Posted by writeradmin
I am getting braces and the dentist/orthodontist suggested getting four teeth removed because of overcrowding. He left one root in for a premolar, which puzzled me because if he’s trying to make space, wouldn’t he need that space where the root is? I asked him about it and he told me it would fall out by itself. I decided to get a second opinion because he couldn’t tell me how long it would take for this root to fall out. The other dentist said the root will not fall out and I’ll need to get it out. However, he mentioned it is by a nerve and told me there are risks. He couldn’t say how much of a risk. Now I’m worried about facial paralysis. What do I do? I’m already an anxious dental patient and this has me near panicked.
Denise
Dear Denise,
I’m a bit surprised at your dentist saying that the root would fall out on it’s own. That’s obviously not true. Instead, the bone heals around the tooth and will bury the root in place. Plus, as you observed yourself, the whole point of removing the tooth is to make space. I’m glad you got a second opinion.
My guess about the warning regarding your nerve is in an overabundance of caution. Dentists are constantly worried about lawsuits in our litigious climate. As a result, some of them will exaggerate the risk a bit to protect themselves. The roots of lower premolars are near the mental foramen, a nerve that comes out of a bone. This nerve is very easy to see on an x-ray and a good surgeon can easily avoid it. Even if for some reason a dentist did sever it, this nerve goes to the lower lip and chin. It would cause numbness to that area, but not facial paralysis.
I want to address your anxiety for a moment. Dental anxiety is something that plagues many patients, usually stemming from a traumatic dental experience. In case you weren’t aware, I wanted to tell you about dental sedation. It has changed the lives of patients who have dental fear. Even those with severe anxiety.
A sedation dentist can provide you with a pill to take before your dental appointment that will completely relax you. In fact, you’d be able to sleep through your appointment if you chose to do so. This is called oral conscious sedation. It is very strong however, so you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment, as well as stay with you after the procedure until you are completely lucid and steady on your feet.
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