Tag Archives: tooth extractions

Sedation Dentist

Need Advice about a Tooth Extraction

Years ago I had an infected tooth. I avoided the dentist because I have never had a good experience with one. When I could not take the pain anymore, I schedule an appointment. He said the tooth was infected and performed a root canal treatment. I was supposed to schedule a follow-up appointment for the cap, but never did. I probably should have because it seems like the tooth got reinfected. It hurt again and pieces started falling off. I went to another dentist who confirmed the infection. I received quite a lecture about the state of my teeth and not getting regular care. He told me it would be a tough extraction. The best he could offer me was nitrous oxide. If I didn’t think I was able to handle the procedure, he could refer me to an oral surgeon. I was thinking I would go with the oral surgeon. However, it turns out they are a LOT more expensive. Would I be able to get this done with a dentist and it not be an absolute nightmare or do I need to take out a loan and see the oral surgeon?

Imogen

Dear Imogen,

Woman resting in dental chair from dental sedation

I am going to say right off the bat that this dentist you saw will not be the best dentist for you. What you need is compassion and a solution, not a lecture. That does not lend toward helping patients feel comfortable going to the dentist.

You should not have to take out a loan and go to an oral surgeon for this extraction. The right dentist can do this extraction for you. What I think you need is a dentist who offers other, stronger, dental sedations options, such as oral conscious sedation.

They are generally more compassionate with anxious patients than the dentist you just experienced. Let them look at the tooth and tell you whether or not they can do the extraction. My guess is you will find someone. It sounds more like this dentist was out of his comfort level and was trying to push  the blame off on you.

With oral conscious sedation, you are not knocked out, but will be so completely relaxed that you will be able to sleep completely through the procedure if you want to.  Most patients who use dental sedation find it completely changes their life and they are able to get the dental care they have always wanted.

The only downside is, because of its strength, you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment, as well as stay with you for a few hours after the procedure. They will want to make certain you are lucid and steady on your feet.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

Emergency Dentist

Root Canal FAilure

I’m a bit worried about something. I had a root canal treatment done about 3 years ago. About a month ago it started hurting. My dentist did a retreatment. A week later the pain increased quite a bit. I called him and he prescribed an antibiotic. It started to feel a bit better but now it is worse again. I called his office again and he said to give it time, some people take longer to heal than others. I am in tremendous pain. Is he right about this? If so, how much is a reasonable amount of time to give it?

Nicole

Dear Nicole,

Something isn’t right with how your dentist is handling this. It appeared like you said that your pain went down and then started back up. This is a clear signal you still have an infected tooth.

Though root canal treatments are successful about 95% of the time, when it does fail, the chances of a re-treatment being successful go down with each successive try.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying. It is always better to save a tooth whenever possible. I would consider your situation a dental emergency. This infection will continue to spread. Dental infections can turn life-threatening because they are so close to your heart, brain, and lungs.

Because of the severity of your situation, I am going to suggest that you call a prosthodontist. These are root canal experts. Explain the situation when you call. They will likely try to get you in right away. If they can’t, make sure they call in a new, different antibiotic for you.

If it turns out the prosthodontist tells you the tooth can’t be saved, then extraction will be the only option. When that happens, you will need replace the tooth. Ideally, you’d get a dental implant for that as it will help preserve the underlying bone structure.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Thimmesch and Foreman.