Hello, my husband has been referred by his dentist to a community dental service to have several teeth extracted. While waiting for his appointment I just wondered if anyone has had any experience of tooth extractions with Parkinson’s? I’m thinking mainly if there will be a need for a general anaesthetic rather than local, and if so, how this impact on his PD.
If anyone can share their experiences of this subject I’d like to hear from you. Many thanks. Jean
Whoops, sorry this has been posted on wrong topic! Not sure how to redirect it. Jean
Hello Jean1 … I have Parkinson’s & had 2 very difficult teeth taken out by an NHS dentist. She was a tooth extraction only specialist in Worthing or it might have been Brighton. I normally have to go private but they were too difficult for him to extract. I only had the normal mouth numbing jabs. No general anaesthetic. She was a tiny oriental girl. A real 10/10 experience.
Also I did not need stitches. Amazing.
Best of luck.
Steve2
Thanks for that Steve2, and glad your dental problem was successfully resolved! We have an assessment appointment next week, so hopefully the dentist there will discuss exactly what needs doing and answers any questions we have as it’s quite a few extractions! It’s likely they’ve referred him on the basis he has PD and this may complicate the procedure in our own dental practice. I think the Community Dental Network specialises in those who have additional needs etc. He is having some fillings done at our own dentist so it does sound as if the extractions are a bit more complicated. Best wishes Jean
Hello Jean1
How are you doing?
I recently had a tooth extraction when a tooth broke and could not be saved. This was done by my local dentist and like Steve2, had no problems with just a general anaesthetic. She knows I get some involuntary movement, which of course anxiety can make worse and even though I know she is an excellent dentist, I’ve been going to her for years and trust her absolutely, these appointments are always a little stressful. Some time ago I had root canal work done, which I know is not the same thing but it was a long appointment in the way that your husband’s might be and that was fine too. Although not relevant to the complication caused by Parkinson’s a very long time ago when I was I think about 17/18, I had rwo wisdom teeth taken out by my dentist at the time and had no problems and techniques have moved on a lot since then. In a nutshell, I don’t think you need to be unduly worried as long as the dentist is aware of things like involuntary movement and the like. Also if I need a break during the treatment I will raise my arm and the dentist stops - it may be worth your husband agreeing to a similar signal. I rarely have to use it to be honest but it is reassuring as I feel like I have some control. Finally I presume the dentist will consider the extractions needed and plan the treatment accordingly - they usually start with the worst and work on one side of the mouth at a time; if so he may need a couple of appointments.
Hope this helps and that you are both doing ok.
Tot
Hi Tot, thanks for your reply. Glad to hear a positive experience from your tooth extraction and it makes me feel less worried hearing how well yours went. We’ll have to wait and see how the assessment goes on Monday. I’m sure he’ll be fine, after all he had a total knee replacement two years ago with a general anaesthetic and he recovered well from that! So fingers crossed. Watch this space.and enjoy this glorious weather while it lasts… Best wishes, Jean.