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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Aibu wishing dentist had pulled my wisdom tooth this am

38 replies

Feetupteashot · 04/02/2021 14:42

Went for NHS appt, £28 later I had two x-rays and dentist counted my teeth and told me they wouldn't refer for extraction despite two infections and ongoing problems.
It's an upper tooth, aibu in thinking she could have pulled it out there and then?

OP posts:

HappyRaven · 04/02/2021 14:44

Have you been given a prescription for antibiotics?

CaraDuneRedux · 04/02/2021 14:48

Sadly YABU. Totally get why you wish she'd just pulled it out on the spot - it sounds hellish.

But typically wisdom teeth have messy roots. As a minimum she would need to do an x-ray to see how complex the extraction will be, and they can be quite lengthy, complex procedures. She will have had a day full of booked appointments (most dentists have a big backlog to clear up) plus juggling covid precautions and extra cleaning (incidentally extractions probably result in a need for a deeper clean between appointments than just check ups).

I get where you're coming from (had to have one out myself a few years back - they're miserable when they start playing up). Hope you get it out soon.

LemonandGingerTeafor2 · 04/02/2021 14:48

I had an upper wisdom tooth removed
The dentist said they try to avoid if possible as there is a large nerve right by it and there is a risk of damaging the nerve and having facial paralysis.
I had to have antibiotics prescribed twice in 12 months as a starting point before they would consider it

Crosstrainer · 04/02/2021 14:49

I don’t think they ever do anything “there and then”, honestly - because the appointment time is much shorter for a check up than a treatment.

negomi90 · 04/02/2021 14:51

I've been on the waiting list for wisdom teeth removal for over a year. Sometimes they can be complicated and I've been told I need a general anaesthetic for mine. They also have a long recovery time. Are you prepared on the day for a week off work with no notice?

YerAWizardHarry · 04/02/2021 14:54

Dentists tend to avoid doing extractions if infection is present, makes local anaesthetic difficult to work with and also can cause issue with healing.

Also wisdom teeth often need referral to specialists, you can't just whip them out because the nerves can be massive and are really close to the sinuses.

ForeverHomeSearcher · 04/02/2021 14:58

I had mine all out under general anaesthetic about 10 years ago. I had the option of having it done under local. Clearly it's not that quick a process that they could just fit you in. Especially at the moment where they need to spend time sanitising between appointments so can see less people.

Totally appreciate the pain though so hope the antibiotics get to work. I'd push for it if it doesn't resolve or if it comes back.

HerNameIsIncontinentiaButtocks · 04/02/2021 15:01

I wanted to take an axe to my face when I had wisdom toothache, so I know where you're at.

Take your antibiotics and painkillers, try to relax. You should be back to normal in a week, then you can work on organising next steps - extraction if need be, but depending on the issue the antibiotics may actually fix it, not just fix the symptoms.

As people have said, they avoid taking them out while you're infected anyway. If/when they do, you'll find it takes a good couple of weeks to get your mouth back to normal anyway, so it's no quicker!

TalesTheCat · 04/02/2021 15:45

My dentist doesn't pull wisdom teeth. I had to be referred to the hospital twice to have them removed. Maybe ask if dentist will refer you? Tbo I don't know how long a referral will be atm

DishedUp · 04/02/2021 15:48

Have the planned to take it out?

They don't need to do it on a check up, they won't have planned for it and there won't be time. But they need to make an ongoing plan for the tooth

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 04/02/2021 15:48

They won't touch a tooth while it's infected. Something to do with risk of sepsis I think, not really sure. Plus wisdom teeth are really in there. The roots are long and usually curved, it's not always straightforward getting them out. Plus with covid they have to air out the rooms between patients and if they need to take it out in pieces it will need drilling. It's making dentistry a bitch.

Cabinfever10 · 04/02/2021 15:56

Sorry you're going through this i had 4 years of issues with a lower wisdom tooth before it was extracted and they had to do it at hospital as it required the removal of a chunk of jaw bone and cutting the tooth into pieces just to get it out.
If you can save the tooth do it

CommanderBurnham · 04/02/2021 17:34

Maybe ask for a private referral if you're desperate?

Original poster

Feetupteashot · 04/02/2021 17:41

Hmm I read another thread which was 'positive stories about wisdom tooth extraction' which led me to believe extracting upper ones could be quite straightforward.

It's just quite mucky and grim at the moment despite my best efforts. Been infected twice but I only bothered the dentist once so I don't think they believe me

OP posts:

oldegg123 · 04/02/2021 17:58

Am super experienced in wisdom tooth removal after having all three (for some reason don't have a upper left one) growing in sideways, getting infected, decaying and causing immense amounts of trouble the last year.

You're right that upper ones tend to be less complicated - when I came in my dentist made me another appointment to extract it himself without x-ray. This was because it was decayed and causing the decay and damage to the tooth next to it. If it's just an infection of the gum then normally (unless impacted) you can solve it with special brushes, mouthwash etc. Did dentist give any more info?

Bottom teeth are a nightmare and normally need to be done by either a dental surgeon or an oral surgeon depending on how complex.

oldegg123 · 04/02/2021 18:04

Just seen your post about it being mucky and grim - yup I remember that well Things that helped when I was waiting for dentist appt/x-rays/surgery:

water flosser - honestly the best thing ever - will get all the crap and food out of the gaps between. You can also fill it with half mouthwash.
curasept mouthwash (similar to corsosdyl but won't stain)

-using a sulcabrush

corsodyl spray to treat gum infection

-regular hot salt rinsing- lie on your back and let it sit in the area for a couple mins

MissMarpleDarling · 04/02/2021 18:07

They never do it there and then I had what you had then went back a week later and she pulled the wisdom tooth out. She numbed me so much my eye was dry for ages after but it was painless

tenredthings · 04/02/2021 18:07

Bad luck ! I went to the dentist with bad toothache in my wisdom tooth, he did an X-ray and whipped it out there and then, only took a minute !

MissMarpleDarling · 04/02/2021 18:09

I stand corrected 🙈

RubyGoat · 04/02/2021 18:18

Keep in touch with them. I only managed to get my wisdom teeth out after 2 of them caused septicaemia (at separate times, a few years apart). Even then it was antibiotics & at least a month's wait, both times. I had an open wound in my mouth both times that wouldn't heal, & rapid weight loss due to the pain & not able to eat much. I had to use some vile tasting mouthwash twice daily in the meantime to minimise the chance of it getting infected again. Bloody awful.

Emeraldshamrock · 04/02/2021 18:22

I had 2 removed 3 weeks ago I'm still in agony it isn't a quick fix it is rarely carried out at an emergency appointment.

amylou8 · 04/02/2021 18:34

I have one at the top that's only partially through, but has been giving me problems for about 3 years. I was referred to the hospital beginning of last year for an extraction but I'm still waiting. I've had several courses of antibiotics. It had a temporary filling in it which has now fallen out, and I just have a gaping gummy hole with sharp bits of tooth sticking out. Keeping it free clean is near enough impossible, and it's going to be recurrent infections until it's removed. I just want rid of the thing.

Emeraldshamrock · 04/02/2021 18:56

I'd top and bottom removed after years of pain I couldn't wait for the operation I can't to recover.
My top one was very close to the sinus the removal left a hole in my sinuses they expect it to close the pain is horrendous air and slime going from my nose to throat the joys.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 04/02/2021 19:20

My top wisdom tooth was a bastard to remove. Eventually I had it done under GA.

Odd that your dentist hasn't referred you to have it removed. Did she say why?

starfishmummy · 04/02/2021 19:47

@Feetupteashot

Hmm I read another thread which was 'positive stories about wisdom tooth extraction' which led me to believe extracting upper ones could be quite straightforward.

It's just quite mucky and grim at the moment despite my best efforts. Been infected twice but I only bothered the dentist once so I don't think they believe me

I have had all mine removed over a period of time. First (lower) was under a general; then one by one the others which were always done there and then and I went back to work afterwards. Recovery was quicker too.

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