Can you do your own dental work?

[Mr. Jelly]

I've seen people do that. On a job sight no less. An important point is how bad your tooth is. Another is how solid your gums are. If the tooth is crumbling it won't work. If your gums are receding and weak and the tooth is solid enough to get a hold on test the waters. I'd suggest doing it on a week day during office hours in case something goes wrong. CYA statement - It's your call and I don't know any more than you do.

[Fogducker]

Sounds like you have a whole new career path over in Eastern Europe. I think they could use a man like you!

Fog

[guitar george]

I had a blood test done on April 9, 2019. The reading for "C Reactive Protein (High Sensitivity)" was 5.8 mg/L when it should be less than 4.8 mg/L. I thought, "What the heck is that?". I looked it up and read that infection can cause a high reading. I had a slightly infected tooth that had been infected for a long time. I knew it was infected because the dentist had been telling me and it hurt every time I pushed down hard on it. I knew that an infected tooth could be bad for the heart, so, I had the tooth pulled on April 16. On May 6 I had another blood test and the C Reactive Protein (high Sensitivity) reading had gone down from 5.8 mg/L to 0.6 mg/L. in less than a month. Even my doctor was surprised. He said I probably saved my heart.

[srick]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Interesting insight! About 6 months ago I was having problems with a molar, and went to see my family dentist. He told me my options for the tooth were to have a root canal or to have it extracted. Based on cost and location of the tooth I told him I preferred extraction, and he told me that he would refer me to an extraction specialist as he no longer performed extractions in his office. I was surprised. I thought general dentistry included tooth extraction, and he had done a tooth extraction for my wife some years earlier. Obviously, things in the field of dentistry had changed, as your comments above clearly indicate.

In the end, I was very pleased with the experience I had at the dental extraction specialty office. Painless, quick and relatively inexpensive at several thousand dollars less than a root canal.

Catdaddy - Sometimes extraction is the best option.

A big part of my (and others) discontinuing certain procedures comes from gaining more experience in the field. Over many years you become far more aware of the many complications that can occur during treatment and you have to be able to handle them. Plus, our patient population has gotten older, and many are on multiple medications. The bottom line is that we want the best treatment for our patients and the doc who is doing 20 extractions a day or ten root canals a day is going to be able to handle these complications better than the general dentist who may do only one or two a week.

You are right, like all fields, medicine and dentistry have become more complex. Today, it is common to employ full monitoring and even an IV line during extractions because of the need for speed when adverse events occur.

To all who are reading - taking out a tooth is probably one of the trickiest things you could ever want to do. The tooth is housed in very solid bone and the removal is accomplished by compressing that bone with a rocking motion. It takes patience and skill. The teeth are often muti-rooted, or have very small tips (think about pulling out a stump from the ground intact and leaving only the small stem hole when you are done). Post-op bleeding is often an issue and there are several arteries to worry about. The top teeth are in intimate contact with the sinus and nasal cavities and it is extremely easy to create a permanent hole into the sinus (ugh.)

The initial diagnosis is all important as not all toothaches are caused by decay and not all abscesses are caused by infection. Cancer and neurological disorders can mimic and mask dental symptoms and pathology.

As far as post-op, yes infections do happen. Yes, bacteria can colonize a heart valve. And yes, an infection can be life threatening.

I am trying to be real nice here and not scream, but once again, to fellow AGF'er TGE", I implore you: get this ridiculous idea out of your mind and go to an expert.

Rick

[Lakewood_Lad]

If you do decide to try DIY remember to submit yourself for one of these before you start.

[DesertTwang]

Only in America...


... would this question even so much as come up in the first place...

[TJE"]

Originally Posted by srick

Catdaddy - Sometimes extraction is the best option.

A big part of my (and others) discontinuing certain procedures comes from gaining more experience in the field. Over many years you become far more aware of the many complications that can occur during treatment and you have to be able to handle them. Plus, our patient population has gotten older, and many are on multiple medications. The bottom line is that we want the best treatment for our patients and the doc who is doing 20 extractions a day or ten root canals a day is going to be able to handle these complications better than the general dentist who may do only one or two a week.

You are right, like all fields, medicine and dentistry have become more complex. Today, it is common to employ full monitoring and even an IV line during extractions because of the need for speed when adverse events occur.

To all who are reading - taking out a tooth is probably one of the trickiest things you could ever want to do. The tooth is housed in very solid bone and the removal is accomplished by compressing that bone with a rocking motion. It takes patience and skill. The teeth are often muti-rooted, or have very small tips (think about pulling out a stump from the ground intact and leaving only the small stem hole when you are done). Post-op bleeding is often an issue and there are several arteries to worry about. The top teeth are in intimate contact with the sinus and nasal cavities and it is extremely easy to create a permanent hole into the sinus (ugh.)

The initial diagnosis is all important as not all toothaches are caused by decay and not all abscesses are caused by infection. Cancer and neurological disorders can mimic and mask dental symptoms and pathology.

As far as post-op, yes infections do happen. Yes, bacteria can colonize a heart valve. And yes, an infection can be life threatening.

I am trying to be real nice here and not scream, but once again, to fellow AGF'er TGE", I implore you: get this ridiculous idea out of your mind and go to an expert.

Rick

Understood completely Rick - what had seemed like a simple procedure akin to getting a rusty nail out of some wood, to an er uniformed person like myself, now seems a possible suicide attempt.

Thank you sharing your expertise in detail.

[srick]

Glad to hear it TJE”. And glad you asked before trying it!

[stokes1971]

Ah,a bunch of worry warts.Just go for it.Better yet,do it the way Moe would do it for Curly.Tie a string to it,strong string, tie the other end to the bumper of a car and have your friend give it the gas.Be over before you know it.

[Scott O]

Originally Posted by stokes1971

Ah,a bunch of worry warts.Just go for it.Better yet,do it the way Moe would do it for Curly.Tie a string to it,strong string, tie the other end to the bumper of a car and have your friend give it the gas.Be over before you know it.

That was a good one but my favorite is when they have Shemp be the dentist and instead of the patient, he accidentally rips Moe's tooth out. My wife hates that!

To the original poster, do it!!!!

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by DesertTwang

Only in America...


... would this question even so much as come up in the first place...

Is shooting it out another possibility?
Small caliber of course, wouldn't want to suggest anything silly.

[srick]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Is shooting it out another possibility?
Small caliber of course, wouldn't want to suggest anything silly.

Or, Tom Hanks in 'Castaway'? No thanks, I think I'll pass.

[Murphy Slaw]

That's the way it was.

And we liked it...

[Silly Moustache]

Back in the day, and mostly before free dentistry via the NHS there was a custom for tying string around a tooth and a door handle then getting someone to slam the door.

Mind you that was for the "baby" teeth, not for mature people.

Old infected teeth need extraction by a qualified dentist. Nowadays we have to pay for NHS dental treatment (huh?)

Here are the charges.
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-que...tal-treatment/

How broke do you need to be to risk sepsis?

[hubcapsc]

I changed out all my teeth for petrified sabertooth tiger teeth myself at
home.

-Mike "is this a real thread?"