You're almost certainly not my dentist
May 5, 2015 8:43 AM Subscribe
I've got a potential issue with some dental work sequencing - should I get a filling now or wait until I've had my wisdom teeth taken out next month? More details within.
My (UK, NHS) dentist recommended I have my wisdom teeth taken out, and referred me to a private surgeon (I have insurance through my work which doesn't cover most dental stuff but does cover surgical extraction). She also thought that one of the wisdom teeth might have damaged another tooth - though it's not clear to me how conclusive the x-ray was - and recommended I get a filling in that tooth.
I'm not in any pain, though I do have some sensitivity to cold in that tooth. Or possibly the one next to it. It's hard to tell.
When I saw the surgeon, he said the tooth looked fine and that I didn't need a filling, but he didn't do as thorough an examination of my teeth as my dentist did. I don't have any relationship with either person - I've seen the dentist twice and the surgeon once, so there's no real established trust with either one.
The filling is booked for next week, the wisdom tooth extraction for late June.
My questions: would it be worth delaying the filling until I've had the wisdom teeth removed, when it should be easier to see definitively if there's any damage?
Complicating factor: I'm currently pretty depressed (bipolar II, in therapy, seeing my psychiatrist regularly, in the process of getting my meds assessed/tweaked). I don't really have the energy to advocate for myself or deal with a bunch of phone calls/scheduling/bureaucracy. At the same time, I don't want to sleepwalk into getting a filling I don't need because I was too depressed to deal with the situation.
I don't have any fillings currently, and the filling would be a metal one based on the position of the tooth, as apparently the white stuff doesn't bond as well back there. I'm slightly worried about any changes to the way the inside of my mouth feels - the same is true for the wisdom tooth extraction, but the need is more obvious there (repeated infections, impaction, etc.).
I've already paid for the filling, as this is how my dentist handles NHS procedures (not uncommon in the local area; my partner's dentist does the same), but I can get a refund if I end up not having it.
Basically, I don't have a good handle on what the best course of action is, nor do I have a lot of mental resources in terms of making decisions and advocating for good care right now. If anyone has experience of which order I should get these things done to my mouth in, if at all, it would be much appreciated.
My (UK, NHS) dentist recommended I have my wisdom teeth taken out, and referred me to a private surgeon (I have insurance through my work which doesn't cover most dental stuff but does cover surgical extraction). She also thought that one of the wisdom teeth might have damaged another tooth - though it's not clear to me how conclusive the x-ray was - and recommended I get a filling in that tooth.
I'm not in any pain, though I do have some sensitivity to cold in that tooth. Or possibly the one next to it. It's hard to tell.
When I saw the surgeon, he said the tooth looked fine and that I didn't need a filling, but he didn't do as thorough an examination of my teeth as my dentist did. I don't have any relationship with either person - I've seen the dentist twice and the surgeon once, so there's no real established trust with either one.
The filling is booked for next week, the wisdom tooth extraction for late June.
My questions: would it be worth delaying the filling until I've had the wisdom teeth removed, when it should be easier to see definitively if there's any damage?
Complicating factor: I'm currently pretty depressed (bipolar II, in therapy, seeing my psychiatrist regularly, in the process of getting my meds assessed/tweaked). I don't really have the energy to advocate for myself or deal with a bunch of phone calls/scheduling/bureaucracy. At the same time, I don't want to sleepwalk into getting a filling I don't need because I was too depressed to deal with the situation.
I don't have any fillings currently, and the filling would be a metal one based on the position of the tooth, as apparently the white stuff doesn't bond as well back there. I'm slightly worried about any changes to the way the inside of my mouth feels - the same is true for the wisdom tooth extraction, but the need is more obvious there (repeated infections, impaction, etc.).
I've already paid for the filling, as this is how my dentist handles NHS procedures (not uncommon in the local area; my partner's dentist does the same), but I can get a refund if I end up not having it.
Basically, I don't have a good handle on what the best course of action is, nor do I have a lot of mental resources in terms of making decisions and advocating for good care right now. If anyone has experience of which order I should get these things done to my mouth in, if at all, it would be much appreciated.
Whoa whoa whoa, amalgam fillings are not a "practice of the nineteen sixties"! They are significantly more durable than resin fillings and there's no reason not to have them in places where they won't show. I have amalgam fillings that I am completely happy with (and can't feel at all). Amalgam fillings are great.
That said, yes, put the filling off until after the wisdom tooth extraction, unless it starts to hurt first. I'm surprised your doctor suggested getting a filling now, because it's possible that extracting the wisdom teeth could also cause some damage to your surrounding teeth. I was in the process of getting a root canal and crown at the same time as I got my wisdom teeth out (what a fun year) and they delayed putting on the crown until after the wisdom tooth extraction because it would likely have been damaged.
posted by mskyle at 9:28 AM on May 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
That said, yes, put the filling off until after the wisdom tooth extraction, unless it starts to hurt first. I'm surprised your doctor suggested getting a filling now, because it's possible that extracting the wisdom teeth could also cause some damage to your surrounding teeth. I was in the process of getting a root canal and crown at the same time as I got my wisdom teeth out (what a fun year) and they delayed putting on the crown until after the wisdom tooth extraction because it would likely have been damaged.
posted by mskyle at 9:28 AM on May 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
Well, it doesn't make any sense to me to put a filling into a tooth that doesn't actually need it. And I told the over-eager substitute dentist I had last year exactly that when he said two of my back teeth looked a little "chalky" and we should put in fillings. It did help that my hygienist who trained as a dentist was standing behind him shaking her head and waving her hands. And I still haven't had any fillings on those two molars (the only two I have without fillings!).
I say wait until after the wisdom tooth extraction to see if you really need it.
Also, all of those fillings in my molars are amalgam and are over 20 years old. The amalgam fillings have been less trouble than the composite (white stuff) ones I've had done. They can easily adjust the amalgam ones to get your bite comfortable, but not the other ones.
posted by monopas at 9:45 AM on May 5, 2015
I say wait until after the wisdom tooth extraction to see if you really need it.
Also, all of those fillings in my molars are amalgam and are over 20 years old. The amalgam fillings have been less trouble than the composite (white stuff) ones I've had done. They can easily adjust the amalgam ones to get your bite comfortable, but not the other ones.
posted by monopas at 9:45 AM on May 5, 2015
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Of course not.* You wait until the wisdom tooth is out of the way so whichever dentist of your trust takes a good long look afterwards has
a) a good view
b) good access to the area in question
Right now, you could call the dentist and say, 'sorry I'm not up to it at this point.' Perhaps you feel better after the wisdom tooth is pulled in June, and anyway, it will all be easier then.
June (not now) will also be the time to get a second opinion on the metal (i assume: amalgam) filling. If the dentist is worth her/his money, and has direct access to the area, the "white stuff" will most certainly stick: mine does all the way back, and has for years, nay, decades. Do not let anyone "NHS" you into practices of the nineteen sixties.
*Although it is tempting to, in one's mind, make Daffy Duck shout "Fill him now, fill him now!"
posted by Namlit at 8:56 AM on May 5, 2015