dentist type question

[wolf63]

One of my back teeth has just fallen out - there is no pain (yet). It looks like there is a metal crown in the tooth.

I don't mind there being no tooth there for now but don't want to leave it only to encounter problems later.

SO -

►If I do leave it for the time being and the hole closes up does this mean that the dentist can't do anything - whatever his options are?

►► Is the fact that there is no pain a good sign, bad sign or doesn't matter.

[Quassia]

wolf, I would get in the dentist as soon as is possible. In the mean time, treat as an extraction and after brushing gargle with warm salted water which will keep it sterile.

[Quassia]

brushing ... as in brushing your remaining teeth as usual.

[wolf63]

I can't get in until middle of next week. As a hypochondriac that is a long time to go without medical treatment - will I survive?

[Quassia]

Course you will .... stock up on some pain killers just in case. A salt rinse is really good by the way!

[Quassia]

:0)

[wolf63]

I, along with millions of others, hate going to the dentist. He is annoyingly cheerful and insists on starting conversations that I am unable to join because he has half his arm in my mouth.

Thanks for your advice and support - know anything about blurred vision?

:-)

[Quassia]

lol!! I know nothing about blurred vision. The worst thing about being in a dentists chair is they think you can still swallow without a break for a breather ... :0)

[wolf63]

I actually think that is extra horrible as you can't see what the dentist is doing - like getting a smear test.

I am getting a small lump removed from my elbow on Tuesday (by my GP) and am quite looking forward to it - at least I can watch what is going on.

Thanks.

[J9PUR]

You say: "One of my back teeth has just fallen out.... It looks like there is a metal crown in the tooth."

I presume you mean the whole tooth (including the root) that has come out, and not just the crown of the tooth that has fractured off? Two entirely different problems!

[wolf63]

J9PUR - no root so I suppose that means that it has just fractured off.

[J9PUR]

In that case.....
The tooth needs to be assessed to determine if it restorable or not. It may be possible to resore the tooth with a new core and crown, after an assessment of the long-term prognosis of the tooth and the pulpal status. If the tooth is deemed unrestorable, then extaction is the only option.

[wolf63]

J9 - thanks. Is it an easy thing to have extracted. I remember getting a wisdom tooth pulled out - but the relief when it was out was amazing. It had been impacted (I think that is the word) and it hurt like hades.

Can I leave it days/weeks before going to the dentist?

Are you a dentist? My dentist told me a story about a class mate at uni doing dental treatments at the local vets surgery in his spare time. Working on the mouth of a tiny mouth (cat) would have been pretty difficult after working on a human mouth. :-)

[J9PUR]

Sorry I can't enlighten you as to the difficulty of the extraction - there are many factors to consider. The roots may simply luxate out within a couple of minutes, or a 'surgical' extraction may be needed which would take longer and would involve 'stiches' afterwards. ALmost certainly it could be done under a local anaesthetic.

There is probably no urgency as you are not in pain, but it ought to be dealt with soon. At some stage the retained root is liable to become infected, but this may take many months, if not years. Some patients decide to leave a retained root in-situ and it never causes a problem. However, they have to accept the risk of infection by doing so.

Best advice is to discuss this with your own dentist.

[wolf63]

J9PUR - thanks. I will go to see the dentist - the thought of toothache potentially striking at a later date doesn't appeal to me at all.

Thanks for your help. It is nice to have someone to reassure me that there is no immediate panic. I don't like bothering the dentist with an emergency appointment when there is no emergency.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Susan