Should I get this tooth extracted?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's one of my back molars. Even though I'm a pretty regular brusher/flosser and even was as a kid (I didn't have my first cavity until I was 24 in fact), this tooth is hard to reach, and thus developed some decay from the gumline that grew out. Also because of the weird angle its in I rarely use it even for chewing. I was getting a little aches from the decay, so I went to my dentist and got it patched. However the dentist warned me the patch would likely be temporary and eventually I'd have to either get a crown on the tooth or just pull it and personally he'd recommend just extracting it, since as noted before it's not even a key tooth for chewing. I've had one tooth with a root canal and crown, and that tooth is a far more important one he said is worth keeping.

This weekend my filling basically fell out. I put in some temparin and it feels fine, no pain at all. But I saw the pre-patched internals, it's really ugly, obviously a part of the tooth you're not supposed to see (luckily you can't see it without trying to.) And even though the tooth doesn't hurt yet, I remember the tooth I had a root canal on, it developed a cavity, ached a little, ended up cracking, the cracked part got infected, it was basically the worst pain ever and it was so bad I ended up going to an emergency dental place the next day (on a Sunday) just to get it to go away. Would rather not end up with that happening with this tooth. I'm thinking of just going to the same emergency dental place (it's kind of near my work anyway) and just requesting an extract before anything does happen. A straight extraction isn't very expensive anyway even without insurance (and I have it.)

Thoughts?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Yes; I see no reason why you'd want to just let it go.  It seems like it'll just cause more problems down the road.

[WalterMitty]

extraction is certainly the cheapest option, but any dentist will try to talk you into a root canal.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

extraction is certainly the cheapest option, but any dentist will try to talk you into a root canal.

Mine already advised the exact opposite. But he's a good guy, and has been in private practice for many years now, so he already has his student loans paid off.

[dead0man]

I'd do whatever your trusted dentist says.


But FTR, I take MUCH worse care of my teeth than you, am twice your age and have never had a root canal or extraction.  Plenty of cavities...and a future of dentures I'm sure.  Genetics and flouride in the water (I drink a LOT of tap water) have saved me a lot of pain I suspect.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'd do whatever your trusted dentist says.


But FTR, I take MUCH worse care of my teeth than you, am twice your age and have never had a root canal or extraction.  Plenty of cavities...and a future of dentures I'm sure.  Genetics and flouride in the water (I drink a LOT of tap water) have saved me a lot of pain I suspect.

Ten years older isn't twice my age.

The last root canal was only caused by a bad cracking in that tooth. And in this case the problem is also that the tooth grew in slightly less than the next one, it's kind of like a lower step.

[Simfan34]

I didn't have my first cavity until I was 24 in fact

Wait, grown people can get cavities? I've never had any but I always thought I was good!

[Adam Griffin]

If it's not bothering you immensely, I'd advise keeping it for as long as possible.

As someone who's had extensive dental problems thanks to genetics (more than half of my teeth had either been extracted or capped by the time I was 20), let me explain what will happen most likely. If the tooth is relatively in-line with your other teeth, having it extracted will immediately begin to cause your other teeth to shift. It won't be immediately noticeable, but you may or may not begin to develop a gap between two or more teeth over the months and years that follow as a result (especially if it's the last one in the back). If you have wisdom teeth that have never been pulled there, then it's possible that one will come in in its place if it's not impacted.

If you have another tooth behind this one, then you may wish to go ahead and look at having a bridge placed in the area. This will help prevent most of the shifting of your other teeth and will deal with any future issues of food being caught there (and subsequently trigger more decay of neighboring teeth). If your dentist says it needs to be extracted at some point, then you're too long gone to have a cap/root canal (they always try to push you keeping teeth in this way, sometimes even when the tooth is too far gone). I have two bridges and have had them for six years now; I'm starting to have difficulties with one, but that's because the tooth behind it had to be pulled and the way it was capped either left a part of the capped tooth exposed or was damaged when the tooth behind it had to be pulled. In most cases, crowns done properly these days can last 20 years.

Get some Sensodyne Pronamel or equivalent toothpaste for sensitivity to help you prolong this, as pain will often occur before there is any substantial or hazardous infection. Depending on the type of decay and your own body, even a horribly fractured tooth can sometimes go pain-free for years when combined with a bit of sensitivity treatment and a bit of luck. Like I said: having teeth pulled leads to shifting of other teeth and a deterioration of jaw bone (which can even change the shape of your face over time), so unless it's horribly altering your breath, swelling or  causing a lot of pain (like when you lay down), keep it for as long as possible.

[Adam Griffin]

I forgot to mention another thing. You didn't say if it's on the top or bottom, but if it's on the top, I definitely emphasize the prior advice. The deterioration of jaw bone is more pronounced on the upper half of your mouth and the decay usually takes a lot longer than on the bottom (since liquids and food get stuck far more often and are exposed much more to these teeth). I've had a total of eight teeth pulled (four on top, four on bottom), and I've never had one on the top get to the point where the pain was bad - it was always the bottom ones that would get agitated far more from chewing, grinding while asleep, more rapid decay, etc. I only had the top ones pulled when they got to the point that I was worried a surgical extraction would become the only option.

[Badger]

Better poll:

Should I:

a) See a dentist for a professional medical opinion;

b) Leave my dental health up to an internet poll of politico nerds;


Perhaps not fair given only a pinhead would choose b).

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I forgot to mention another thing. You didn't say if it's on the top or bottom, but if it's on the top, I definitely emphasize the prior advice. The deterioration of jaw bone is more pronounced on the upper half of your mouth and the decay usually takes a lot longer than on the bottom (since liquids and food get stuck far more often and are exposed much more to these teeth). I've had a total of eight teeth pulled (four on top, four on bottom), and I've never had one on the top get to the point where the pain was bad - it was always the bottom ones that would get agitated far more from chewing, grinding while asleep, more rapid decay, etc. I only had the top ones pulled when they got to the point that I was worried a surgical extraction would become the only option.

Bottom.

Also there's not another tooth behind it, and as noted it's in kind of a weird angle that doesn't fit the other teeth. It's a lower back molar so I don't think a bridge would be possible. However having it gone wouldn't make chewing any more difficult since I barely use it for that anyway. The teeth shifting thing is the only concern I'd see there.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Get them all yanked Gummy