Can this lower wisdom be removed without damaging the nerve? Been having a lot of anxiety due to nerve damage possibilities.

[cycione77]

Going in to have the lower left wisdom tooth removed that is horizontal and appears to be resting on the nerve. Have not had any pain there since the 2nd molar had an abscess 7 years ago. Would rather have the OS take out the right one that is pressing against the 2nd molar on that side. Could more routine dental visits and better hygiene keep this one from having any further problems? Is it too close to the nerve to risk it?

 

[Gordon]

That's a toughie.

Could more routine dental visits and better hygiene keep this one from having any further problems?

No. If you look at the film, there's a pretty clear channel between the tooth and the oral cavity. There's no chance of keeping that clean, no matter how good your hygiene is.

It looks like there's a reasonably clear demarcation between the crown of the tooth and the nerve canal, so nerve involvement isn't a given. The position of the tooth doesn't lend itself to something more conservative like a coronectomy (basically cutting the top off the tooth and leaving the rest).

I think you need a long chat with your surgeon to go over pros and cons of removing it versus not.