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Calvin is having a tooth out - how much pain/distress is likely?


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I've only ever had teeth out under general anaesthetic (all my wisdom teeth in one go) and that was twenty years ago. Calvin is having one tooth out to make space for his braces to do their job. It will be under local anaesthetic.

 

I'll give him the rest of the day off - is he likely to need the following day off from school too? Apart from having soups and smoothies around, what else should I prepare/expect?

 

Thanks

 

Laura

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It shouldn't be a big deal at all. My son has had 10 teeth removed over a period of several years (serial extraction...his jaw is too small for all his adult teeth). He's always been fine within hours.

 

Hope all goes well!

 

Ria

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With my oldest, his braces were uncomfortable for about 3 days, but no tooth extractions.

With my youngest,she had a tooth taken out from the back when she was 5. She was fine with it, especially since the tooth fairy came. It did bleed a for a little while, and her mouth was a little numb. We used thumb up for yes thumb down for no for a few hours while the cotton was in her mouth. She had to go back to have the spacer put in. It didn't bother her. She enjoyed being able to eat pudding, and jello.

With my middle son, he had expanders, and will have to go back for braces in a few years. When it was first put in the discomfort lasted about a day. He didn't complain much.

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My DS10 has had ALL of his baby teeth that are out so far (about 7) pulled. His adult teeth grow up and behind them, coming out of the roof of his mouth, and never pushing the baby teeth out. So the Dr. must pull them to make room for those adult teeth to float forward (and they do, mostly - this is def. a kid who will need braces!). He has had no problem with getting those teeth pulled at all! He wasn't nervous, he wasn't in lots of pain, the procedures were incredibly quick, and he healed quickly. I don't think he even needed any Tylenol or Ibuprofin after any of them!

 

But MYSELF on the other hand....I have had teeth pulled before and felt days of aching, throbbing and discomfort afterwards. I would need to be on perpetual ibruprofin to keep it at bay. I also just had a root canal a few weeks ago that left me really in pain for almost 2 weeks! Maybe my mouth or nerves are just more sensitive than his?

 

So I would say play it by ear, but if any sign of discomfort, start the ibuprofin and do it on schedule to keep the nerves in his mouth calm. Kids are so resillient though - I bet he'll be totally fine!

 

Good luck to you and to him!

 

- Stacey in MA

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My son had four adult teeth removed recently; he wasn't good for anything the rest of the day, but he was fine by the morning and ate his usual foods with no trouble. There was a little bit of swelling/bruising, but it was gone by the third day.

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I had serial extractions as a kid, after the initial 4 front teeth (2 top/2 bottom) came out on their own. I also had one set of bicuspids removed to make room before I got braces.

 

I don't remember the permanent bicuspids being any worse than the baby teeth, and I don't remember being in a much pain after any of them. The thing that I remember most was being terrified of the novacaine shots- for me, the ones in the gums near the front hurt a lot more than when they get me in that pocket at the back of the jaw. I think a lot of dentists put something on the gums now to numb them up a little before they give you the shot, so that should help a lot.

 

I also remember feeling just a general sensation of having my jaw pulled on- not pain in the tooth, just my mouth being pushed back and forth.

 

Unlike a dance recital ;) , this would seem to be a good place for an audio e-gadget, if he has one, and if it's OK with the dentist.

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It depends on the kid. My son had 4 teeth pulled last summer. He played baseball that evening. (He didn't want to miss because he was getting his one shot at pitching and it was the last game of the season.) They had to dig for one of the teeth, but he was OK. I had another son need a little more work done. He was mostly toast that day but was fine the next. I wouldn't plan on 2 days off. I didn't need that much time with my wisdom teeth (and two were impacted and had to be broken to be removed.)

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Does your ds have a high pain tolerance? I don't think it's to much discomfort. DS was 11 when he had 4 teeth extracted in preparation for braces and I gave him tylenol before we got to the dentist then 6 hours later. He only missed 1 day of school. I think with his baby teeth extractions when he was 8 and 9 he only had 1 dose of tylenol. It really depends on the child.

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Baby tooth or adult? The biggest factor is usually how hard the tooth is to remove, and that's usually related to how deep the roots are. My adult teeth have deep roots, and extractions are a nasty business. The dentist can usually tell (via xray) if it will be a difficult extraction.

 

Another factor is how sensitive he is in general, and his teeth in paricular. If he has sensitive teeth, like sensitive to heat, cold, etc, then the dental work might set off a reaction in his other teeth.

 

I wouldn't suggest that another day off school might be needed, but I'd certainly keep it in mind.

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