Not as exciting as the title may have led you to believe, but I’m having a tooth out.
Many of you have become aware that I have a tooth in virtually the middle of my lower jaw which has been affectionately named “Devil Tooth”. Clearly visible in the above pic, I’ve had it since I was about 14, but the dentists and orthodontists of the time kept refusing to do anything about it. Not only would they not remove it (because it’s an adult tooth) but they would not remove the milk teeth (I still have 3) that are in the place it should be, citing “we have to wait until the rest of your teeth grow through” as a reason for doing nothing. Well, come my 16th birthday, (still no more teeth, mind) they decided that yes, now they could do something about it, but since this was a cosmetic issue and I was suddenly over 16, I’d have to go on a 2 year waiting list, and pay for the privilege. I was so annoyed at being messed around I decided I’d just not bother having anything done.
Since that time, I’ve never really trusted dentists, and indeed didn’t have one for the 7 years I was an undergraduate student. However, the looks of shock and fear from those to whom I have revealed the tooth, not to mention it causing me a few annoying problems, led me to finally bite the bullet and decide to have it removed. This has taken so long mostly because NHS dentists are hard to come by in this area and they don’t take kindly to students who say “but I do live here, I just happen to also be a student…”.
Walking down the hill I spotted that Denticare on North Parade were taking new NHS patients. Booked an appointment, got seen, got told that the price of this checkup and the extraction all told would be £39, and that it could be done as soon as next week. That was so easy I should have done it years ago, it’s a lot cheaper than I thought it was going to be, and I don’t have to go into hospital or have a general anaesthetic.
Now I’m just petrified about the actual procedure. Prepare the soft non-threatening foodstuffs and the saltwater for the 2nd of September. Eeep! Anyone else had an adult tooth extracted without general anaesthetic?
Scatman Dan | 18-Aug-08 at 12:00 pm | Permalink
I’ve had two “excess” wisdom teeth extracted under local anasthetic, many years ago, and one under general, many years before that. It’s more pleasant than a root canal, but less than a check-up. How’s that?
The Pacifist | 18-Aug-08 at 12:14 pm | Permalink
Prepare the soft non-threatening foodstuffs and the saltwater for the 2nd of September.
Right. Want a curry on the 1st then?
Mister JTA | 18-Aug-08 at 4:42 pm | Permalink
Yes. One.
It doesn’t hurt. The needle for the local anasthetic does, but that’s pretty much auto-numbing.
Yes. One.
It hurts like fuck.
Now stop being such a wuss about it. Dose yourself on enough ibruprofen afterwards, and you’ll not notice a thing until you scrape a toothbrush over the wound.
pete | 18-Aug-08 at 5:55 pm | Permalink
Hey Claire,
If it makes you feel any better I’ve had several adult teeth pulled without general anaesthetic, four of the big molar type ones at the back in fact, and that didn’t hurt. Wasn’t particularly comfortable but wasn’t painful.
Hope it goes well for you, good bye devil tooth.
Pete
Matt in the Hat | 18-Aug-08 at 6:34 pm | Permalink
I’ve had a couple removed under local anaesthetic but mine had three roots instead of the usual two so they took bloody ages.
Are you keeping the Devil Tooth? Will you have it made into a pendant? Will Dan wear it?
RockMonkey | 18-Aug-08 at 7:02 pm | Permalink
I had a few out a while ago, as apprently my mouth was too small for all the little buggers who wanted to live there.
To be honest it’s not plesant but it’s nothing to be worried about. Judging from the location of the tooth your face will probably be numb for quite a while afterwards which means your have the fun of uncontrollable drooling so by a bib.
The local going in will probably be more painful than the extraction unless they’re gassing you which I didn’t have done but am informed it’s much fun.
I wouldn’t plan on eating anything that day or doing much else (I think I slept mostly, just think of it as a hangover with none of the good points).
Anyway will be fine.
Sarah | 18-Aug-08 at 9:31 pm | Permalink
I’ve had four removed (I have too many teeth, or something). I had an injection and had two removed, then two removed the next week. It was okay, except for hours afterwards I basically ate cotten wool cause there was a fair bit of blood, yuck. Didn’t really hurt, it just ached a lot, I took a bit of ibubrofen (sp?) and ate soup for the day, and all was fine!
Eskoala | 19-Aug-08 at 11:17 am | Permalink
Well, that was a reassuring set of comments, thanks all. Paul: curry the night before sounds like a great idea.
Eskoala | 19-Aug-08 at 11:21 am | Permalink
Oh and I haven’t thought about what I’m doing with the tooth, Matt! I didn’t know if I’d be allowed to keep it. Maybe I should.
Ele | 19-Aug-08 at 4:55 pm | Permalink
I am sad to hear about the removal of Devil Tooth
I think you should keep it, as a necklace like Matt said is a good idea! It’s your devil tooth, not property of the dentist so you should be able to keep it, just make sure you ask beforehand if you can have it back.
I’ve never had any teeth out *touch wood* so far. I had an evil dentist who wanted to take out a tooth that was causing no problems, she said because the molar on the bottom jaw hadn’t grown the top one would eventually cut into the gum. I refused to let her because in my opinion ‘if it isn’t broke then don’t fix it’ and then she hurt me so I never went back to her. She claimed it would start causing problems, that was about 4 years ago… Dentists are evil.
I wouldn’t let anyone take a tooth without anaesthetic though. I find the anaesthetic doesn’t work so well on me, not sure why, my dad is the same and I usually end up having to have a second injection. Scream if you can feel anything! Hehe
Jon | 20-Aug-08 at 12:54 pm | Permalink
You’ll be fine with the local anaesthetic. The most alarming thing I found when having teeth pulled is the noise it makes. Kind of a loud creaking snapping sound. But it doesn’t hurt at all.
And afterwards you can let people punch you in the mouth and you won’t feel a thing. Doesn’t make the same kind of noise though.
Eskoala | 20-Aug-08 at 2:03 pm | Permalink
Oooh, creaking snapping sound? Pleasant. Think I might not let people punch me in the mouth afterwards, even if it doesn’t hurt!