Expert: Jeff Dalin DDS - 12/3/2004

Question
I have a tooth that has given me alot of trouble. It is the second one from the back on the bottom left. I have had it filled twice but continues after time to cause pressure. I was put on antibiotics while I decided what to have done and it got better, now it is getting to be a problem again. This is all been going on about THREE YEARS!
I wanted to get a root canal or anything to keep the tooth but because of lack of insurance this pricey procedure is not an option and I must have the tooth pulled. I made an appt. to do this once and chickened out.
I am afraid of something going wrong with the extraction, how safe is having a tooth pulled?
I also hated that I was going to be missing a tooth but have found a low priced place to get a partial down the road. So that makes me feel better with that.
Please give me some advice to ease my fears. I am afraid of terrible things from having a tooth pulled. Also, about how long does it take? Will I hear cracking? The whole thing terrifies me!!!
Thanks.

P.S. How long will it take to feel better after the tooth is pulled?

Answer
Once you pull the tooth, it is gone. So make sure this is what you really want to do. You will then have a space and you may want to fill it with an implant or a bridge one day. You may not like that low cost partial denture. Doing a root canal and a crown now to save it will cost less than a bridge or implant.

But, if you really want to get it out, then let me put your mind at ease about extractions. How long it takes depends on who takes it out. If you use an experienced oral surgeon, he/she should be able to get it out in a very short time...often in less than a minute or two. It takes longer to numb it up than it does to extract it. If you are awake, you will hear some noises associated with the extraction. As long as you are numb, you should feel absolutely nothing. You always have the option of IV sedation which makes you feel that you are asleep. Just make sure a good oral surgeon is doing this extraction and you can be assured that it will go smoothly. After it has been pulled, your pain should stop because the tooth that was causing the pain is gone.

Good luck. Feel free to recontact me if you have any further questions.

Jeff Dalin, DDS