is grown out (which it sounds like to me), then it will be so much easier to have that tooth pulled then to have it filled. I had two top wisdom teeth pulled...one in October of this year and the other in September. They were out in literally less than two minutes. There was NO pain, there was NO cutting, and there was NO discomfort to speak of. (Well, the needles for the numbing were not completely painless).

If you have a choice or the dentist recommends extraction, then have it done. You will not regret it, nor will it be harder than having cavities filled. It will be easier by far based on my experience.

As for having a tooth cut out, this is when they are impacted or not grown out. And that means that part or most of the tooth is still covered by gums. You would know because your wisdom teeth are smaller in size than your other teeth by a significant amount. I had this done twenty years ago, and I do not remember any pain associated with the cutting. It sounds gross and may make you squeamish, but you do not feel it. Afterwards, there may be some pain, but my memory recollects very little.

I know how you feel. One year ago, my dentist told me that she recommended having my three wisdom teeth pulled. I thought she was nuts for thinking I was going to be able to survive such procedures. Did she not know I was paranoid of dentists? She did actually, and that is part of her reason for recommending extraction. I swallowed my fears and trusted her. Now they are gone, and I am so much happier I listened to her. I just wish I hadn't waited almost a year to have them pulled. If I had had them filled, then eventually, new cavities would have happened, and there would have been more work to be done. Now these teeth are gone and my mouth is none the worse for their departure.
 
thanks, that makes me feel better. the tooth that is grown out sideways is on the bottom. all my other wisdom teeth are grown in straight just one on the top has some cavity. i'll have to see what the dentist says about it... but i will probably get the one on the bottom removed... i hate when food gets stuck in the gap. do they just yank it out with pliers or something? i heard sometimes they drill it so it breaks into smaller pieces... easier to take out. mine isn't that far out enough to be pulled out with a tool. surely gum will have to be sliced on the sides. i just checked. doesn't look like it can be pulled. it's too much inside the gum... just the top quarter pokes out sideways. it's in an awkward position.

it's like this picture: [broken link removed]

wonder how they'll get that one out.

btw... i'm going in tomorrow. do they just do a check up and i have to come in another day or do they just see it and do it on the spot?
 
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Usually wisdom teeth that are impacted like that are removed in pieces. It's not a big deal as basically you're having the tooth out anyways so it's just easier to remove it piece by piece in some cases. The dentist normally would examine the teeth and rebook you with enough time to remove them if that's what they need. In some cases if there is enough room to keep the wisdom teeth, fillings can be placed, but it really depends on whether the teeth are accessible and worth keeping.

I had one gentleman insist that his upper wisdom teeth cavities be filled even though I told him to have them removed. It took me about 3 times as much time to do since there was not enough room to get at them. I had to cut a dental bur in half to recess into my dental highspeed enough to be able to even get access to the teeth. Add to that the fact that I couldn't see what I was doing since there wasn't any room to get a mirror back there, and then you have a situation where it's just not a good day. :rolleyes:

It ended up that he developed more decay back there since he couldn't keep them clean so we ended up taking them out anyways. I guess I did get paid for the filling and extraction, but I would have much rather just taken them out and avoided all that hassle for the patient and me! So you see, although some wisdom teeth might not be hurting and be in place, just the lack of ability to maintain them can be a good reason for their removal. Why keep a spare tooth that's going to decay because you just can't keep it clean back there? The risks of decay on the back of the second molar just because the wisdom tooth is present can jeopardize a perfectly good tooth as well.
 
do they just yank it out with pliers or something?

When they do a simple extraction, then they use some tool called an elevator to loosen the tooth. Yes, then they take a small pliers and grab and yank. Trust me...that sounds worse than reality. I do not like dentists in the back of my mouth, but the extraction tools were hardly noticeable.

i heard sometimes they drill it so it breaks into smaller pieces... easier to take out. mine isn't that far out enough to be pulled out with a tool. surely gum will have to be sliced on the sides.
Dentists are quite skilled. I would not worry yet how they will do it. Truthfully, I was surprised that mine were all simple extractions. My bottom left tooth did not seem far enough out either plus part of it was broken off, but as my dentist said with a wink, "We have tools for that." And she did.

No gum was cut.

i just checked. doesn't look like it can be pulled. it's too much inside the gum... just the top quarter pokes out sideways. it's in an awkward position.
So I thought, too. So I worried about it like you. And when the time came, I was a bit embarrassed at how quickly it still came out. I can still say that it surprises me as to how easy those extractions were. All of my fears were so much greater than reality! I almost felt gypped out of a horrific experience. :) Not really.


wonder how they'll get that one out.
Either they can wiggle it and pull, or there will be a couple of small cuts so that they can reach the tooth better. If he breaks the teeth, it will not be like some huge noise. I think either way...cutting or pulling, your tooth will be out in minutes. After that he will check to be certain all roots are out, and then he will plug the hole. Bleeding will stop fairly quickly.

If you want to be brave, then you can check out youtube and the many videos of tooth extractions.... :scared:


I am not sure I recommend it prior to hearing what needs to be done. Some people are comforted by knowing too much...others are petrified by that notion.

btw... i'm going in tomorrow. do they just do a check up and i have to come in another day or do they just see it and do it on the spot?
In my case and I am guessing in yours, the dentist will need to examine your teeth to see what needs to be done. You will find out then how he plans to proceed. He will schedule an appointment for a different day. You will be offered some choices as to how you want the teeth taken out (sedation, nitrous, nothing).

When I had mine taken out, I went in after a night of restless sleep. I was numbed multiple times on the top and bottom of the left side (an earlier appointment with an OS was when my right side wisdom tooth was pulled). This was the hardest part of the whole procedure. After my mouth was numb, my dentist took the bottom one out first. She pushed it with the elevator and then wiggled it out with her pliers. Then she did the one above the same way. Top teeth usually come out quicker, and this one was no exception. A tooth near the front of the left side was next. It was also broken with just a small piece out to grab. As she grabbed it, this piece also broke. Not good...BUT she was still able to pull it out with her pliers quickly.

I looked at the clock before I went back to her room...it was 11:02 am. When I came back to the receptionist's desk after everything was done, the same clock read 11:33 am. This time included everything from a chat with the dentist to the final..."Thank you." They had scheduled me for an hour, so my dentist now had a break.

THREE teeth pulled! Yea!! :jump: The relief I felt after bearing this anxiety for years was noticeable. I think even the dental staff noticed and were glad for me.

Relax. I think you will be amazed at how easy this all is in a few days or a couple of weeks. I know I was and still am.
 
okay i just got back from the dentist...

it was nice and comfortable. i had two small x-rays on both sides of mouth. she said two wisdom teeth need to come out. the bottom one i was talking about... i knew had to come out. it's pushed against the tooth next to it causing a small hole she will need to fill that. i need to get another wisdom tooth removed from the other side but on the top... she says to go get a larger full mouth x ray from the hospital and then she'll make an appointment when she gets that x ray. reason why is because she said my top wisdom tooth is too long for her small x ray to see the root. she says it might be hooked at the end (making it a bit harder to take out) or straight ... but either way i gotta get them both out. she also says i can either get one taken out one day then the other another day... cause i won't be able to eat on the back teeth if i do both same day. but i said i'd rather do them both same day. damn i was so hoping to just do it all today and not go back :p

apart from that she said i have great teeth. so yeah... two wisdom teeth and one small filling needs to be done and that's that.
 
The head xray is all on the outside. Only a small straw like thing is stuck in your mouth...like a straw.

Did she say what type of extractions your wisdom teeth would be?
 
hmm not that i can recall. she just said they needed to be taken out. i really think they will have to drill the bottom one into the pieces. about to go get that full xray now. the top tooth is easier to pull out i heard from you and the dentist herself but damn... it seems so tight in my jaw with the gum wrapped around it. but yes, i know it will come out easy and blah blah etc. *slaps self* - god why do i keep worrying. i hope they drill both wisdom teeth in pieces... that makes me feel better. i keep having thoughts of them pulling my teeth out. nightmares haha. but it does help to read the posts here.

btw. why do i hear alot of stories of dentists putting you to sleep. do you get a choice? i'd rather be awake with the numb gel and injection.
 
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okay so i got a letter with the costs and descriptions.

i don't know what two of them mean but one of them scared me a bit.

removal of tooth or part
surg. rem inc bone/div <=== yikes!? what's that mean :o

adhsv restore 2 surf-po <=== ????
 
I would guess that the first one refers to the surgical removal of a tooth including bone and / or dividing up the tooth into pieces? Taking a tooth out can often be simple, but it's best to quote for a more complicated extraction sometimes just to be on the safe side if it is needed. It's a general rule to over-estimate a quote than under-estimate it if you think about it. From the patient's point of view, if the final cost ends up to be less, it's a happy day. If it ends up to be more expensive than the quote, they are not as happy.

The second refers to an adhesive restoration that has two exposed surfaces on a posterior tooth I believe.
 
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