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?

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta1/chapter/1-Guidance

(If nothing else, reading the full guidance may help you sleep whilst you're struggling!) This is the current guidance, although it is currently being updated. If you fulfil the criteria set out within it - most likely the last sentence regarding "second or subsequent episodes" of pericoronitis - you can reasonably expect your dentist to refer you. A polite email asking for clarification of why your dentist doesn't feel your situation warrants referral - and setting out why you feel it does - would probably be worthwhile.

My dentist pulled out my bottom wisdom tooth in his surgery after it came up at a funny angle due to lack of space. It was rough getting it pulled, dentist had me in a headlock trying to yank it out and it was sore after for a few days.

I don't remember having infections (it was a while ago!) but suffered massive pain with mine and had all of them removed by GA at the hospital. Didn't have any problems with referrals but it was about 15-20 years ago

Try another dentist. Mine agreed after 3 infections. Although I went private in the end as the wait was so long!

I got one infection and got the bottom ones out. Had to go dental hospital though. I got an appointment few weeks later where I my dentist basicly advised me id have to argue my case but they where really open to it.

I had it out few weeks later with a dental student. Not ideal but did the job.

This was at guys and st thomas hospital dental hospital.

They have drop in clinics etc there and I believe you can self refer to students there.

Unsure where you are based but could be an easier option to actually get seen.

I've had one out a few years ago and get another out tomorrow. No issue with the dentist referring me to an oral surgeon. It's taken about 8 weeks from going to the dentist initially to getting it removed.

Surely your dentist should refer you given the issues you have had (NHS Scotland).

Go private and get them all whipped out. Recurring infections can lead to heart issues. This is definitely something worth going into debt for.

The guidelines say you can't be referred unless you've had 3 separate bouts of infection. So every time you get toothache go to the dentist and they can tnen refer you. It's a stupid system esp as you're getting married abroad! Make sure your dentist knows that but even with a referral you're unlikely to get it out before then. You can take antibiotics away with you but no bride wants tnat. Getting it done privately isn't that expensive in a lot of plaxes is look at doing that

Sorry typos was trying to write before phone died. Salt water mouthwashes after every meal will really help

I have a slightly tricky wisdom tooth coming through and I find that regularly using a waterpik with salt water helps to prevent infections and keep the area comfortable

My daughter was referred to the NHS for her wisdom teeth by her private dentist (couldn't get NHS round us) and it was all pretty instant. That was about 2 years ago. She was early 20's. she had all 4 out under GA and it was all over and done with in a morning. I do remember the warnings about the trigeminal nerve. I must say I don't know of anyone in RL who has issues following their wisdom teeth being taken out.

The don't take out the 4 now they only take the problematic ones out. It's very difficult to get wisdoms out mostly due to waiting times that's why it's better to go private if you're in a rush/a lot of pain

I'm also dealing with an impacted lower left wisdom tooth now. Keeps getting sore and lumpy around the gum. I have to avoid touching it with my tongue, eating on the other side, using Corsodyl and some kind of syringe with a plastic hook on the end to remove debris.

I was the same PoshPenny it was actually really hard for me to find somewhere privaite to get my wisdom teeth out as needs to be a dental surgeon rather than a dentist. And be licenced for full anethesis etc. The one place I found who would do it quoted over a grand per tooth!!

So I ended up at the dental hospital.

Any way you can go private? Sorry I've not read the full thread so not sure if it's been mentioned. I had 2 wisdom teeth out about 4 years ago, cost £120 for them both including anaesthetic and aftercare etc. Might be worth checking out if it's causing you so much pain.

The thing is though is there's absolutely no reason for the dentist not to refer you.

It costs them nothing, it takes up none of their time, they aren't using up their emergency appointments, they won't have to worry about it going wrong, damaging your ID nerve because they aren't doing it.

Therefore if they aren't referring there must be a reason, potentially they know it will be rejected down the line. Potentially your tooth is close to your ID nerve and so they know it will be very risky to take it out. It makes no difference if you say you'll see another dentist to do it to them, because making the referral has no cost or benefit to the dentist.

Therefore, your options are either to find someone who will do it privately, you can do it without GA, might be possible without sedation however again they might not do it because the NHS dentist isnt being a dick, private dentists have to follow the same guidelines as NHS dentists. The other option is to wait for your next episode and then see if your dentist will refer you. Or try to find someone else to refer you. Personally I would wait till your next episode and see then. There's no point getting them out if not causing problems and you won't get them out in time to clear up this infection. But it's your mouth.

The most important thing you can do in the meantime is regularly clean under the flap with hot salty water or corsdyl. You can use little single tufted ortho brushes to clean under it or water flossers can be good, or even just a medicine syringe. Keeping it clean will at least help prevent further infections.

DishranawaywiththeSpoon Same as GP's. I think they're actively encouraged to avoid referring if possible. I bet there's some kind of financial incentive too. Or I could be talking out of my arse. Practicing Dentists/GP's please comment.

Had mine for twenty years. Gets infected about three times a year.
I've got a hooked pointy dental pick from the pound shop. Poke it under the painful flap of skin, remove the piece of food that's got stuck there,rinse and repeat.
Dentist has offered to remove it but I figure the pain of that will be much worse.

OP, I was in a similar situation to you until a couple of weeks ago, recurrent problems with an impacted upper wisdom tooth. I'm not in UK but dentist referred me immediately to an oral surgeon who apparantly has better tools at her disposal than a dentist.

The extraction was a 15-20 minute procedure with local anaesthetic, with access and incisions on either side of the tooth. 2 stitches. No bleeding to speak of afterwards, no real pain or significant swelling.

After years and years of sporadic pain, it is such a relief to have the tooth out. Paid 120 euros. Worth every cent!

If I were you, I would keep up the pressure on your dentist to get your tooth extracted. It feels so good to be without pain! Good luck!

I hate them.
Lower impacted right was removed (no problems) a decade ago.

The other three are impacted but the hospital won't remove them because the roots are in my sinuses . I hate the aching and think it's triggered my permanent face pain.

You poor thing. DD had impacted lower wisdom teeth, they were lying completely on their sides. Her dentist said they probably wouldn't meet the criteria to be removed, even though they were likely to lead to decay in the neighbouring teeth.

Her dad and me said we'd pay for her to have it done privately. Not that we're rich! It was going to be about £2,000 I think. To begin with she had a private consultation with an oral/maxillofacial surgeon, cost about £160. The surgeon said they should be removed, and she could get her referred on the NHS. So that's what happened and she had them out under GA in a local hospital (day patient). It was very painful afterwards though, for 2-3 weeks, the hospital issued the patients with liquid morphine! The holes have to be washed out with salt water regularly, and you have to take great care. That was last year, she is fine now, holes closed up and she's so glad it was done. It was very hard to clean her teeth and floss etc properly at the back when the wisdom teeth were there, as it was so crowded in her jaw.

So you could try the consultation and hopefully you get lucky like DD? Or just try another NHS dentist? They all have different opinions.

I had all four - impacted and causing recurrent pain and infections - removed under GA in hospital in my late teens (I actually had to have my lower jaw dislocated - put it this way, I've never been able to eat peach melba yoghurt since).

Have they told you why you can't get this seen to?

I had one of my lower wisdom teeth removed last year as it was impacted and causing recurrent pain and swelling. It was "a very difficult extraction" according to the oral surgeon, who had to break the tooth into pieces to get it out. Consequently, it didn't heal well, my whole face swelled up on one side and was very painful. I couldn't work, sleep or eat anything. The extraction site became badly infected and I can honestly say the pain was worse than childbirth, I was climbing the walls. I was given strong antibiotics but they didn't touch it and a few days into taking them the extraction site became so swollen that my stitches burst in the middle of the night. I ended up having to take two different sorts of antibiotics alongside each other (which made me feel very ill) as the infection was so severe. It took weeks of medication and repeated trips back and forth to the dentist to have the wound cleaned out (agony) before I felt normal. To be honest I can completely see why your dentist is being rigid about following guidelines and only wants to take the tooth out as a last resort, it's not always the simple, straightforward procedure that a lot of people think.

The NHS have emergency out of hours dentists. Go to one of those or at least get a new dentist.