Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
Extracting a tooth	sallie00	01/12/05
I would just like to get your opinion. About 2 months ago my dentist suggested I go to a peridontist to get their opinion as to whether a tooth, that is 8 pocket could be save (it's in the back on top if not next to it's close to my wisdom tooth) before I had bridge work done or I had a partial made. I told him even if the peridontist said I could have partials done, I would not have it done because I didn't want to invest in the money for a partial for just a short period of time. The dentist said said that bridgework would be best for me in that case. I decided to just keep the 8 pocket tooth as long as I could because I could not afford the bridge work. Now, the dentist saids, I need to have the tooth extracted. The hygenist saids its effecting my other tooth whose pocket is 6, and once the 8 pocket tooth is removed, it will be easier to clean the other tooth and probably save it from decaying because of the 8 pocket tooth. Going from their suggestion of having partials or bridgework done to having an extraction, seemed to happen so fast. Does all the above, in your opinion seem normal?
Answered By		Answered On
bal317		01/12/05
Hello: Yes it does, but you can go and have another opinion. Many times the wisdom teeth are pulled because they are so far back that one does not reach them properly when brushing and decay will set in, then this decay will go to the teeth next to them causing the loss of them as well. Your Dentist seem like he/she was trying to get a second opinion from the other professional and they came up with what is best in the long run for you. Also, you can ask to see your xray's and it will tell you as well how close these teeth are in proportion. Some Dentist will work around difficult teeth knowing eventually they will have to be removed but they are often money hungry and will let you run around with this time bomb, when it all could have been done up front without the many visits of cleaning something that is going to go bad eventually, doing bridgework that will have to be replaced, having infection from decay start and have to get antibiotics all while being in pain, just to pull them anyway. So check out another Dentist and have them look at your already taken xrays to save you some money for that opinion. At least you will have two opinons from different sources so you can deceide better and ask them about their dental plan. bal317

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