[majazama]

I have two wisdom teeth that I know are decayed... I'm wondering if I leave them in, will they cause the other teeth to decay faster? Also, is it really necessary to pull them? And does it really hurt to get them removed? What happens to the hole left once the decayed tooth is gone?

I haven't been to the dentist since I was covered by my mom's medical when I was 17 (now 24) I have no pain in these teeth, but they are not even useable, as my bite doesn't even touch them. They came up decayed, and I always get food stuck in them, they are not fully out of the gums, and they started coming out when I was 21. They are a pain, but I'm a bit afraid of the dentist. I don't like a lot of the stuff they do, granted, I could probably find a holistic dentist in my area. Does getting a tooth pulled cost a lot?

 

[Mooky]

Hi,
I just had to reply as I have the same situation sort of, I just got 2 of them pulled left top and bottom. I let them go for about 10 years, and they never fully came through and lately started really hurting so I went to the dentist who recommended an oral surgeon. But as I have no insurance and am breastfeeding and didn't want to be put under the dentist said he would pull them if I wanted. So I did it with just local numbing shots. My dentist said that not getting them removed at a certain point could make a person really ill, like a systemic infection. He would only pull two at a time though. It cost me $125 a tooth plus a cost for a bottle of Tylenol 3. They hurt bad later, and it makes eating a fun adventure. My bottom tooth was cut out and I had stitches which fell out in about a week. I have heard from others that it takes a long time for the hole to close fully. I am glad they are out though as I could almost feel them making me ill, I hope I answered some of your questions, good luck with the teeth

 

[guiltriddenmommy]

I had my left top and bottom wisdom teeth pulled a month or so ago. I was very terrified of having it done. It turned out to really not be too bad at all to be honest. It was much easier than expected. I had it done in my dentist's office with local anesthesia (shots). I think it took about six shots to numb me but the shots aren't nearly as bad as some people make them out to be. I had no trouble with them and as scared to death as I was the dentist was really surprised at how well I did.

Once I was numb I felt nothing. I have very solid, strong, and healthy teeth but I was starting to get cavities in my wisdom teeth and they were really starting to hurt. They've actually been "in" for about 10 years but I was too afraid to have them pulled. They were in so strongly that the dentist really had to put a lot of pressure on my face. It wasn't comfortable and I was left with a very large bruise but it wasn't extremely painful either. It was just very uncomfortable but only lasted a short time. My bottom tooth was slightly impacted so it cost me more to have that one pulled, although I don't know why because I think he basically just pushed the gum out of the way. He didn't cut it or anything.

The pain in my extraction sites afterward was very minimal. The worst pain I had was actually pain that radiated into nearby teeth. I guess the nerves were really sensitive for a few days. For a few days I thought maybe I was suddenly having tooth problems and literally lived in fear of being told I needed several root canals. Thankfully after about a week all of that radiated pain let up. As far as the actual pain from the procedure I honestly didn't need any pain medication. They gave me hydrocodone and I took it after I got home because I feared the pain that might come. It made me feel really bad and practically paralyzed my hands for a while. Anything else I took was just ibuprofen and that was usually first thing in the morning when my mouth was "stiff" from not moving it all night.

I really recommend having them pulled. The recovery period is short. I'm pretty sure that the decay from those teeth can spread to neighboring teeth plus it might effect your breath. I know my son had some decay on his front teeth and even though it wasn't really bad his breath always smelled like spaghettios. Now that he got them fixed last week that smell is completely gone.

Sorry I wrote a book. Just wanted to let you know my experience wasn't a bad one. The only really bad thing about it was having to pay out of pocket. It was $165 for the nonimpacted tooth and I think $300 for the impacted one. That was a month ago and I'm still paying the bill. Hopefully it'll be paid soon so I can get the other two removed.

Lucy

 

[alicia622]

If they are decaying, you really should have them removed. You don't want to make the situation worse- and you can make it very much worse if they become infected. I had mine pulled/cut out last fall. It was expensive (like 1200+ for all four) but I was lucky as my medical covered the three impacted and dental covered the other one. I was very scared and put it off for years until I started having more frequent pain. Thinking about it was a million times worse than actually doing it. I was put out for it and had some heavy duty pain pills for the recovery period. I can still feel little dents where the teeth once were.

 

[gardenmom]

If they're decaying, I'd get them pulled. I resisted doing mine, and they were so tightly packed to my back molars that I've now lost both of those to rot as well. I also used to get frequent sore throats, which I now think was due to bacteria from these bad back teeth going down my throat causing infections. I'm not letting my dental woes catch up with me again.

I am pretty scared of the dentist (major anxiety leading up to visits--generally fine once I'm there, I resist making appointments, etc.), but have to say that the specialists I've gone to for root canal and having teeth pulled have been so professional, they've been easy to deal with and my fears have subsided a bit.

My wisdom teeth came out in 45 minutes total, from entering their front door to getting back into my car (two upper back). I had little pain, and only needed a few doses of regular Tylenol, though I do have quite a high pain threshold. The real pain was the price, as my dental coverage then didn't pay for it--it was the fastest $900 I spent in my life!

 

[gardenmom]

Thought I was starting a new thread...oops...sorry!

 

[majazama]

Thanks for all the thoughts, everyone. I think I'm going to have to make myself deal with this before it gets any worse. Right now, I don't fell any pain in these teeth, but I can see it getting worse down the road. Can dentists do a general anestetic on me even if I'm still bfing? I really don't want to watch them pull out my teeth (((shudder)))

going to make myself make that phone call....