Dental Advice Badly Needed

Jen199

Hi,
I am not sure if this is the correct place to come to, but I guess I can measure the success by if I have any replies or not.

For a number of weeks I was suffering with a bad toothache coming from my wisdom tooth. Eventually I went to a dentist. I had never been with him before. After explaining this problem, we removed the tooth. He did not xray it before removing it. After the extraction, I had to have some stitches. It was very painful. I was told the swelling would go down after a few days. It was really sore. I did notice a lump in my mouth beside where the tooth had been removed. After been sick for a few days. I phoned and he said it was an abcess (which caused the sickness) and would leave a prescription for an antibiotic, as well as a second course of ponston, for me to collect. I questioned this, and asked did he not need to examine me first of all. He said no and I assumed this was normal. He also told me at this point that it had been a difficult extraction and that it had been sutured to the bone and that some of my jaw bone came out when he had removed the tooth. So, I finished the antibiotic on Thursday last. I still have a lump in my mouth and it is still quite sore. I just called my dentist and he said, as I have an appointment on Thursday, he will see me then. Can you tell me if this is acceptable? The main questions I have are as follows:
1. Is it typical to remove a wisdom tooth without an X-ray
2. Is it typical to prescribe antibiotics without a consultutation.
3. Is it normal for an abcess not to clear up on one course of antibiotics?
4. Is it okay to leave my abcess without treatment? Is it likely to make me sick again?
5. Should I find a different dentist?

I would really appreciate any advice. I don't know what to do, or what is acceptable in this situation. Please help.

Jen

Stark

I think you need to find a different dentist.

DublinWriter

Mate of mine had a wisdom tooth out about a year ago and was in agony for months after.

He went to a different dentist who discovered that the first dentist left one of the roots in.

Now, I'm no dentist, but if I was taking out a wisdom tooth I'd expect to see four roots on the tooth I just extracted, and if not, I'd be sure that I left a root behind.

The moral of the story? Find another dentist.

Jen199

Okay - so I need to find another dentist. I'm just wondering is the guy I went to a cowboy? Should he have taken the tooth out without x-raying it. The fact that he took a chunk of my jaw bone with him doesn't help. Is this standard practice.

The_Minister

When I got mine out they had to put me under.

tk123

I think he should have xrayed you - I had a bunch of xrays before I got my wisdom teeth out. It wasn't that painful either - the guy did a good job!

kumar01

hiii friend
why should you remove wisdom tooth without taking x-ray.
IF you are taking that away it means that you are doing something again god's creation.

Visit my blog to know more about wisdom tooth
edentalcare.blogspot.com is my blog.

Please let me know how it helped you all.

Regards,
Kumar

kumar01

hi stark
how are you

this is kumar

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Jen199 wrote:

Hi,
I am not sure if this is the correct place to come to, but I guess I can measure the success by if I have any replies or not.

For a number of weeks I was suffering with a bad toothache coming from my wisdom tooth. Eventually I went to a dentist. I had never been with him before. After explaining this problem, we removed the tooth. He did not xray it before removing it. After the extraction, I had to have some stitches. It was very painful. I was told the swelling would go down after a few days. It was really sore. I did notice a lump in my mouth beside where the tooth had been removed. After been sick for a few days. I phoned and he said it was an abcess (which caused the sickness) and would leave a prescription for an antibiotic, as well as a second course of ponston, for me to collect. I questioned this, and asked did he not need to examine me first of all. He said no and I assumed this was normal. He also told me at this point that it had been a difficult extraction and that it had been sutured to the bone and that some of my jaw bone came out when he had removed the tooth. So, I finished the antibiotic on Thursday last. I still have a lump in my mouth and it is still quite sore. I just called my dentist and he said, as I have an appointment on Thursday, he will see me then. Can you tell me if this is acceptable? The main questions I have are as follows:
1. Is it typical to remove a wisdom tooth without an X-ray
2. Is it typical to prescribe antibiotics without a consultutation.
3. Is it normal for an abcess not to clear up on one course of antibiotics?
4. Is it okay to leave my abcess without treatment? Is it likely to make me sick again?
5. Should I find a different dentist?

I would really appreciate any advice. I don't know what to do, or what is acceptable in this situation. Please help.

Jen

1. An x-ray should really always be taken before removing a tooth although sometimes the dentists experiance is enough to know the tooth will come out ok.

2. Antibiotics should not be prescribed without a consultation apart from allergy antibiotics are only useful in very specific dental pains.

3. Only removing the source of the infection will clear up the infection. Antibiotics can reduce the infection and stop it getting worse but rarely remove it completly.

4. You did not have an abcess because the tooth was gone. Some residual infection most likely caused an infection of the surrounding bone called a dry socket. Antibiotics do not really do much for a dry socket they always clear up on their own. Hot salty water can speed things up a bit.

5. Find a dentist you are happy with and stick with them. You dentist really does not sound as if he/she did anything wrong IMHO....

good luck

fitzgeme

P.s. Kumar01 : hope you arnt advertising your site here. Contact the admins if you want advertising space.

SedationDentist

I'd agree with Fitzgeme, although I don't know about the x-ray. I've 15 year's experience and still haven't been able to work out the shape of the roots of individual teeth by guessing.
I can think of about 10 reasons to take an x-ray.
Can't think of one reason to NOT take one(especially of a third molar)