Decision to extract?

[MGY]

Hi, I posted here a little while ago about by anxiety and had made an appointment with the dentist (I think avoided coming back here so as not to trigger my anxiety in the meantime). I've just had my appointment and naturally it was horrible news and I need some advice.

Long story short: I'm 26, years of depression lead to years of neglect of my teeth for which I have been paying the price. My original dentist was not much cop given that he never ever seemed even slightly concerned about my oral health, when I finally saw a new dentist when I was 20 all hell broke loose and I needed a LOT of fillings and was told he suspected I had peridontal disease, although if I worked hard I could prevent it from getting worse.

After having my two top wisdom teeth out, the last 2 years my dentist has been pushing for me to have my top left back molar extracted arguing there isn't much tooth structure left (mostly filling) and decay and that by removing it, the tooth next to it would have a better chance of survival. I resisted, having witnessed my mother (who had oral cancer) have to have extraction after extraction and feeling that if it was not hurting me, i should wait and see a little while longer.

Recently that tooth has become very sensitive and occasionally tender to bite on. After seeing my dentist again today he pushed further for that tooth to be removed (Saying it probably had another 5 years of survival but by then the tooth next to it might be in bad shape and i could lose that too). He also said I should have the back upper right molar removed, while not as bad as the left one, hoping it would again save the tooth next to it AND that i should have both back bottom molars removed (One has decay and the other a little decay but he argued it would be kind of useless without the other molars).

I have no idea what to do. I've always thought of extraction as the last solution but the fact that i'm not in pain with 3 of the teeth he wants to remove makes me wonder if we are really at that stage yet. I'm terrified that if I don't have them removed the teeth next to them will have to go, too.

Half of me wishes I hadn't gone to the stupid appointment because i've just come out feeling terrified, anxious, and I cannot stop crying.

He said that the rest of my teeth were "okay" - I don't really know what that means. But he said the majority of my oral health problems are now coming from these problem teeth.

He told me to think about it and make a decision whether I want to go ahead and have them extracted. I'm planning on seeing another dentist just for my own peace of mind to get a second opinion but in the meantime does anyone have any thoughts/advice? I'm so terrified

 

[carole]

Hi I would have thought that the tooth that he says has 5 years left in it would be worth a rct. What reason did he give for not trying to save the others too. If there is only a bit of decay on one of them I don't understand whey a filling or rct cannot be done on that or the others too.

Extraction is the last resort, I am glad you are going to see someone else. Did the dentist take x rays and if not when was the last time he did?

There are too many unanswered questions here to just have the teeth removed.

Go and get the second and even a third opinion and see what they say.

Are you in the UK, if so some dentists favour extraction because a rct takes longer and they can't be bothered. But the majority of dentists care and do all they can to save teeth.

I have a tale to tell you it might help you feel better. I had a tooth that needed a rct, this was done by a very good dentist, he left and another dentist took over when the tooth that had had the rct flared up with an infection the new dentist said it would need to come out as the rct had failed. I didn't agree because my good dentist had just fought tooth and nail to save another tooth and would have treated this one again. The new dentist said my only option was extraction and he made an appointment which I went to and I asked if I really needed the tooth out. He said yes. I wasn't convinced and said I needed to think about it a bit more, I got a second opinion. The end of the story is the tooth was re-treated and has been crowned with no further problems. I am so pleased that I didn't just get it extracted. That was a couple of years ago and the tooth is fine and I am happy.

Let us know how you get on please