Impacted tooth & many other things

[Rach]

To start off, I'm 17 and went to the dentist yesterday for the first time in years. I went when I was younger but was told I needed 6 teeth out and braces, and refused to go back because I was so scared...and god, dont i regret that now!

Anyway I'm hoping to get braces before I'm 18 so I don't have to pay.

The dentist told me I have overcrowding, alot of crossbite, and he said something about my very back tooth being grey but didnt say anything else about it :S

Then he said the thing that scared me most, I still have a baby canine and he said theres a small swelling behind (which i cant find for the life of me) which may be the adult tooth. He referred me to the orthodontist at the hospital which I was dreading might happen, to have xrays and see what they're gonna do with it.

What happens with impacted canine teeth? Bearing in mind I need braces aswell. Will they take out the baby tooth and wait for the impacted one to come through, or take the impacted one out? I'd much rather believe I dont have an adult canine at all and will be able to keep my baby one but somehow i dont think thats gonna happen :S

he also said I needed braces for 3 years, but my friend, whos teeth were in a little bit worse condition than mine is only having them in for 18 months, and she told me to get a second opinion.

can anyone tell me anything about impacted tooth surgery and what might happen? and whether its painful or not because im absolutely terrified of needles and the pain it might cause.

thankyou!

 

[mikey]

Hi, I had four impacted wisdom teeth removed and it was painless so all other impacted teeth removal should be completely painless as well.

 

[brewer734]

hey
if ever yr not sure about something a dentist says its totally yr choice to get 2nd opinion so if yr not sure about anything he says go to another dentist even if its just to put yr mind at rest that the work is definately necessary.
in any case though the orthodontist should definately be able to tell you more so if yr being referred anyway why not write down a list of questions for him/her and go to the appointment for the xrays dentists can tell so much more from xrays then you will get some answers and know where to go from there.
hope it goes well
emma

 

[brit]

Emma is right, I wouldn't hold the general dentist to knowing all the answers right now...that's why he's referring you to an orthodontist.
Just see what he says...I'm sure once you have spoken to the ortho providing the care you will feel a lot better informed.
Sometimes orthos refer you back to your general dentist for any extractions to be done...many people prefer this since they may already like and trust their general dentists...this also means that orthos can just concentrate on the orthodontics exclusively.
If the ortho is hospital based and you need to have several teeth removed, they may offer you i/v sedation or even GA and do it at the hospital.
If you can get yourself sorted out now at minimal cost (on NHS?) you will surely not regret it. Modern dentistry can be entirely painless and the horror stories you hear from people are not the norm but alas they prevent many from seeking care. How long braces take to work can vary from person to person and evey case is different so what looks similar to you in your friend may not be. Once you get used to braces, it won't bother you in all likelihood and you won't care how long it takes.
Congratulations for dealing with your fear....you can do it

 

[brit]

You said you are afraid of needles, there's more info here about how dental injections can be done comfortably and in a painfree manner: https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/needle-phobia/


The mucosa of the mouth are very different to say the skin on your arm...and this is a good thing in the comfort stakes . The key to a comfortable dental injection is slow delivery of the anaesthetic which may be the opposite of what you would expect. It's all true though I promise...it doesn't have to hurt and you don't have to see anything.