I'm in my mid 30's and have to have a tooth pulled

[hydster]

I have some of the worst luck with my teeth. I had a root canal done on my top left back molar and then it kept getting abcessed so my dentist didn't want to crown it just to have to rip it off until we could get to the "root" of the problem. He put on a temp crown and sent me on my way. About 3 weeks ago while eating a hamburger the temp crown broke or came off the tooth and left me a huge gaping hole. It didn't hurt and I didn't have time to go to the dentist until today. Last Thursday it starts abcessing again so the dentist calls me in some amoxicillin and then I go in today. Turns out that the rest of my stupid tooth is fractured so now I have to have it taken out. I HATE THE DENTIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have always hated the dentist. I'm freaking out because when I had my wisdom teeth pulled I dry socketed and I don't have time to dry socket since we are going to Las Vegas next week....stupid stupid teeth!!!

Thanks for listening whine and moan! Anyone have any positive tooth pulling stories for me?? Don't tell me any that will scare me or involve tons of pain cause I'm a wuss when it comes to my mouth! I'd rather give natural birth again than deal with dental issues.

 

[eeyore74]

I hope it goes smoothly for you! I hate going to the dentist, too. I know one day it will be "we have to pull the wisdom teeth" and I will freak.

You will NOT get dry socket. Keep telling your mouth that.

 

[gradtchr]

I had one pulled a couple of years ago and I honestly don't miss it. I don't miss the ache, and I don't miss hte pain. It didn't hurt to have it extracted and my sinus infections stopped when it was gone. That was the best thing ever!!

 

[Rella Bella]

You'll do fine! When you get it pulled: REST, lay down at least 12 hours, and don't use a straw! Those are the two keys to keeping your clot in place. Get some great movies and make use of the couch... sounds almost like fun? Right?

 

[hugsquared]

[/IMG]
It could be worse

 

[KeepSwimming]

Time and tequila heals all! Skip the salt part though (OUCH).....

 

[LisaS]

OK, you asked for a positive tooth pulling story and I don't really think this is going to help you, but the similarities between your situation and one that I experienced (second hand) today are kind of interesting so here goes... I had to take my 5-year-old cat to a veterinary dentist today for a very similar problem. She had somehow fractured a tooth in her upper arch on the left side of her mouth. She didn't have an abcess, but did have a lot of gum inflammation. She had to have the tooth pulled today. The veterinary dentist did the procedure in such a way that eliminates the possibility of a dry socket. She gave my cat pain treatment during the procedure and it must be working well because my cat is doing just fine this evening. I have more of the pain medication that I will give her tomorrow to keep her feeling comfortable while she is healing. I'd like to think that the standard of dental treatment for people is at least as high as what my kitty received today, so I'm hoping that you will receive such good care from your own dentist!

Of course my cat had two major advantages here. First, she had no idea what she was facing so she hasn't spent the last several days dreading the whole event. Second, she was given anesthesia so she was not aware of anything that was going on during the procedure -- she fell asleep and when she woke up it was all over.

But in all seriousness, I do hope everything goes well. I remember when I was told I had to have my wisdom teeth out I said "I'd just as soon jump off a bridge." But a friend of mine gave me some advice which helped me get through it. She told me that instead of dwelling on how awful it would be to have my teeth pulled, I should imagine that it would be OK, that everything would go well and I'd be just fine. I took her advice and that allowed me to make the initial appointment with the dental surgeon. At that appointment I found out I could have this done in his office under a general anesthetic so that I would not be awake during the procedure. I took that option! I drifted off in the chair and woke up in the recovery room. I had someone there to drive me home and I took the painkillers the dentist had prescribed and they knocked me out for several hours. I only needed them during the first 24 hours and after that the pain was minimal and bearable.

I have also had gum surgery. In that case I didn't have general anesthesia. I was given the option of taking some valium before the procedure and I decided to do it even though I'm not one to take much in the way of medication other than aspirin. Another excellent suggestion was to bring my Walkman (tells you how long ago it was!) and headphones and my favorite tunes to listen to and that helped a lot! Closing my eyes and getting into the music kept my attention away from what was going on around me. And again, good pain-killing drugs afterward knocked me out for the rest of the day.

Good luck!

 

[Beauty]

I have had two of my wisdom teeth pulled out. I was fine, they were fine. Well the other two are impacted so to have them pulled I have to be put under. Well I am afraid of nothing more than being put under so I won't do it. I guess if it ever hurts badly enough I will but now my jaws just pop alot and it bothers me some but I just do NOT want to be put under NO NO NO NO!