The loss of #19...

As much as I didn't want to have a molar extracted the discomfort of bone deterioration was growing. The antibiotic from 2 weeks ago was wearing away and the pressure was growing.

The Periodontist that works for the dentist I had been using only visits the office once a week and is booked out a month at that center. He's twice a week at another center that's about the same distance from me, but cannot see me until the 2nd week in January. It's a corporate environment as all the dentists are hired hands and they don't stand out as experts in their field. I didn't want to wait.

I had a referral to another periodontist who has his own practice and after checking the reviews, booked an appointment with him. Today was the appointment day. He reviewed the x-rays and told me the best thing was to extract the tooth, remove all the damaged bone and surrounding tissue, build-up a bone graft. After, 8 weeks when all is healed would be the right time to return for an implant.

He assured me the Novocaine injections would be sufficient that I wouldn't feel anything. He was right. I lost sensation on half of my face for a few hours!

I stopped at my office just to make sure there weren't any problems, then headed to the pharmacy where I picked up some gauze pads, prescriptions for rinse and antibiotic. Stopping at home for a few minutes and went to the grocery store for soft food as I expect it will be rough going for a few days.

After lunch I napped with pillows propped up as I had some bleeding. 10 hours later the pain is minimal and I was able to have dinner without discomfort. As instructed, I'm applying an ice pack to my jawbone to minimize swelling.

Traumatized over this? Yeah, but knowing the area had been troublesome for months and not getting better, I was running out of options. All the people in his office were professional and made the experience go smoothly.

So far, my quote from many years ago still holds true:
"The only pain you should feel from a dentist is when you receive the bill"