The story of the extraction of sideways wisdom teeth at Tsurumi University Dental Hospital.
Discovery of wisdom teeth
I went to a local dentist because I had a silver tooth that came off. I went to a different dentist this time because I thought the silver tooth might have come off due to the poor workmanship of my previous dentist.
Sure enough, the previous dentist’s treatment was so bad that everything had to be redone. The new dentist’s teeth were beautifully done. I knew that a dentist’s skill is not proportional to the deviation of the dental school.
On the last day of treatment, I was recommended to have my sideways wisdom teeth removed.
The wisdom tooth itself was not painful yet, but the dentist told me that it would be better to remove it as soon as possible because it would have a negative impact on other teeth, such as pushing on neighboring teeth or causing cavities in the gap.
My sideways wisdom tooth was on the lower left side, and although the tooth was showing a little, it was growing sideways and needed surgery.
However, they are more difficult to extract than teeth that grow straight, requiring an incision and flipping up of the gum, shaving off the head of the tooth and part of the bone, and dividing it while removing the tooth.
On top of that, the procedure is difficult because the inferior alveolar nerve, a nerve that senses the lower lip and lower teeth, runs near the wisdom tooth. The risk of postoperative nerve palsy is also present, so equipment and a system are needed.
So I asked him to refer me to Tsurumi University Dental Hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture, which has an oral surgery department, because the dentist in my neighborhood could not perform the surgery.
Tsurumi University Dental Hospital
Tsurumi University Dental Hospital is located in Kanagawa Prefecture, 5 minutes from Tsurumi Station on JR East’s Keihin Tohoku Line and Tsurumi Line, and 7 minutes from Keikyu Tsurumi Station on the Keikyu Line.
Tsurumi Dental College is a common name and its official name is Tsurumi University School of Dentistry. The name was changed from Tsurumi Women’s Junior College to Tsurumi Women’s University to Tsurumi University, and was originally a junior college of Japanese literature. It was originally a junior college of Japanese literature, later adding a dental school and becoming a coeducational school, which is how it looks today.
At the university hospital to which I was referred.
I had an image of university hospitals with lines, so I went to the reception desk at 8:40 a.m., although the hospital opens at 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays.
As soon as I walked in the automatic door, the first man asked me, “Is this your first visit?” I answered “yes” and was asked to fill out a form for my first visit.
I submitted those documents and the referral form to the receptionist, and five minutes later I received my medical card and the oral surgery consultation form. At this point, it was 9:00 in the morning.
Those who did not have a letter of introduction were sent to the initial consultation department on the first floor. There were many people in line here, and it seemed to take a long time. Because I had a letter of introduction, I was sent directly to the oral surgery department on the second floor instead of the initial consultation department.
After handing the form to the oral surgeon and waiting for 5 minutes, I was interviewed by the doctor (a resident?) about my current symptoms, allergies, etc. I answered the doctor’s questions. I answered the questions to the doctor (resident?). After that, I was told to go to the diagnostic imaging department, where I was taken to the next room for X-rays, and then back to the oral surgery department. At this point, it was 9:15 in the morning.
My doctor explained the following to me.
- At the oral surgery, the doctor who interviewed me explained the surgery by reviewing the x-rays and the inside of my mouth.
- The surgery takes 30-60 minutes.
- Anesthesia uses a wet formula, so the patient can go home immediately after the surgery.
- There will be swelling for 2-3 days after the surgery, so you will need to take painkillers and rest.
- A visit to the hospital is required one week later to remove the threads.
- If there is no swelling or other problems, the procedure will be completed in three sessions, including this one.
- The tooth is cut in half and the root is extracted horizontally.
- When the root is extracted, the nerve that runs through the jaw may be irritated, which can cause numbness in 1 in 1,000 people.
- This case is not a risk case as far as the images show.
Cost of initial medical examination
After the explanation, I made an appointment for the next surgery on the spot and finished. At this point, it was 9:30 in the morning. After this, I handed the consultation slip to the accountant on the first floor, paid the bill at the settlement terminal on the first floor, and that was the end of my day.
My first visit to the university hospital, which I thought would take a long time, ended in less than an hour. The fee for this first visit was 2,310 yen.