2024-02-02 - A Practical Guide for Everyday Use: Sharing My First Tooth Extraction Experience - Minority

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Introduction:#

If you are still hesitating about whether to have a tooth extraction, this article is for you.

Earlier this year, I underwent a tooth extraction surgery. While the memory is still fresh, I want to share my first tooth extraction experience from the perspective of an ordinary person, discussing how to navigate the process, save money, and choose a suitable hospital, helping those who have never had their wisdom teeth removed understand the ins and outs, and reduce their fear of the procedure.

Please note that I am not a medical student; the following content is solely a personal experience share. If there are discrepancies, please follow the local medical advice and guidelines. (The following is the main text)

As the saying goes, "Toothache is not a disease, but it can be deadly when it hurts."

After experiencing the excruciating pain of a toothache again, I decided to completely say goodbye to this wisdom tooth that had tormented me for half a year.

As for which wisdom teeth need to be extracted, you can refer to the suggestions mentioned in my post here. In summary, except for a few perfectly aligned and non-inflammatory wisdom teeth, most wisdom teeth need to be extracted.

Once I made up my mind, the first thing I considered was the cost. As someone still unemployed at home, spending several thousand yuan at once was a bit overwhelming, which was also the reason I had delayed treatment despite the severe toothache.

Naturally, the first step in tooth extraction is to gather information.

Gathering Cost Information#

I searched for treatment prices on social media and found that the cost of wisdom tooth extraction generally ranges from 300 to 3000 yuan, of course, this is for routine extraction cases and does not include rare situations like hospitalization.

The price difference mainly depends on the difficulty of extracting the wisdom teeth. If the wisdom teeth are relatively straightforward, the extraction will be much easier and thus cheaper; specific circumstances can only be determined after getting an X-ray at the hospital.

Another question that followed was: Can the extraction costs be reimbursed by medical insurance?

If medical insurance can be used, at least it won't be cash out of pocket, which is somewhat comforting. Plus, with the projects funded by the pooled accounts, I should be able to save quite a bit.

Fortunately, the answers I found were very satisfactory: not only can the extraction costs be reimbursed by medical insurance, but they also fall within the normal treatment range for reimbursement.

This means that part of the costs can be reimbursed using public funds, further alleviating my financial pressure. After checking the medical bills, I found that most reimbursement ratios are around 40% to 50%, which was a relief. (ps: In reality, my personal bill did not have such a high reimbursement ratio, which I will discuss later)

Private or Public Hospital?#

Since I had already confirmed the possibility of extraction, the next step was naturally to select a hospital. Since I planned to use medical insurance for reimbursement, I didn't think too much about it. Following the principle of minimizing hassle and maximizing reimbursement, I chose a well-known public tertiary hospital in the city, where I wouldn't have to worry about the technology, and the costs could be directly reimbursed through medical insurance, making the process simple and suitable for most routine cases.

Choosing a private hospital is also completely fine; the advantage is that you can make appointments in advance, specify doctors, and have records. The downside is that you need to do some filtering yourself, and some private hospitals do not accept medical insurance for reimbursement, which can be more expensive, so it depends on personal choice.

Booking a Doctor#

After confirming the hospital, the next step is to book a doctor. I chose the "Oral Surgery Outpatient" department. Popular doctors in public hospitals are generally hard to book, so I selected a doctor who had recent availability based on the principle of getting treated as soon as possible. It turned out that this doctor was excellent; I hardly felt any pain during the procedure, and there was no swelling or abnormal symptoms afterward.

If you care about the doctor's qualifications, be prepared to fight for an appointment a week in advance, even setting an alarm if necessary. If you can't get an appointment, choose a private hospital with a good reputation; you can generally get an appointment there.

After booking the time on the official WeChat account, all that was left was to wait.

Here, it is important to note that you must rest well the day before the extraction, avoid strenuous exercise and alcohol, and inform the doctor of any special circumstances or medical history, such as menstruation, pregnancy, or history of habitual miscarriage.

Preparation#

Upon arrival, make sure to register using your medical insurance card; otherwise, you won't be able to use medical insurance for reimbursement.

Some hospitals have outdated equipment and may not support electronic medical insurance cards, so it's safer to bring your medical insurance card (also known as a social security card). It's best to ask before registering whether medical insurance can be used for reimbursement and what the process is (generally, you just need to show your medical insurance card; in rare cases, you may need to go through a special window).

Generally, public tertiary hospitals in the city are designated medical institutions, and showing your medical insurance card will allow for reimbursement. However, this is not guaranteed in private hospitals, so it’s best to verify in person to avoid discovering that you can't use medical insurance when paying.

I want to emphasize that you should never feel embarrassed about using medical insurance for reimbursement, thinking it's a sign of being poor or petty. Medical insurance is a healthcare security system created by the state for citizens; it is a means for us to exercise our legitimate rights. Not using it is a waste of resources, so remember not to shy away from asking because of pride.

Medical institutions encounter this issue almost every day and are used to it. So don’t be shy; just ask directly. If they say it can't be reimbursed, you can respond, "Sorry, I still want to go through the medical insurance reimbursement process." Be polite and firm; it’s a matter of respect for both parties.

Diagnostic Steps#

After meeting with the doctor, I briefly described my symptoms. The doctor first examined my teeth: he picked up a small hammer and tapped each tooth until I felt slight pain, which basically pinpointed the problem area. Then I underwent a panoramic oral examination, which required wearing a heavy radiation protection gown. It didn't take long, about 5 minutes, and cost 60 yuan, after which I went upstairs to further confirm the situation with the doctor.

After the diagnosis, it was determined that 2 wisdom teeth definitely needed to be extracted. What disheartened me was that one of the lower teeth was almost lying horizontally in the jaw.

Illustration (source: internet, will remove upon request)

Even without the doctor saying it, I could tell as a layperson that it was quite tricky. The doctor also emphasized that it was close to the nerve below the gums, posing certain surgical risks. However, routine tooth extraction surgery also carries risks, including inflammation, infection, and even lifelong nerve paralysis, but these are all low-probability events, so there’s no need to worry too much.

After some thought, I decided to trust the doctor's skills and quickly skimmed through the informed consent document before signing in the designated place.

Regarding costs, the doctor said my upper tooth was relatively simple, costing about 300 yuan. As for the lower tooth, the specific cost would depend on the surgery, and he couldn't provide an exact number yet, but it would be around 1300 yuan. The reimbursement ratio would depend on the level of medical insurance purchased, and they didn't know the details.

Before the surgery, I asked a question that almost everyone is concerned about: Does tooth extraction hurt? The doctor said it would hurt a bit when the anesthetic was injected, but after that, it wouldn't hurt. To ease my tension, the doctor added that he felt very nervous when his teacher extracted his tooth 10 years ago, but afterward, he felt much better. Hearing this, I felt a bit more relaxed.

Although I didn't feel nervous before, the moment I lay on the operating table, the white light from the ceiling made me think of the first-person perspective of a critically ill patient in a TV show, and my heart started racing uncontrollably. It felt like the whole world had narrowed down to just me, the doctor, the instruments, and the mixed sounds of cutting and breaking.

Just as I was lost in thought, the surgery began.

What I Thought While Having My Tooth Extracted#

Tooth extraction requires keeping your mouth open the whole time. To relieve fatigue, the doctor placed a bite block in my mouth, allowing my teeth to rest without constant effort.

During the injection of the anesthetic, it indeed hurt a bit, similar to the feeling of getting a shot in the buttocks as a child, but since it was in the gums, where the nerve distribution is denser, the pain was somewhat stronger.

Both upper and lower wisdom teeth needed to be extracted, requiring 2 injections of anesthetic. After the injections, there was a sensation of saliva pooling in my mouth until I raised my hand to indicate that I needed to spit some saliva into the basin. I realized that it wasn't that there was a lot of saliva in my mouth, but rather an uncomfortable feeling caused by the local nerve anesthesia.

I touched the area where the anesthetic was injected with my finger and found that I could hardly feel anything because the local nerves had already gone numb, and both pain and touch sensations had disappeared.

During the surgery, if there is significant pain, it may indicate that the anesthetic dosage is insufficient, and you need to raise your hand to signal because you cannot speak during the extraction.

Throughout the surgery, I continuously felt small surgical instruments entering my mouth, followed by a pulling sensation and a tingling feeling as my teeth were being cut, mixed with the smell of burning welding material.

My upper right wisdom tooth came out with little effort, but the extraction of the lower tooth took a full 20 minutes, during which various instruments were constantly coming in and out, almost disassembling the entire tooth into small pieces.

During this time, I heard that my tooth was bleeding, but I didn't pay much attention because I was still reciting Tang poetry and Song lyrics, contemplating the fate of the human world, and thinking about the end of the universe... In short, I tried to distract myself as much as possible. If I had imagined the real-time situation in my mouth, I might have really panicked.

As the last piece of the tooth crown detached from the socket, the extraction finally came to an end.

I felt a huge sense of relief as I got up from the operating table, looking at the scattered tooth fragments, and I sincerely breathed a sigh of relief. I finally said goodbye to these two wisdom teeth that had tormented me for so long. (A bit gross, so I won't include a picture here ❤️)

However, I couldn't leave just yet; I needed to hold a cotton ball in my mouth and sit quietly in the hospital for 30-60 minutes to observe the bleeding situation.

I went out to pay the bill, which totaled 2089 yuan. Upon closer inspection of the reimbursement amount, I found it was only a little over 300 yuan. Reflecting on the social security contributions I had made over the years, I realized the importance of the contribution base and supplementary medical insurance. In the end, I could only comfort myself that something is better than nothing.

Bill

Post-Operation#

After the surgery, even slightly opening my mouth caused pain, and my lower jaw felt a bit sore. I couldn't speak loudly. The doctor's advice was to try to speak as little as possible within 72 hours, avoid strenuous exercise, eat soft foods, refrain from brushing my teeth, and avoid spitting (saliva has a disinfecting effect on the wound).

In the 2-3 days following the extraction, there might be inflammation and swelling, so it's best to prepare medications in advance. I went to the pharmacy according to the doctor's prescription and bought some medications, following the doctor's advice to take them for about 3-5 days.

Medications prescribed by the doctor

Two hours after the surgery, the effect of the anesthetic began to wear off, and I felt a slight pain at the extraction site. I quickly took a painkiller, which lasted about 6 hours. After taking another one, I no longer felt pain. By the next day when I got up, there were no obvious symptoms, except for the empty feeling at the back of the socket, reminding me that the tooth had indeed been extracted.

I started writing this article 18 hours after the surgery, and so far, I haven't experienced any significant pain, just a bit of fatigue in my mouth. If I touch the area related to the extraction, there is a slight pain, but it's manageable. About 23 hours after the surgery, the wound bled a little, but it healed shortly after.

This surgery showed me that tooth extraction is far less painful than I had imagined. Except for the initial stage of getting the anesthetic, which was a bit tough, there was no significant discomfort in the other stages. The entire procedure went relatively smoothly, and afterward, I experienced an unprecedented sense of relief and the satisfaction of completing a major task, which can be summed up as "short pain is better than long pain."

Toothache is not a major illness, but it can develop into a serious one. Early detection and treatment can maximize our health and cost-effectiveness, allowing us to escape pain and return to normal work and life.

I hope my experience sharing can help everyone understand tooth extraction better and reduce their fear of the procedure. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comments, and I will answer them when I have time. Thank you very much for reading this far, and see you in the next article.

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