Pulled Tooth...

[thebigchill]

Had a visit to the dentist this morning, to have a tooth pulled out. Everything went fine until after it was out, when she told me I had a stringy bit of flesh hanging out the hole. She said she didnt know what it was, she's never seen or heard of it before, but that it was definately a part of me and she was reluctant to cut it out without knowing what it actually was...help? Anyone got any ideas what it is?

[Sqad]

Well a stringy bit of flesh brings a dental nerve to mind although it just could have been buccal mucosa (lining of the gums or mouth) Methinks a dentist should know his/ her anatomy a little better than that.

There is a dentist ABerJML something or other.......he will give a better opinion.

[evil__sheep]

to me a stringy bit of flesh brings a vomit bowl to mind!

[RATTER15]

I would just cut it off and hope for the best, its hardly going to be a branch of the jugular now is it!

if its stringy then it must be superfluous, in my mind anyway!!

[merciasounds]

blimey - I'd wonder about the dentist's qualifications.

[snags]

''She said she didnt know what it was, she's never seen or heard of it before''

Change your damn dentist!

[Safiya]

I agree with ratter.... or save it to chew on when ya bored

[ayabrea38]

I would just like to agree with what has been said here,as a qualified dental nurse for over 17 years,I would defiantly change your dentist ASAP.It will either fall out over the next few days or be re absorbed by the body.I take it you where given advice on salt mouthwashes as from tomorrow,and not to rinse out today.I would guess it could be many things,non of them that bad,it could even be blood(You know like when you have had a nose bleed)but without seeing it I would not like to say for sure.
If you get that bothered about it,you could always visit some sort of hospital out of hours clinic/walk in centre,just to put your poor mind at ease.
Hope you are OK anyway and change that dentist!
Aya

[thebigchill]

Nice response, thanks for all the answers. I think I may know what it is - for years I avoided the dentist (big time scaredy cat here) despite part of a filling falling out. Food often got stuck in it but I was able to just suck it out - is it possible over time the constant sucking has created a little bit of gum/skin/buccal mucosa that hangs away from the rest?

I'm actually more concerned now about the hard piece I can feel in the opposite side of the hole...feels sharp and soft - might this be cartilage of some sort? It was a molar btw, upper right.

Thanks again for all the replies.

p.s. she's gorgeous, her and the assistant...rather not give up on her just yet ;)

[thebigchill]

For anyone interested, ayabrea38 was right - it both fell out, and was reabsorbed not long after. The pointy bits were shrapnel, which I wasn't fully rid of until a moth or two ago.