Old root canal / tooth extraction questions

[SpringChicken]

Hi everybody. I first wanted to thank the admins for this forum and everyone participating, answering questions. I am new here and already found helpful threads and replies - thank you sincerely!

I do have one specific question remaining - hopefully someone will know the answer as I forgot to clarify it with my oral surgeon. During the consultation regarding the extraction of a tooth that has an old root canal, infected root, he mentioned that if the tooth breaks, he’ll have to “drill out the root”… I didn’t catch it in the moment, but later began to wonder about how it’s done. In my imagination “drilling” involves “pushing things down”, not extracting, if that makes any sense… Has anyone had a similar experience with tooth breaking during extraction and roots having to be drilled out? What happens during this process - is it painful/unpleasant with local anesthesia?

Thank you in advance for your replies! This forum has already helped me tremendously in confirming my decision to proceed with extraction without general anesthesia (I was really concerned about being “put under” - grateful to know that it can be done without GA). I am now trying to mentally prep myself for what to expect and this particular question about “drilling out the root” (among other things) is causing me particular anxiety… so I thought I would ask here… Thank you again.

 

[Gordon]

It's a bit of a slang expression. Basically the process is as follows
1) Separate the roots (if it's a multi rooted tooth like a molar)
2) Remove a small amount of bone to allow an instrument to put pressure on the root to lift it out

Sometimes you don't need to do one or other, depends on the circumstances. It's done with a handpiece like you'd use for a filling and it's really not that bad on the patient side of things. Takes a wee bit longer than a regular extraction.

 

[SpringChicken]

@Gordon Thank you so much for your prompt reply, Gordon! I also appreciate your answers in other threads that are helping me to feel a bit calmer about the procedure. This forum is a godsend. Thank you!