In the old days, teeth were extracted by pliers, as there were no dentists around. During these times, people would get drunk on alcohol and then the teeth would be extracted. There was no such thing as anaesthesia back then, so it was impossible to locally numb the pain. These days though, local anaesthesia is the best way to numb a toothache before pulling the tooth. If you attempt to pull a tooth yourself, you’ll feel the pain no matter what you do.

There are situations however, in which you can pull your own teeth. Baby teeth for example, are acceptable to pull. Before you yank it out though, you should check on the age of when the tooth in question should be removed. If you wiggle the tooth around and it appears to be loose, then chances are it will come out without a problem. On the other hand, if you pull the tooth and it turns out to be an abscess, you’ll end up with a real problem and your hands and you’ll need to visit a dentist as soon as you can.

Another situation in which it is acceptable to pull your own teeth is when you have a severe case of gum disease. Gum disease can cause the socket and the bone to become extremely decayed, which will result in the destruction of the tooth. If the gum disease is severe enough, the tooth will be extremely loose and will come out without a problem. In some cases, the tooth can be almost unbearable to the touch. If you have gum disease and notice a loose tooth, you should be careful when pulling it. If you don’t do it properly or if you do it too soon, you could end up breaking the top of the tooth. If this happens, you’ll need to go to the dentist to have the remaining portion of the tooth cut out.

Even though a tooth may feel loose when you touch it, doesn’t always mean that you can grab a pair of pliers and rip it out. Teeth are very delicate. If you try to rip a tooth out with pair of pliers and make a mistake, you should end up doing more harm than good. Putting pliers in your mouth can also lead to an infection, which would send you to the dentist. Abscesses on the other hand, should never be dealt with on your own – you’ll need to go to a dentist to have him properly extract the tooth and give you some antibiotics to stop the infection.

To be on the safe side and avoid any potential problems that could easily arise, you should always go to the dentist if you have a toothache. No matter how bad the pain may be, you should never attempt to pull the tooth yourself. Your dentist can numb the area before he pulls the tooth, so you’ll feel no pain at all. He will also prescribe you some pain medicine and antibiotics as well, to help treat any infection you may have. If you attempt to pull the tooth yourself, you’ll only cause more problems in the end – and end up going to a dentist anyway.

One should beware of a dentist whose office is not clean; he is likely to be just as careless about sterilizing his instruments as he is sloppy in his work. A wise person who notes this will pick up his dentures and steal quietly away.
One should also be on guard against a dentist who would rather extract a tooth than send the patient to an endodontist to perform root canal work, arguing that the patient can get along without that tooth. A tooth that has been extracted is a part of the body that is now missing. Extra parts are not yet available for the human body.

GUIDELINES OF A QUALIFIED DENTIST
1.        He will always investigate in detail, not only the dental history of a new pa¬tient but more importantly his general health. He will ask the patient to complete a form sheet regarding all his past illnesses, his current state of health, his sensitivities, his abnormalities, whether he is a bleeder, whether he is allergic to certain medication such as penicillin. He will also do the same with children, inquiring of the parents whether the child has or has had any significant ailments such as rheumatic fever, for example, so that he can protect the young patient by using antibiotics in advance of treatment to prevent bacterial The Teeth, Gums, and jaws infection, which can be very serious in such a child.
2.        He will check the new patient’s mouth most carefully, noting the condition of the gums and always on the lookout for lesions and ulcers in the mouth or on the neck. He will check out each and every tooth and examine the existing dental work for reevaluation.
3.        He will take time to advise the patient on proper mouth hygiene; how to use a toothbrush correctly, what kind of brush, how to use water jet devices, and how to use dental floss.
4.        He will discuss with the patient fully what needs to be done in his mouth and advise him on alternate treatments-which procedures are better, which has least risk, which is least expensive.
5.        He will never hesitate to consult with another dentist or specialist if the patient thinks another opinion might be helpful. In which case he will cheerfully submit the X-ray film of the patient’s teeth to the con¬sulting dentist.
6.        He will ask for a reasonable fee commensurate with his skill and judgment and the amount of work he puts in; he is never exorbitant.