Expert: Mark Bornfeld DDS - 10/22/2007

Question
I had my bottom right molar removed 5 days ago and have been waiting for the clot to smooth over. Yesterday I finally got the nerve to look at it and realised that the reason it doesn't feel like it is recovered is because a piece of the bone or tooth is now stuck under the surface and poking out into my cheek. So it feels like I have something trapped in the inside of my cheek all the time. Is this a mistake that the dentist made? Should I have to pay for something that doesn't sound like it should have happened? It is still very tender but it does not seem to move when I push on it, it just irritates. Should I change my dentist? (He did seem more interested in trying to teach his new assistant how to get the equipment out than my mouth. Please help.

Answer
Dear Sharon,

If a part of the tooth was inadvertently allowed to remain in the socket, this would indeed reflect poorly on your dentist's skills. However, this thing that is projecting from the socket could just as easily be a piece of bone that has inadvertently become detached (a "sequestrum"), in which case it has nothing to do with the skill with which the extraction was performed.

I recommend that you return to your dentist so that the projection can be corrected-- either by simply filing it down to facilitate healing, or removal if it has loosened. Postoperative care is traditionally considered part of active treatment, so there should be no additional charges for this service.

Hope this helps...

Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY