Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi, I would like some opinions on this, I am sure someone has been in the same boat? I need two upper premolars pulled and they were supposed to be the first premolars (or in case I am getting this wrong, the one right next to the canine). On my right, my second premolar has a really big filling though....so big that my dentist told me it was a borderline root canal and she wasn't even sure if the nerve would survive. Ever since then that tooth has been extremely heat/cold sensitive. I asked my ortho if they could pull that one instead of the first premolar and she said that will be ok. She didn't sound thrilled or anything, but she agreed that it made sense since that is already a ruined tooth, might as well pull it as part of treatment!

So now that I am looking at my pictures though...would it make sense for me to request that both second premolars be pulled? Because on my left side, as you can see, I have a filling too. I just can't see pulling the perfectly UNfilled premolar in front of it when I have one that already has a filling right behind it. And also, would it make sense anyway to pull the same tooth on both sides for it to be even?

Does anyone have any experience with this...I am not sure if I should ask my ortho, as they said treatment is a little harder with the 2nd premolar pulled versus the first. But I'd rather have braces a few months longer than pull a healthy tooth when it's not absolutely necessary. I have enough crowns already AND will have an implant put in when I am done. I'd really like to keep as many of my own GOOD teeth as possible!

If I do need extractions later in the treatment, I'll also ask them to pull out the premolar with filling. I had one with filling and its a second premolar too.

Thanks so much to both of you! Now I will for sure ask them to just pull both second premolars. It just makes sense!

I had all four of my second premolars pulled just after getting braces. For me it was more of an issue of "these are the obvious teeth that need to be pulled" as I had severe overcrowding... and sure enough weeks after the teeth were pulled all but one gap had closed (still waiting for this gap to get to the "gap closing phase" but it's not really noticable to anyone but me so it's okay).

Danielle, thanks for telling me this! That is great news that it worked out so perfectly for you. I will most definitely ask for both #5's to be pulled now. It just makes sense and I am sure they will agree. But now I'll tell them with a little more confidence, thanks

Hi - Just to add my 2 cents, I had my second premolar pulled to correspond with the second molar on the other side that was pulled for a bridge years ago. Another plus is that it doesn't show as much when you smile as it is further back in your mouth - so if it does take a while for the gaps to close - no big deal. Good luck to you

Danielle, thanks for telling me this! That is great news that it worked out so perfectly for you. I will most definitely ask for both #5's to be pulled now. It just makes sense and I am sure they will agree. But now I'll tell them with a little more confidence, thanks

Anytime!!! I would think both your Dentist and Ortho would have wanted to keep the healthiest teeth to begin with... I had never heard that pulling the second premolars can lead to a more difficult treatment... I'm sure everything will work it's way out. Good luck.