My decayed tooth is held by the edge of my gums. Shall I pull it out?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have a decayed second molar on the bottom right side (photo attached). It has decayed over the years to about one-third. Just now, it has completely broken off and freed itself from its roots but is held by only the inside edge of my gums. There is no swelling, but the gums have been tender for a week now. I did have a check-up and cleaned about a week and a half ago. It is a tooth along with four wisdom teeth that I have been told to have taken out. I have yet to schedule an appointment but will make it soon. This broken piece is bothering me, and I was wondering if it was a terrible idea to go ahead and pull it from the attached gums.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The ideal solution is to visit the dentist or oral surgeon to remove the tooth. The broken piece is not visible on the photograph (attachment removed to protect patient identity). However, trying to pull it out on your own will be quite painful and also may leave a traumatic wound on the gums that will require a doctor's attention. So, my advice is to schedule an appointment as soon as possible and avoid doing it on your own. For temporary relief, you can apply over-the-counter anesthetic gel for oral use to soothe the gums.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.