Get a second opinion

[KittyKitty]

Don't be talked out of it.

Short history, many years ago it was decided to pull my lower front teeth . Wanted to know if I could have implants. So was sent to a dental specialist. One thing she said was," No one likes dentures. Hold on to your teeth as long as possible" So she suggested putting a composite behind my teeth to stabilize them. They are doing fine after 6 years.
Now I had a under gum cavity that I didn't do anything about it, so it got to my tooth nerve. I decided to pull the tooth as I couldn't get the pain under control. After it was pulled my regular dentist said I needed to pull the surrounding teeth and put a "retainer". I remember what the specialist said. I had to request a second opinion 3 times till they would do it.
And sure enough, there were other options, so I didn't have to pull the other teeth. Maybe down the road, but not now.

I realized my regular dentist does not do root canal nor implants. So he didn't know what else could be done.
I remember thinking I didn't want to hurt the regular Dr.'s feelings, but I also remember I had to do what was best for me.

So get another opinion.

 

[Ellie008]

Yes, second opinions are important, but at this point I would find a new dentist. My dentist doesn't do root canals either, but she certainly knows when they may be needed and who to send me to for confirmation.
When we first moved here I went to a dentist I found through my insurance provider. I went twice before I decided they had no business being a dentist. I got recommendations from other people and have been with my current dentist for many years now with no issues.

 

[brockash]

Don't be talked out of it.

Short history, many years ago it was decided to pull my lower front teeth . Wanted to know if I could have implants. So was sent to a dental specialist. One thing she said was," No one likes dentures. Hold on to your teeth as long as possible" So she suggested putting a composite behind my teeth to stabilize them. They are doing fine after 6 years.
Now I had a under gum cavity that I didn't do anything about it, so it got to my tooth nerve. I decided to pull the tooth as I couldn't get the pain under control. After the was pulled my regular dentist said I needed to pull the surrounding teeth and put a "retainer". I remember what the specialist said. I had to request a second opinion 3 times till they would do it.
And sure enough, there were other options, so I didn't have to pull the other teeth. Maybe down the road, but not now.

I realized my regular dentist does not do root canal nor implants. So he didn't know what else could be done.
I remember thinking I didn't want to hurt the regular Dr.'s feelings, but I also remember I had to do what was best for me.

So get another opinion.

Thank you for posting. So important and is so easily pushed aside. I try to remind myself of this, but it is daunting.

 

[kdonnel]

Anytime someone talks about dentists I think back to a 1997 Readers Digest story. It looks like they have updated the story over the years.

Dentistry is an inexact science.

https://www.dentaleconomics.com/pra...-readers-digest-article-affect-patients-trust
https://www.rd.com/article/shouldnt-trust-everything-dentist-says/
https://www.rd.com/article/how-honest-are-dentists/

 

[fly girl]

Yes, second opinions are important, but at this point I would find a new dentist. My dentist doesn't do root canals either, but she certainly knows when they may be needed and who to send me to for confirmation.
When we first moved here I went to a dentist I found through my insurance provider. I went twice before I decided they had no business being a dentist. I got recommendations from other people and have been with my current dentist for many years now with no issues.

You read my mind. I initially started a reply but my wording was too harsh and I couldn’t convey it properly. Thank you.

My dentist does quite a few procedures, but if he can’t he’ll be the first to tell you it’s out of his scope and who we need to go to. And he has done everything under the sun to help me keep my teeth! (My dentist in college was abysmal and I had a cavity that was not painful, but went too long without being fixed. He is doing everything for me to keep the tooth and not have a root canal. So far, so good!)

@KittyKitty, I’m just glad you kept fighting to keep your teeth. We are our own best advocates and sometimes we fail ourselves in that regard. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[tvguy]

My mom had to move into a Residential Care Facility when she was 89 after she had a stroke. More than once I calls from the Facility saying she was refusing to take her dentures out. She didn't have dentures, she had ALL her natural teeth but one. Apparently when we was a teenager she had a toothache and the decision was made to have that tooth pulled. This would have been in the 1930's, and she grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere in Saskatchewan, Canada. So the Veterinarian pulled the tooth. The closest Dentist was over 100 miles away, and no way my Grandfather was taking her into town for that!

 

[KittyKitty]

She didn't have dentures, she had ALL her natural teeth but one.

WOW. I am jealous!

Yes, second opinions are important, but at this point I would find a new dentist.

The specialist recommended one. Got an appointment with the new dentist in April.

 

[Pooh2]

Had a similar experience recently.
So glad I got a second opinion and moved on from my dentist of 25 years.

 

[tvguy]

The specialist recommended one. Got an appointment with the new dentist in April.

I have all mine. Even my wisdom teeth. My wife had 6 pulled when she got braces. Both our kids had their wisdom teeth pulled as teens.

 

[MrsPete]

Definitely don't make medical decisions because you don't want to hurt someone's feelings!

Implants are a great product -- but extremely expensive. My children were both born missing some teeth, and they both had dental implants done in their senior year of high school. The process took some time, but they are both doing GREAT and say they literally never think of their implants. They treat them just like natural teeth.

Their regular dentist doesn't do implants, but he recommended an oral surgeon.

 

[KittyKitty]

Definitely don't make medical decisions because you don't want to hurt someone's feelings!

This is leftover reflex I learned growing up.

 

[Imzadi]

Something similar happened to me. I've known forever that my wisdom teeth are impacted, (grown in totally sideways, at a 90 degree angle under my gums.) I was always told I would probably need to have them taken out eventually.

Fast forward some twenty plus years, my top teeth shifted and started crowding. I used to have braces and perfectly straightened teeth. I read that the teeth sometimes shift back. But I also thought it could be my wisdom teeth finally moving, so I saw an oral surgeon about it.

He was surprised that my wisdom teeth had lasted that long. While he didn't see any immediate situation as they didn't bother me at all other than the thought they were causing the crowding, the x-rays indicated there may be a cyst in front of one tooth and possible abscessing in the other. He said I may have a potential problem in ten years. He wanted to take the bottom ones out NOW as a preventative action.

The top ones were my concern about the teeth crowding. Yet, he wasn't even touching those and they were positioned such that he couldn't get them out. So, he was finding a problem I hadn't gone in for. The bottom extractions wouldn't fix the crowding at all.

I felt his preventative diagnosis was all well & good - if I had the money. While insurance would pay quite a bit, a hefty sum would come out of my pocket.

I was also quite a bit cynical, especially as it was during a downturn in the economy. He was highly, highly recommended to me by my regular dentist. But, his waiting room was empty. The phones were silent, and the office was practically able to fit me in for an appointment at any time, for the consultation and the extractions.

Of course, the extractions would be beneficial. But I wondered if this expensive, preventative operation - when there's no real immediate problem, may be more about helping to pay the dentist's rent.

I decided NOT to get my wisdom teeth out. Instead, I went to a cosmetic/aesthetic orthodontist. He put on laminates over my front crowded teeth, so they are perfectly in alignment again. Plus, he said the extra thickness would help stop the shifting. AND he gave me an Invisalign retainer, just in case they do start shifting. (Which I never needed.)

I never regretted my decision. It's been 15 years. My teeth still look great. And I haven't had a problem with my wisdom teeth, so far.