To ask you about your wisdom teeth

[Tonicandginn]

I am close to the edge.

My lower left wisdom tooth is partially impacted on my other back molar so can’t grow through properly and the dentist says it is unlikely to come through anymore. But I keep getting infections around it where my inner cheek swells and the pain is just unbelievable!

It’s like it at the moment and night time is unbearable, I wake every few hours having to take painkillers. I also can’t eat properly so I’m starving.

This is the third infection I’ve had in as many months and I went to the dentist for the second time yesterday and just got told again to make sure I’m using an electric toothbrush (I am) and rinsing my mouth put after eating (I do) and other general mouth hygiene tips that I ALREADY DO.

I’m fed up and I just want the tooth out but they just seem so reluctant! WHY? They are useless as far as I’m aware?! All my dentist said was that it was a last resort and very difficult to get a referral unless I could demonstrate severe pain and swelling.

Has anyone ever successfully managed to stamp there feet and have a wisdom tooth taken out or is it always made so difficult ?

What do I need to do/say to prove how Horrendous it is? I’m getting married abroad in a few months and my worst nightmare is that it flares up while I’m away and I can’t do anything about it.

AIBU to kick off or is this just the way it is?

YANBU! Tooth pain is the worst! I had all four wisdom teeth out due to recurring infections. The dentist suggested it so I didn't have to fight for it. Can you see another dentist?

I have a similar problem. Both my wisdom teeth are halfway out and have been the same for years. The gum is very open so they both get infected every few months or so.

It got worse recently so I went to the dentist and they agreed to get them taken out. This was about a month ago and my appointment for removal isn’t until the end of Feb!

I was suffering exactly this a few years ago! 6 infections in as many months and they finally agreed to remove them!

I had mine taken out under GA at the hospital. I don't recall any issues. The dentist just said it was impacted so needed to come out. I didn't have to fight for it. They took another one out at the same time too that hadn't come through yet.

I had this and, many years ago, they were removed much to my relief.

BUT

My brother also has this problem. He was living abroad and a routine scan was ordered ( MRI or CT) and his (I think) trigeminal nerve was extremely close to the worst tooth and to have extracted it would have risked catastrophic pain. So he lives with it and is super fussy about his dental hygiene and has to take antibiotics sometimes.

I'd try and be more insistent with your dentist one last time. Maybe say you'll have to try another dentist as you're really desperate. Best wishes.

Its usually a dental surgeon who does lower wisdom teeth insist on a referral , I have had mine pulled out and the relief was huge . Could you go private ?

I don’t think I can afford to go private ☹️

But I also can’t afford to keep spending £20 on pointless dentist appointments where they refuse to refer me.

The pain is so severe right now, I can’t focus on anything I just want to curl up in a ball and cry

It's because guidelines for wisdom teeth extractions are very strict, because taking out lower wisdom teeth can be very difficult, often requires an oral surgery referral and there's also the risk of damage to your nerve which runs through the bone right by the root and this can lead to permenant numbness of your lip and tongue, it's not just a simple whip it out.

There's also long waiting times on NHS oral surgery referals round me so they are strict on following the guidelines. Potentially the dentist could make the referral but the oral surgeon will reject it if there is not evidence of multiple episodes of pain and swelling. Don't kick off or stamp your feet, your dentist is only following guidelines. It's really horrible when people kick off and there's not much you can do.

3 episodes of pain in as many months should qualify you for a referral however, that's the threshold. So if it doesnf settle I would go back

When your dentist is giving you oral hygiene tips that is the only way to prevent pain, they are trying to help you. It's the only way to deal with this type of pain because it's essentially the gum and not the tooth, it can be a pretty shitty guideline but it's the guidelines and they have to be followed. Your dentist isn't being a dick for the sake of it.

Also even if they do make the referral it won't happen immediately, it's up to 6 months here at the moment for wisdom teeth and where I worked before was 18 months for a surgical extraction of a wisdom tooth.

that's funny. My old dentist used to twitch at sight of my wisdom teeth. Like she couldn't believe i still had them and thought of them as nuisance interlopers.

They never caused me that much trouble, though. Sorry about your woes.

I had all 4 of mine out under GA - was several years ago but I didn’t have to fight, it was suggested. My bottom ones were semi erupted and top ones had no space to grow through at all. Bottoms ones kept getting infected making me very poorly.

The surgery was, I have to be honest, worse than childbirth. I had to have 10 days off work and had a huge amount of stitches, bleeding and swelling. Also awful awful jaw pain.

I guess as with any big operation they’ll want to make sure it warrants surgery as it’s a completely different kettle of fish from a normal extraction.

I’m very glad I had mine done, however it was an awful thing to go through at the time.

My dentist also refused for years to refer me for removal.
I moved dentists & now have my consultation for removal next week.

I was in exactly the same situation and finally got referred for surgical extraction after the fourth episode requiring antibiotics. I was told that three was the threshold but tried to give it one last shot with scrupulous hygiene and failed, my cheek and gum would swell to the point I couldn't bite down.

I can see why they aren't keen as the procedure and recovery were absolutely unbearable, easily the worst pain I have ever experienced.

I have been referred for removal of my left wisdom teeth - both are impacted and growing in at 45° angles.

Referred November 2017.
Appt with dental surgeon November
Pre surgery assessment end npvember 2018

No surgery date yet. Should have them out under general anaesthetic anytime between now and 21st january.

Dentist referred me as they are tricky and he think the way theu are in will end up causinng infectipn and decay in neighbouring teeth.

Get a water flosser and try to irrigate under the flap of skin to keep it clean if you can? I used to use corsodyl mouthwash in a syringe with a blunt needle to do this and it helped x

I had the same and got mine out within 3 months after an excruciating new year and heavy duty anti-biotics. I wasn’t knocked completely out but had nice sedation and numbing. They did scans first to check how close my nerves were. Be prepared, they have to open the gums and chip the teeth out of the jaw bone. I had a lot of swelling and pain but reminded myself why I was doing it, within a few weeks I was almost normal although I did get a small infection.

I get you! It was agony!! I ended up with 2 abscesses in 6 weeks and when they x-rayed me they found out that the other side (the non-painful side) was actually worse and would likely end up causing more issues.
Dentist actually recommended all 4 out under GA. I'll be honest, it was pretty nasty, but completely worth it in the long run!!

I had exactly what you describe. My dentist referred me to have it out. It caused recurring ulcers which was very painful.
I would insist on the referral if I were you. If they say again, only as a last resort you should announce, Yes that’s where we are now so please make the referral.

I just had one out today with no sedation, ugh. It had fully come through and was savagely infected and it was going to be another three weeks (on top of three weeks of a face full of infection) to have it done under sedation.
Even my dentist was shaking after my appointment. Last resort.

Look up the guidelines on extraction for pericoronitis. I'm confident there is such a thing.
Then make an appointment and go back and ask again, quoting the guidelines and ask why if they say they still won't refer you.

I had about 10 years of recurring bouts of pain & swelling with mine (I only ever had 3 of them come through, thank goodness). After I developed septicaemia & had to have antibiotics, they had to remove them as it was obviously just a matter of time before I would get it again. Even then, they only removed one of them to start with, as the other 2 were apparently not an issue... until they were. I insisted on GA for the second OP as the first was bloody awful.

Totally different here. On 2 check ups I complained that sometimes food got caught under the gum flap on top of the semi impacted tooth.
Dentist referred straight away to have it removed.
Tooth removed less than 4 weeks later at a specialist dental hospital.
The pain after the procedure was awful tho. I wished I hadn’t had it done to begin with as for a whole week I couldn’t eat, open my mouth, could barely leave the sofa.

I have the exact same issue as you. I was referred for removal (3 month waiting list) and had CT scan to check the nerve position. It was way to close to the tooth to be worth the risks (in my eyes). However, I have since started using tepe interdental brushes and I haven't had an infection in about 6 months.
I hope you get a referral soon.

my dentist took all of mine out (2 wisdom teeth removed at a time) as they were impacted.

I was sedated.

I thought they pulled them out as soon as they were causing pain.