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oral surgery what to expect

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kaitlin65383
kaitlin65383

my dentist referred me to an oral surgeon i have 5 teeth that need to come out right away then down the road as insurrance allows it i will have to have my entire mouth pulled and have dentures. what can i expect as far as oral surgery goes? my mom says its up to the dentist and not up to me as to wheather or not i can be put to sleep? i have a severe near debilitating anxiety disorder. can i request that i be put ot sleep even if the oral surgan says its not needed im nervous never had this done before. tooth extraction is one thing but oral surgery is another

any info will be appreciated

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • lily65668
    lily65668 kaitlin65383

    Posted

    I've had two teeth pulled by an oral surgeon (at two different times). It's exactly the same as going to the dentist, except that oral surgeons are usually a bit better at administering effective local anaesthetic. I believe they're authorised to inject the local into places in the mouth that dentists aren't. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.

    The reason they're called oral surgeons is that they're qualified to do actual surgery in the mouth, e.g. for a broken jaw, tumours etc. However, they also do very ordinary extractions in exactly the same way a dentist would do it where there's the slightest chance of complications or an abscess, or for multiple extractions.

    I wouldn't advise asking to be put to sleep unless the oral surgeon is working in a hospital or a fully-staffed medical centre, polyclinic etc. It's really not very safe in a dentist's office. You're much better off just having local anaesthetic, especially as oral surgeons are the real experts in this field too. In any case, you'd have to ask the insurance whether they're prepared to pay for this.

    If you've already been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I imagine you'd be on medication for this. Can you ask your doctor if it's OK to take a larger dose an hour or so before the procedure? If you're not already on anti-anxiety meds, your doctor might be able to prescribe a couple of doses, just to calm you down for the procedure.

    Don't worry - you'll be in really good hands. In fact, if I ever had to have another tooth extraction I'd insist on having it done by an oral surgeon, even if I had to pay the excess on the insurance myself!

    • kaitlin65383
      kaitlin65383 lily65668

      Posted

      the place i was referred to is less then 2 mins away from a major hospital and they state on there website that whebn put to sleep you are closely monitored by trained staff also i have to have 5 teeth pulled out in one day so id prefer to be put to sleep the oral surgeon is across the street from the hospital
    • lily65668
      lily65668 kaitlin65383

      Posted

      Up to you Kaitlin, but I'm a former nurse who was warned about the dangers in anaesthesiology lectures more than 50 years ago. They still have a couple of deaths per year in the UK, and you'll probably have read of the 3-year-old girl who died in CA just a few days ago. I expect the clinic she went to said the same thing.

      I wouldn't personally agree to anaesthesia or deep sedation anywhere that wasn't right in a major hospital.

      I don't want to add to your anxieties, I'm just telling it like it is. You have absolutely nothing to fear from having the extraction under local anaesthesia, particularly if you can take some mild oral sedation first. Having five teeth pulled isn't much different from one. Each extraction takes just a couple of minutes, especially when done by an oral surgeon.

      But as I said, up to you.

    • kaitlin65383
      kaitlin65383 lily65668

      Posted

      most of my teeth are broken and my dentist herself said she couldnt pull them because of how bad they are deep sedation would be my best option surgery wise
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