Should I See an Oral Surgeon?

I had a root canal treatment some years ago. It was not a pleasant experience and I will admit I did not follow up well. My dentist didn’t either so I never had the cap placed on it. The next thing I know the filling fell out and shortly after that the tooth started hurting again. A friend recommended a different dentist to me. I went there and he said the tooth will need to be extracted. However, he felt because it would be an extensive procedure I might want to do it with an oral surgeon. I don’t have a lot of money. I don’t want to do anything unsafe to save money, but what if I can’t afford the surgeon. What do you recommend?

Parker

Dear Parker,

Man holding his jaw in pain

I don’t like it when dentists make a patient feel like taking a less expensive option will put them in danger. Did he say what about this was complicated? To be honest, most dentists can do dental extractions. However, it is possible the type of extraction you are dealing with is beyond the comfort level or expertise of your dentist. In that case, I would not force his hand. You would not want to end up in a situation where your dentist got in over his head in the middle of the extraction.

This does not necessarily mean you would have to pay for an oral surgeon. Before I did anything else, I would get a second opinion. There are some dentists who offer free second opinions. This will allow you to have it looked at without having to expend any more money.

A second issue I would like you to consider is seeing a dentist who offers dental sedation options. You had a bad experience at the dentist which has led to you avoiding care. As you can tell, that can get very expensive. If you see someone who can give anxiety free, as well as pain free experiences at the dentist, it can change your whole outlook, as well as improve your ability to get the care you need in a timely manner.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins