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Scared as i don't understand procedure/terms

K

KT88

Junior member
Joined
Jan 22, 2013
Messages
3
Hi, I've just found this site as I don't know how I'm going to get through the afternoon due to having 2 extractions tomorrow. I'm a severe dental phobic & am in floods of tears at the thought of my appointment.

I like to be prepared for what will happen & this is what my treatment plan said:-

The teeth for extraction are the lower left 2nd premolar root and the lower left 2nd molar roots


I know the front tooth (lower left) is broken & only a small piece is showing, so what happens to the rest you can't see??? I can't even imagine having the gum cut, I think I'd pass out at the idea.

Any advice would be appreciated. I have diazepam to take tomorrow but thats not helping me with my panic & anxieties this afternoon.

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cry:
 
The roots are dead easy to remove, you just winkle them out with a sort of scoop like tool called an elevator. Roots are much easier to take out than entire teeth :)
 
The roots are dead easy to remove, you just winkle them out with a sort of scoop like tool called an elevator. Roots are much easier to take out than entire teeth :)


Thank you for replying Gordon. But I'm still confused as to how you get to the roots & what the difference between the two extractions that are on my dental plan are??? Can you enlighten me?

Also I have a false tooth (bottom front) which is on a plate which looks like it rests against the back teeth. As these are the ones to be extracted what will happen with the plate??? I can't go around without a front tooth!!! And the end of the plate would surely stick in the gum without a tooth there??? I asked my dentist but he doesn't speak much english so didn't seem to understand my problem.
 
I can't answer your question about the partial denture, but I will shed a little light on the extraction process, which might help.

I had a big molar extracted last year, which was completely worn down to the gumline, so there was virtually no tooth visible. I couldn't figure out how the dentist could ever get it out, without cutting away the gum-- what would she grab onto?

As it turns out, most extractions consist of more of a rocking/pushing process than any kind of pulling. After you are good and numb, the dentist will push on the remaining tooth in a kind of side-to-side direction. As long as there's some visible tooth or root to push on, you're all set. There's no pliers or tugging involved, so no need to have something to "grab onto." If the visible surface of the tooth is smooth, the dentist may use the drill/handpiece to cut a little ledge into the surface of the tooth, for the purpose of pushing on that. You'll be numb, so you won't feel any pain from this.

The purpose of the pushing is to "convince" (in my dentist's words) the tissue around the gum to release its hold on the tooth. The pushing is very gentle to avoid any trauma. The dentist will use different tools and push from different directions, to slowly rock the tooth or root free, but from your perspective it will just feel like someone pushing/leaning fairly hard on your tooth. The pushing lasts maybe 5-10 seconds at a time, and in my case, after about five of these pushings, the dentist announced, "It's out!" I never felt anything come out, never felt any tugging. After pushing the tooth back and forth a few times, it just dropped out on its own. The whole procedure took maybe 10 minutes, and was the easiest thing in the world.

It's not uncommon for the tooth or root to break or chip while the dentist is extracting it. This is a horrible sound, but I listened to some music, and my dentist kept talking the whole time telling me to think of something else. None of it hurt even the tiniest bit, but the sounds are little disturbing, so bring headphones and an mp3 player if you can.

I don't think there's any real difference from your standpoint between extracting a broken tooth and root tip. I'd expect the dentist will be in and out in a few minutes, and there should be no pain or cutting of gums involved.

Good luck!
 
I asked my dentist but he doesn't speak much english so didn't seem to understand my problem.
Ask to speak to another dentist at the same practice who does have a sufficient command of English to help you properly.
You are supposed to be giving informed consent to the extractions - you should not have them done if you are not aware of what is happening and why.

It doesn't matter if the gum is cut, you are numb so should feel no pain.
 
Thank you all for your replies. I had the extractions this morning, whilst I can't say it was a pleasant experience (all the digging around), it wasn't painful or too traumatic. The "hole" is now very sore & I'm having a quiet afternoon with my mouth packed with gauze.

Many thanks for taking the trouble to reply.

By the way, can't ask another dentist as mines the only one in the practice!!
 
Congrats on surviving the extraction, KT!

Make sure you follow the after-care instructions carefully, and check out the extraction FAQ on this website. The important thing is to be as gentle as possible and stay away from the extraction site for the first 24 hours, then some gentle, warm salt-water rinses for another 24-48. Once you're through switching out yucky gauze, it gets a lot better quickly.
 
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