Root canal today but want extraction!

[bubbakin]

I'm booked in for hr apt today for root canal but I'm dreading it & would rather have tooth out. Can I request this? And is dentist likely to agree? It's my very back molar & I've never had a tooth out as an adult. Tooth was fine but after numerous xrays at every 6mth checkup dentist decided decay in tooth needed removing before causes trouble but it was in awkward area. So had filling, within few days pain started & within week was on ibuprofen all day. Managed to get emergency apt & dentist took filling out & redid with temp filler. Last week tgat went pear shaped & all weekend ive struggled to drink anything as think filler almost all out & ibuprofen not working! At time of temp filling he said 2 things he could do, extraction but that seems too drastic or root canal so he said will do that. Wasn't until booked apt I realised it would take an hr!! I'm not afraid of dentists it's the having to be there for hr & not able to leave (suffer with more of a control anxiety). Also feel that nothing he's done to tooth has worked so far so just want shot of it. Can I insist he takes it out or can he refuse??? Thank you

It is simply untrue that dentists have to put knees on chests or brace their feet against chairs to pull teeth out.

Really? DP must be lying to me then

Not lying but probably a patient perspective thing. My dh says the same and i was in the room with him!! Nothing i say will convince him the dentist wasnt on his chest

Thw dentist wasn't on his chest, but DP swears he put his foot against the base of the chair. Either way, if that's the patient perspective it shows that from the patient's POV extraction isn't always the "just whip it out" easy ride some people paint it as.

That indeed is true. I would recommend sedation, tis marvellous.

Well I've been!!!! Dentist was lovely told him my concerns & he said more than happy to extract so took another xray to check roots so knew what he wouldbbe dealing with (did have xrays from before but didn't show very bottom of root) roots were straight down. My wisdom tooth is also growing at an angle into that tooth so by having tooth removed would reduce chance of decay as can get to it to clean it. So went for extraction. 1.5hr later...tooth out! The top broke off, had to drill & cut roots out, have got stitches!!!! Am now in quite a bit of discomfort but he prescribed me paracetamol & ibuprofen & antibiotics to prevent infection. So would have been quicker to have root canal but not sure it would have been successful!!! Anyway, here's to drinking with a straw & feeling like I've been punched in the face! Thank you for all your offers of reassurance & experiences. X