Don’t Wait Too Long To Extract A Bad Tooth!

The absolute worst thing you can do is wait to pull a bad tooth. 

Many times a really bad tooth is painful, but then it gets better! You know and have been told that it needs to be extracted but you decide to wait because the pain is gone…for now.

In the old days, "keep it until it falls out" was the mantra.  The exact opposite is true today.

If the tooth needs to be extracted due to gum disease, which causes bone loss, the situation only worsens.  Your body is trying to “self-extract” your tooth by dissolving the surrounding bone and making it loose. 

Eventually, it will fall out!  All that time, it has dissolved all the good bone around it that would have supported a dental implant.

Dental implants need great bone support.  Waiting to remove a tooth only compromises the bone and makes having a dental implant more expensive than it needs to be.

In this picture below, you can see how the gum disease has dissolved away the gum and bone making the teeth longer.

Left

Look at this x-ray.  Do you see how the bone is missing from gum disease?

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Extracting the bad tooth will reduce the need for bone grafting or sinus lifts making it a very easy procedure for you.

Here are some examples of simple dental implants:

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Feel free to share your thoughts on waiting to remove a bad tooth.

63 thoughts on “Don’t Wait Too Long To Extract A Bad Tooth!”

  1. I have a history of osteomyletis. Therefore, my dentist wont extract my infected teeth. Has referred me to oral surgeon. He is booked for two months. Meanwhile the pain is tremendous. The antibiotic zhat saved my leg two years ago was Moxifoxacin. The dentist gave me ampacillin but the infection is spreading. I asked for Moxiloxicin but she said thats oral surgeons call. I called oral surgeon and they said ill have to wait till my appointment . Meanwhile ghe pain keeps me fron sleeping snd the infection is making my neck sore and all the way up to ear. Again i have had multiple cases of osteomyletis in both feet resulting in amputations. Advice please. Urgent care says its dentists call. Dentist says its a medical issue. Say nd of course neither will prescribe any pain meds these days

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    • Oof. Can you just see another person? Having a history of osteomyelitis can put you at tremendous risk. Especially if you have undergone head and neck radiation, have immune system problems, smoke, take steroids, diabetes and/or circulation problems. Moxifloxacin is a very strong antibiotic and should only be used sparingly. The other option would be to see an endodontist and just have a partial root canal done just to alleviate the pain. That way you do not have to wait for the tooth to be extracted. I hope this helps you.

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  2. I had a root canal done six years ago. I was biting on something hard and the tooth was in pain for the past three days. This morning I went to the dentist and he tapped my teeth to find that it is in fact that root-canaled tooth that is causing the pain. He recommends having the tooth extracted. The pain is lessening, and at times I am able to chew on it. Is it possible that I bruised it and can wait for the pain to go away and all will be okay. OR do I need to have the extraction regarless?

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  3. Hello Sir, I had the first stage of a root canal treatment on a molar tooth, 15 months ago. I didn’t return when I should have, due to financial issues. About few days ago, I bit on something hard and the temporary filling, which was holding up so beautifully, got pushed down, causing the tooth a hairline vertical crack.
    I went back to the dentist and he said it will have to be removed. I’m not ready to say goodbye to my tooth. Could it not just be filled and cemented all around the crack?

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  4. I definitely agree with the healthcare comments. The out-of-pocket costs for these procedures (read: $400 for both wisdom teeth) are a total road block for most working-class Americans. The complications can deform, shorten lifespans and qualities, and even kill.

    That said, anyone coming here for this question should find someway to get to the dentist if at all possible! If you’re in the city, the are more locations usually. Some places have plans that are paid monthly, and reduce the upfront cost of procedures (kind of like in house insurance). It’s not easy, but please do.

    I waited too long (almost 2 years with wisdom teeth broken to the gum line). Not only was the removal terrible (hardly any tooth to grab), but one factured (a lot). Cheap destistry didn’t do after x-rays, and the fragment left caused bone recession for almost an inch in front. Caused multiple infections and lots of pain, nearly lost 2 more teeth. Wait, and it will be more painful and more expensive, not to mention you might loose more teeth and/or jaw. Teeth might seem superficial, but bone isn’t!

    P.S. Don’t drink soda pop or smoke. 10 years since, and haven’t a complication since (after 22 fillings in 8 years). It’ll save half the mileage from your teeth.

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  5. I have been consistently going to the dentist every 6 months for the last couple of years and I have gotten one set of X-Rays per year and cleanings twice a year. The last two years I have been told that I have no cavities that need filling. However, This year when I got my X-rays, the dentist comes out and says I have cavity that has become so deep they feel it will need to be extracted with bone preservation for a possible implant or bridge at a later date. Mind you I have had little to no pain in this area. Though I have been on long term antibiotic for skin related issues. Is it possible for my tooth to have gotten so bad so quickly or should I be getting a second opinion at another office. Also, if this tooth hasn’t/isn’t giving me any trouble, what is the harm in keeping it in my mouth because I cannot afford a bridge or implant and removal of this tooth will greatly affect my chewing. On the flip side I could lose a lot weight if I can barely eat solids.

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    • yes and yes ……Is it possible for my tooth to have gotten so bad so quickly or should I be getting a second opinion at another office.

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      • I had a dentist appointment with a new dentist today and didn’t feel comfortable and he didn’t give me a plan before I left. He said tooth 12 needs extracted and it only has some outer enamel missing near cheek and it is the gum maybe 1/3 enamel gone, I brush heavy on that side as same thing is going on with the tooth in front of it, the incisor yet he said he didn’t know what was wrong with that one. I feel I got no answers and I already made appointment after I left his office for a second opinion to save tooth 12. I was thinking it would need a V class restoration or crown, not extracted. I’m devastated, absolutely devastated!

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      • I had a dentist appointment with a new dentist today and didn’t feel comfortable and he didn’t give me a plan before I left. He said tooth 12 needs extracted and it only has some outer enamel missing near cheek and it is the gum maybe 1/3 enamel gone, I brush heavy on that side as same thing is going on with the tooth in front of it, the incisor yet he said he didn’t know what was wrong with that one. I feel I got no answers and I already made appointment after I left his office for a second opinion to save tooth 12. I was thinking it would need a V class restoration or crown, not extracted. I’m devastated, absolutely devastated! Any advice, and I have molars that need to be crowned, no root canals were suggested. He was a young dentist who just took over an existing practice so I’m also wondering if he may not be experienced in restoration work, as that is a true art form.

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  6. I have a bad tooth that always needs fillings and I’ve had over four different fillings for the same tooth everytime, why won’t my dentist listen to me when I tell him to pull it.

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    • I hear you 8 dentist 4 years later and not one of them will listen to pull my bad teeth had to go directly to the oral surgery myself after of course paying the dentist for teeth that should of been pulled in the first place

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  7. I have a wisdom tooth that has a large hole in it. It is becoming extremely and constantly painful. I don’t have and dental insurance and I cannot find any place that will extract it on a payment plan without a bunch of money up front. What can I do to stop the pain until I can save up for the extraction?

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  8. I’m not sure if the dentist removed all the tooth on a recent extraction. It is actually more bothersome now than before.

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  9. Dental Schools now charge mega-bucks. I don’t know why people keep saying to use them. I can’t afford dentistry either, and my local Univ. Dental School Clinic wanted $40,000. They used to help people out, but no longer do. Maybe for something really simple… like simple extraction, check up, etc. Not for anything complex. You are better off with a dental clinic– if you can find one (few and far between). Anywhere you go, unless you can get Medicaid to pay for it, you will probably it need to cough up at least $100 for a simple extraction. If you need something more extensive, God help you. There are also some credit cards for dentistry, but I’ve heard they’re a ripoff with high APRs. Advocate for good health care, with dentistry, etc.

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    • And God forbid you have any medical conditions. The school I went to wouldn’t do a simple extraction because I have some medical conditions, even with a note and phone call from my physicians! So now it’s just rotting out if my head. Lovely.

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  10. I’m 36 year old male and have avoided dentists as much as I could in the past. Because of this, the damage to my teeth has gotten so severe that my smile could make small children cry and the remains of several teeth have dropped below the gum line. I have survived the last 20 years by visiting clinics for antibiotics whenever a toothache occurred and left it at that. I knew my teeth were bad and I’ve had two extracted so far. But, now that wisdom and worry is finally sinking in, I want to better understand the risks I face by only fighting the infections as they occur. The last two tooth pains I had spread under my jaw and towards my ear and I’m concerned about future complications. I didn’t know about bone decay before reading this article and don’t intend on getting any implants, but until I walk into a dental office with a firm understanding of what needs to be done, I’d like to ask for your guidance and advice.

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    • Thanks for your candor. You are harming your entire body by continuing to do this. You should consider extraction of all bad teeth while under IV sedation. This will clear up the infections. Dentures or partial dentures if no implants are really the only good option if many teeth can not be saved.
      Sorry and good luck.

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  11. Back molar should been extracted months ago. Life happened. Not much pain to remind me. Appt set for consult tomorrow, but very tender now and swollen. What’s happening because I waited too long?

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      • I have the same problem but have had problems getting an appointment to see a dentist with my Louisiana Healthcare Connections medicaid. Is abcessed twice and is falling all apart but one place says they don’t have anything until Nov 1st and another says they would call with an appointment but never calls. Its like you don’t matter

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  12. My dentist is making me wait three weeks before he can do the extraction, is that too long? I feel pretty scared of the whole procedure but I’m willing to go through with it. Should I be on antibiotics in the interim?

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      • Hi Everyone,
        I would encourage anyone with a bad tooth to see a dentist. ASAP. Waiting could jeopardize other parts of your sinus, face, other teeth…
        Had my bad tooth extracted in August, and so happy to have the infection out and the fistula resolved. . Bone graph was done the same day. Going for X-rays on the 28th to see if we can schedule the implant. According to the dentist, the root was cracked in several places. I would highly recommend the procedure. Plenty of novacaine, so I had no pain during procedure. Well worth it in the end!! Just make sure you get a skilled surgeon you have confidence in.

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    • they are likely to avoid pulling while your tooth is still in pain. i assume the pain in your case is due to infection. two things are likely to happen if they pull the tooth while infected. its possible that the infection, if bad enough, can leach into your blood, contaminate it, and make its way from your jaw to your brain and potentially kill you. thats the worse case. the other thing is the numbing agent wont really have much affect, if any at all. haha i had the procedure already and the numbing had nearly no effect because i just couldnt wait to have it pulled and i could feel everything. so if you’re worried now, than take the antibiotics as suggested and it shouldnt even take three weeks for the infection to clear. than theres nothing to worry about after that. i just guess that’s why he wants to wait three weeks.

      going through it for the second time myself…wisdom teeth breaking and getting infected

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  13. I have a verticle root fracture in a 40 year old root canal. I plan on having it extracted and replaced with an implant. Just for curiousity sake, what would happen if I just left it alone?

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    • It would eventually become chronically infected and may become acutely painful. Bacteria will travel down the vertical crack from the top of the tooth into the bone. This may happen quickly or it may take some time to develop

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      • Thank you so much for your response. The tooth is scheduled for removal on Aug 30th. Wish me well. We will be doing a bone graph and sinus lift at the same time. I will be actually relieved to have it out. It’s done enough damage already.

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  14. the information was very useful. I didn’t know any of this. there’s a tooth which should be extracted but I’ve been suffering from that pain the past few days but it’s still swollen inside. how much time should I wait to extract it?

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  15. I have a half back molar which is wobberly and very painful. I cant afford a dentist and want to know if I just keep trying to break it out of my mouth will it be ok? What could I use as a numbing agent….would bonjela be ok? Thankyou

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          • Dental Schools now charge as much as regular dentists– or more. They are no longer a resource for the poor. I have been thru the same nightmare.

            If you live near a dental clinic that takes Medicaid, you can try that for a simple extraction.If you have really messed- up, ground- down teeth and require a surgical extraction, however, you may be out of luck. The other option is to find a sympathetic dentist who works with poor people (increasingly hard to find, however).

            Advocate politically for HealthCare that includes dentistry, vision, etc. Because now, there are no really good answers if you can’t afford it. Get someone else to pay, or get someone to invite you to emigrate abroad, where they have good health care. Pray for us all, and save up money from piggy bank. No other options, at this time..

            PS. Some Medicare Advantage Plans cover routine dentistry (note I said ROUTINE), but they make up the costs in other ways, which may be to your disadvantage. Same with dentistry savings cards.

    • Hello Melanie,

      Typically multiple teeth are extracted and a single visit using IV sedation. It is far better to have the teeth removed at the same time unless you have some very complex health issue. This will mean you only have one healing period, one anesthesia, one time on antibiotics, etc. etc. Why go through all this twice?

      If you’re considering having a dental implant, consider having a socket preservation bone graft to maintain the bone especially if it is in a critical area.

      Socket Bone Grafting….Do I Need It for My Dental Implant? Ramsey Amin DDS Reviews

      Afraid of Needles and Drills…Sedation Overview with Burbank Dentist Ramsey Amin, DDS

      Very respectfully,

      Ramsey Amin DDS
      Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry
      Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
      Burbank, California

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      • Hey a real dentist. hello, I have had some sensitivity in second to last upper molar . left side,dentist said after xrays that needed endoontist. he said no root canal just pull it. then pain went away , on small disability check. so i ignored for a couple months, and entertained myself with pelvic floor therapy from old cancer, claudification of 90% left leg so not exercising waiting for dr. to fix. been months and no date set. and rhemetoid issues. now tooth filling fell out a dark rabbit hole left and cheek and gum tender. called my dentist said ok see ya in 10 days. cant take pain. how much is it for extraction of one tooth, and is it worth the cost of nitrous oxide or a valium. i gave birth to children( of course my luck an accident last year took them) but i never made a peep. pull and tug and teeth creep me out whatfor just to pull and is it worth it to get pain management. i may be poor ,but my life aint great and tired of pain.karen

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  16. i have one tooth gone bad and broken. i am in pain .how can i remove the tooth my self .
    if i done later i have any problem or not

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  17. I have 3 tooth that have gone bad and broken. I am in pain more times then not. I can not afford a dentist even to extract my teeth that need to be extracted. If my teeth just break will I have no pain I don’t know I’m not a dentist. What did people do in the old days? Just die .

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    • Hello Nelly,

      I am sorry to hear about your situation. An excellent resource would be a local dental school. There are also free clinics in many major cities that can handle basic care such as extractions and pain management.

      Good luck. I wish you the best

      Ramsey A. Amin, D.D.S.
      Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology /Implant Dentistry
      Fellow-American Academy of Implant Dentistry

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      • I have my wisdoms broken in half with holes to the nerve. I’m feeling throbbing pain in both sides of face near my jaw line that led to my ear…..my right ear is loosing it’s hearing… Does that have something to do with my teeth & the bad shape it’s in?

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  18. Now I will not have any doubt to pull out a bad tooth when I have one because I know now the other possible bad effect of this bad tooth in my other tooth when I don’t pull it out immediately after I notice it.

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