Baby Tooth Removal--ankylosed?

[nicolewi]

DS, age 13.5, had to have 5 baby teeth pulled for ortho b/c they were not falling out on their own and were unlikely to do so (except for one, which would have fallen out eventually but they didn't want to wait). 

Last week he had four of the teeth pulled, but they couldn't get one of them out. They think it might be ankylosed, or fused to the bone. So now we have an oral surgery referral!!! This is such an expensive PITA. We paid $425 already for the teeth, now it will be minimum $170 for the "consult" with the oral surgeon, and then whatever the cost of the tooth removal with oral surgeon will be. 

It doesn't seem like there's any option here. I mean, the tooth just has to come out, right? Anyone know how they actually would GET this out??? If it's fused in, I don't understand what they can do to get it out.

Would this be full anesthesia, or just a local anesthetic? 

Our consult isn't until mid-July and I'm curious. 

Any dental people or people who have had this done/done this with kids? how bad is this going to be? 

[ssmjlm]

What did the xrays show? I would think with today's technology the oral surgeon could review the xrays before requiring a consult.

[thebreakfastclub]

Sounds like these are questions for the consult. Not sure why it's in quotes. I would want to meet with the oral surgeon and understand the process in advance.

[wanderingback]

Jun 24, 2024 13:00:05 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

What did the xrays show? I would think with today's technology the oral surgeon could review the xrays before requiring a consult.

I don’t know much about teeth, but reviewing a patients history including X-rays is still work. Most people don’t work for free. So the consult is the time in which the provider will review everything and give OP their opinion/plan. The referral came from a dentist so presumably the dentist knows how to screen their patients appropriately to specialists like a surgeon and then the specialist/surgeon will give their recommendations and opinion which shouldn’t be done for free.

[lessel]

I don't have experience with this, but just want to say solidarity to your poor kid having to have so many teeth extracted. I was the same way as a kid and my DS1 is trending in that direction. He's 9.5 and of the 8 baby teeth he's lost, 6 had to be pulled.

[sent]

Jun 24, 2024 10:41:04 GMT -5 nicolewi said:

DS, age 13.5, had to have 5 baby teeth pulled for ortho b/c they were not falling out on their own and were unlikely to do so (except for one, which would have fallen out eventually but they didn't want to wait). 

Last week he had four of the teeth pulled, but they couldn't get one of them out. They think it might be ankylosed, or fused to the bone. So now we have an oral surgery referral!!! This is such an expensive PITA. We paid $425 already for the teeth, now it will be minimum $170 for the "consult" with the oral surgeon, and then whatever the cost of the tooth removal with oral surgeon will be. 

It doesn't seem like there's any option here. I mean, the tooth just has to come out, right? Anyone know how they actually would GET this out??? If it's fused in, I don't understand what they can do to get it out.

Would this be full anesthesia, or just a local anesthetic? 

Our consult isn't until mid-July and I'm curious. 

Any dental people or people who have had this done/done this with kids? how bad is this going to be? 

We refer kids and adults for extraction of ankylosed teeth a lot. The surgeons get them out by drilling them out. 

An educated guess is that the surgeon would likely suggest sedation for anesthesia if it is truly ankylosed. Maybe they will use just laughing gas and not sedate. One of the surgeons I work with does most everything with just laughing gas and local, but I only send patients there that I know will tolerate this method of anesthesia. If the patient is going to need sedation, I send them to another office where they offer it. 

Ask all of your questions at the consult. That is the reason for it. 

[cmeon]

We were just at an oral facial surgeon this morning for DS's impacted wisdom teeth removal. The bottom one (he only had 3) was very impacted and they had to drill it out- so not the same thing, but maybe similar enough. The doctor did tell us that he might have been able to do the top two without full anesthesia, but the bottom one would have been traumatic to go through awake. He took less than an hour for the three teeth, though- he clearly is excellent at what he does because DS is doing really well all things considered.

I do want to suggest getting on their cancelation list- we were able to get in so quickly because the day I called them to get on the schedule someone had just cancelled their consult. We took it and got him right out there, a couple weeks later and all done. We would be looking at an August surgery if we hadn't gotten in sp quickly, the summer is apparently a very popular season for wisdom teeth removal (duh me). And at least one person cancelled while I was in the waiting room, I'm sure it happens a lot!

[cmeon]

And oh, just a thought because it is on my mind- does he have any problem wisdom teeth? You might be able to combine the two lovely experiences inyo one. I just know I would rather get it all out of the way at once if necessary. It sounds like kids are having them removed a lot earlier than they used to pull them, I know several 14yos who had them pulled!

[kath16]

i mean... this is really specific and i would schedule the consult to ask these questions with the surgeon.

i'm sure it's also kid dependent. mine was super nervous when he had to have a tooth pulled, but i thought he'd do ok with just local and he did (it was complicated, not a normal tooth pull). my youngest would likely NOT do well - he's just a more sensitive kid. but yeah, these are all questions to ask the surgeon when you meet with them.

[tiki]

I don't know anything about ankylosed teeth, but I had impacted wisdom teeth removed by an oral surgeon last winter. I was fully sedated (unconscious but not general anesthesia) and would recommend it.

[jorja]

I had baby teeth removed by an oral surgeon as a kid (probably around the same age).

I was definitely sedated, but I’m sure it wasn’t true general anesthesia. I don’t remember much about it other than feeling high as a kite when I woke up, and being allowed to eat ice cream for the whole weekend.