Wisdom tooth extraction advice

[Krumblina]

Posting here for traffic.
Any dental professionals around?

I've had issues with my impacted right lower wisdom tooth for many years. Eventually NHS dentist referred me to hospital. Seen after 2 years but by then had fallen pregnant so it got delayed more.
I've now been told I can only have General anaesthetic or local. They don't offer sedation.
I asked if I can be prescribed something from the GP to help me relax but they said they'll cancel the surgery if I do this.
I went back to my dentist to ask to be referred somewhere that does sedate and she said they are very unlikely to accept me (but didn't say why!) and the wait is another 3 years.

Why would the sedation place not accept me? Can impacted ones be done outside a hospital? I had to be referred on from multiple places as they said they couldn't deal with it. But the oral surgeon said it's not actually to close to the nerve.

Does anyone know if there is anything else I can do? I'm terrified of the surgery as so many people have told me how awful it is. But I'm also terrified of the risks involved with general anaesthetic. I have severe health anxiety.

Please help! I've got a cold now and it's made the pericoronitis flare up so in pain AGAIN.

I had GA. Removed 3 then a few years later the 4th was removed after getting infected. It was in an awkward position so best left alone until it needed removing. GA was the way to go. Bad enough removing teeth but that far back I didn't want to be conscious.

I had a lower one removed under local. It was supposed to take 5mins, and it took consultant 1.5hrs! I was awakewith my mouth wide open for all of this time. Nightmare. Next time GA all the way. Lower wisdom’s wont be attempted at the dentist OP, as they are too tricky involving facial nerves and possibly paralysis.

I had mine done at dentist surgery but they had a specialist come in to do it. I was given a choice. I chose to have just the anesthetic injection. Didn't feel a thing. Wasn't any worse than having any other tooth out.

Bump

Many dentists are not trained for GA that has to be done in hospital usually. Dentist services are so overwhelmed you could be waiting years to have it done in hospital and there will be people in worse situations ahead of you.
I had mine done last year referred by my NHS dentist to a private surgery that cost about £350.
Yes it was awful as in mine took ages and they couldn't get the root out after all, but not painful they fill you up with local anaesthetic. You can ask them to give you little breaks.
The worst for me was the 6 weeks after but you would still suffer that with a GA anyway.
If you need it done just find the courage and get it done.
Some people's pop put no trouble.

Same here. I’ve had two lowers out with a specialist and one upper with the dentist. Just had the normal jabs each time.

I feel awful for days after GA.

I don't want GA. I've been offered it and don't want it. I would like sedation.

Oh right well the private surgery I went to said that they didn't have many who could do sedation as it has many levels light all the way to GA, but it is still more serious than a local.
They also said it was much more expensive.
If you can pay for that then you could probably find a private dentist licensed to do it with sedation.

I had lower left badly impacted removed 8 weeks ago.

I was terrified. I’d previously had 4 molars removed under general for orthodontic work as a teen and recovery was grim. I’d really worked myself up about the whole thing.

I was referred to a dentist who only really does this type of work and implants, by my own dentist who for reasons mentioned in posts above would not do this extraction.

it genuinely, really was okay. I took a squashy stress ball thing, and I agreed with the dentist that I would prefer to keep my eyes closed. He asked if I wanted a step by step commentary and I said no! He also said I could keep an EarPod in one ear if that helped. The local anaesthetic was really good and I genuinely didn’t feel a single thing. The extraction itself was over in about 20 minutes.

I wish I’d prepared better in terms of getting in soft foods, and there was aching and pain for a couple of days, but you’re going to have that with whatever removal method.

local with no sedation was way way way better than I’d anticipated and I wish now I’d not got so worried beforehand as I did.

I had an impacted wisdom tooth taken out at a private dental surgery by a dental surgeon. They offered sedation if I wanted it. Could that be an option for you?

I just had local anaesthetic and it was done very quickly. The actual extraction part was about 2 mins - something to cut my gum, then another instrument to pull it out. Then he did some stitches which took longer than the first bit.
Like you I had the gum around the tooth repeatedly flaring up and getting swollen and painful. My NHS dentist wouldn’t refer me to have it done on the nhs because it hadn’t needed antibiotics twice, which she said was the threshold.

I've had sedation and GA. I'd never go through lower wisdoms without GA. I had a lower molar removed without it and it took so long and was horrific, they couldn't get it out and damaged my jaw. I now suffer from trigeminal neuralgia and problems with my jaw joint and can barely function some days. I have such a severe phobia now. If wisdoms are impacted then they need a proper surgeon and GA. Despite what they say about sedation, I remember every bit of it. GA can be safer as you're monitored by a proper anesthetic team in hospital. They can give you something to calm down first and you aren't aware of anything and then it's over in what feels like seconds.

I have had one tooth out under sedation at a specialist dentists, and i had all four badly impacted wisdom teeth out under GA at a hospital. The bruising and jaw pain after the wisdom teeth removal was enough to make me thankful I'd had the general.

If you have a look at the Royal College of Anaesthetists website they have some information leaflets about different types of sedation and anaesthesia that might help explain why they're saying you can't have sedation but it sounds to me more like an issue with the amount of demand or a lack of dentists offering the service in your area.

Was it an impacted lower one?

It's going to be in the hospital either way as it's an impacted lower wisdom. I was referred twice and have been waiting 2 years.

Yes.

I was terrified going in (I’m not great at the dentist) but it was fine. The surgeon generally works at the hospital but does one day a week at the private dental practice so I guess was pretty experienced with much more difficult cases than mine.

I had an impacted upper one removed as nhs patient at a private surgery with sedation. My dentist referred me to NHS maxofacial and they referred me to the private clinic as presumably it is cheaper than GA and keeps waiting list moving. They did say the private clinic are "choosy" about who they accept but fortunately I was accepted. Have you seen maxofacial or is your info from your dentist? It may be area dependent or may be that lower impacted would be the kind of thing "rejected" by choosy private clinic but could be worth asking at your referral.

Upper wisdoms are a different ball game to lower ones. Upper are easier to remove and most dentists will attempt them. Lower you need a specialist due to proximity to nerves and high risk of paralysis etc.

I had an impacted lower wisdom tooth taken out in the dental hospital under local anaesthetic (injection in the gum). I can't say it was the most pleasant half hour of my life but it was over soon enough and I recovered well. Just go and get it done as soon as you can and once it's out you will feel much better, both physically and mentally since you won't be dreading the procedure any more.