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I'm need a couple of teeth extracted. My right, lower wisdom tooth is cracked in multiple places and is causing a sharp, on and off again pain. Another left, lower tooth is half missing and causes no pain but my dentist suggested I get them both removed at a local oral surgeon. I wanted IV sedation for the procedure but they want someone to drive you to the office and bring you home. I found someone who could help me out on a Saturday but the next Saturday appointment available is in mid April. I could get the procedure done with local anesthesia right now but I was concerned and wondering if local anesthesia would be as effective as IV sedation. I'm sure I could get a supply of Tylenol 3's from my dentist to ease the pain until IV sedation is available but I'm not sure what to do in this situation. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Ask the surgeon if he'd consider local + nitrous oxide. You don't need an escort after nitrous because you're totally conscious the entire time, and it wears off seconds after the mask is removed from your nose. It doesn't ease the pain, it just makes you not really care.
if you get IV sedation, youll be so happy you did.
if you get local, youll be wishing you got IV sedation.
can you handle pain and pressure? if so, go local. and youll probably save a few hundred in fee's.
How much pain and pressure are you talking about? I was hoping they would numb you out throughout the procedure so pain wouldn't be an issue. Looks like waiting for an IV sedation appointment may be the best solution.
How much pain and pressure are you talking about? I was hoping they would numb you out throughout the procedure so pain wouldn't be an issue. Looks like waiting for an IV sedation appointment may be the best solution.
They'll definitely numb you with lidocaine, or lidocaine plus epinephrine (which helps keep the bleeding to a minimum and boosts the numbing effect). In fact, other than just being nervous about the whole thing, the lidocaine needle will likely be the most painful part of the procedure. It's a quick pinch, followed by a burning sensation. The sensation doesn't last long, just a second or two, but it always makes me say OWWWWW and the dentist always has a chuckle over that (I'm prone to vocalizing my distaste so this is definitely louder than it needs to be. My new dentist is awesome, zero complaints).
Following the extractions, you'll be sent home probably with some gauze wadded in your mouth and instructions to keep it in there, because it'll staunch the bleeding. After an hour or so it'll be pretty yucky so you'll need to remove it and - again if instructed by the dentist, replace it with fresh gauze. Or just remove it and don't chew on anything for the rest of the day. He'll probably recommend salt-water rinses - which really DO help with the pain. No smoking, and definitely no alcohol for a few days. You might or might not need any painkillers at all, usually a normal over-the-counter Tylenol will be enough. If he had to cut into the gum to get the wisdom tooth out, you might be given a prescription for 2-3 days worth of Percoset or Vicoden, but you really won't need that much.
Ask the surgeon if he'd consider local + nitrous oxide. You don't need an escort after nitrous because you're totally conscious the entire time, and it wears off seconds after the mask is removed from your nose. It doesn't ease the pain, it just makes you not really care.
I just returned from the oral surgeon. They took x-rays with some fancy-dancy whirling computer thingy and me and the Doc had a talk. He said the x-rays showed the wisdom tooth was cracked but it wasn't impacted and was in a very good position to extract. He said the other smaller tooth would be easy to remove also. As far as anesthesia is concerned, Doc said IV sedation wouldn't be needed and he recommended local and the nitrous oxide. I asked how long the whole procedure would take and he said 15 minutes. That sealed the deal and I'll get everything done on Monday afternoon. The cost for the surgery will be $760 ($325 for each tooth extracted and $110 for the local and nitrous oxide). Today's cost was $255 ($130 for the Star Wars spinning x-ray thingy and $125 for the exam and chat with the Doc). Total cost to fix the big stuff and get the teeth back to normal will be $1015. Not as bad as I expected. Thanks to all for your comments and opinions. Your help is much appreciated.
The spinning x-ray star wars device sounds like a panoramic radiograph. These are big things, you stand or sit (can't remember which) and rest your chin on a thing, and stay still a few moments while the whirly-gig moves from one side to the other around the front of your head.
It takes a full view of all your teeth in a single shot - which is why it's called a panoramic radiograph. You'd get those once every 5 years, with yearly bite-wings, and individual bite-wings on trouble teeth only when needed to diagnose a problem. You get the panoramic, usually, instead of the "full set" you'd normally get every few years.
It's more expensive but also shows more with less stress to the patient, and gives a much better overall view of the complete picture for the dentist.
Oh - one more thing about getting the extractions: You will be tempted to poke the pulpy area where the teeth were extracted with your tongue once the gauze is out. Please try not to give into the temptation. It can irritate the area, which makes it take longer to heal, which makes it a higher risk for infection during the healing process. It doesn't mean it'll infect it. Just raises the risk a bit.
And again - salt water rinses, as soon as the dentist gives you the all-clear for them. Just a big pinch of salt in a Dixie cup of warm tap-water - swish it around your mouth without gargling or "sluicing" through your teeth - just be gentle with it. Then let it all dribble back out into the sink. Really helps speed the healing, and helps with the soreness (which will likely go away after just a couple of days).
Just had a tooth extracted with local anesthesia to do an implant. It was painless and not that big of a deal.
Worrying about it before hand was the hard part. I was glad it was over and thank goodness for pain pills afterward.
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