Dentist - Tooth Extraction

[david88]

What is the name of your state? Washington D.C.

I need advice on what steps to take in reference to the following: I went to the dentist for a tooth extraction. After the tooth was extracted, I went home and after a few hours I felt a piece of tooth still in the space where the tooth was taken out. I called the dentist's office the same day to inform them and was told them to come back in. During the next visit, the dentist took another x-ray and found a portion of tooth still impacted and scheduled another appointment for the latter part of the week to remove it. Three days later I still feel pain and my gum is swollen. Now I plan on going to the emergency room to have my gum checked out and receive antibiotics. What, if any, steps can be taken.

 

[demartian]

Back Tooth

I had a back tooth that was being crushed by my other teeth removed on Thursday. The Doctor made me sign a form stating that it was normal to have swelling for over a week and pain near and around extraction site. He also gave me a prescription pain medication for it. What you are feeling is probably normal. The Dr. and his staff just aren't as informative as the ones I went to.

 

[lealea1005]

You originally posted this on another forum 2 days ago.

Are you still waiting to go to the ER?

 

[ecmst12]

When you say three days later, do you mean three days after the fragment was removed? You should go back to the dentist before you go to the ER; the dentist is much better equipped to determine if it's infected and needs antibiotics or if it's just swollen as is normal after an extraction. Meantime try rinsing with warm salt water a couple of times a day, that can help bring the swelling down.

 

[david88]

Thanks ecmst12. Went to the ER and was given antibiotics -- will followup with the dentist this week.

 

[david88]

Thanks everyone for your replies. The pain is subsiding and will look for a new dentisit very soon.

 

[barry1817]

tooth problem

What is the name of your state? Washington D.C.

I need advice on what steps to take in reference to the following: I went to the dentist for a tooth extraction. After the tooth was extracted, I went home and after a few hours I felt a piece of tooth still in the space where the tooth was taken out. I called the dentist's office the same day to inform them and was told them to come back in. During the next visit, the dentist took another x-ray and found a portion of tooth still impacted and scheduled another appointment for the latter part of the week to remove it. Three days later I still feel pain and my gum is swollen. Now I plan on going to the emergency room to have my gum checked out and receive antibiotics. What, if any, steps can be taken.

Surprised me that the dentist did not immediately schedule to take out the piece of tooth left, or refer you to an oral surgeon for the procedure.

When a dentist removes a tooth, it is an oral surgery procedure and he is to treat you to the standard of the oral surgeon. Appears that he didn't do that.

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[ecmst12]

Unless OP did see an oral surgeon and is just saying "dentist" for simplicity All the teeth doctors are the same, right?

(Seriously though my dad is a dentist and when I needed a tooth extracted he sent me to an oral surgeon, didn't even try to do it himself!)

 

[barry1817]

tooth problem

Unless OP did see an oral surgeon and is just saying "dentist" for simplicity All the teeth doctors are the same, right?

(Seriously though my dad is a dentist and when I needed a tooth extracted he sent me to an oral surgeon, didn't even try to do it himself!)

All dentists are not the same. That is why there are specialties in the profession. It has become the standard for courts to rule that when a dentist treats in the field in of a specialist that he treats in a manner consistent with that specialty.

So when doing an extraction, one must ask the question whether an oral surgeon would have dismissed a patient with a part of the tooth still not extracted, and when finding such a problem not doing anything at the time. If an oral surgeon would have done that, the finding would most likely have been negligence, so the general dentist would be judged according to the same standards.

And it would be most interesting to have the dentist try to explain his treatment, and subsequent follow up to the treatment.

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[ecmst12]

All dentists are not the same. That is why there are specialties in the profession. It has become the standard for courts to rule that when a dentist treats in the field in of a specialist that he treats in a manner consistent with that specialty.

I know that, I was kidding But it's still possible that OP just didn't distinguish between the two.

 

[david88]

All dentists are not the same. That is why there are specialties in the profession. It has become the standard for courts to rule that when a dentist treats in the field in of a specialist that he treats in a manner consistent with that specialty.

So when doing an extraction, one must ask the question whether an oral surgeon would have dismissed a patient with a part of the tooth still not extracted, and when finding such a problem not doing anything at the time. If an oral surgeon would have done that, the finding would most likely have been negligence, so the general dentist would be judged according to the same standards.

And it would be most interesting to have the dentist try to explain his treatment, and subsequent follow up to the treatment.

[email protected]

The dentist does comprehensive dentistry. I thought he would have been able to extract the tooth without problems.

 

[barry1817]

dental

The dentist does comprehensive dentistry. I thought he would have been able to extract the tooth without problems.

That is nice to have that trust in your dentist, and I have often said that errors are part of natural treatment, but how the dentist responds to a problem determines where one has to go after a problem arises.

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