Can you extract your own tooth?

Most people may remember 2 movies that have dental implications that stand out vividly.  One was Papillion with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman the other was Castaway with Tom Hanks. Both movies had scenes where the stars removed their own tooth.

   When Papillion’s health failed after years in solitary confinement there is a scene where his tongue feels a loose tooth and he reaches in and pulls it out with his fingers.  This is a realistic probability as I have had several patients with advanced gum disease called periodontal disease have this happen to them.  This painless disease causes the bone to deteriorate around the root of the tooth. We learn from this gruesome scene that diet and oral hygiene can make a difference in the longevity of your teeth.

    In “Castaway” the character Chuck Noland played by Tom Hanks. delayed a trip to the dentist and when on the island he was in so much pain he removed his own tooth with a washed up ice skate point and a beach rock.   This is possible but not likely. Most likely the tooth would break before it came out.

Although kind of gruesome these scenes illustrate two critical truths.  Proper diet and regular oral hygiene will save your teeth and delaying a trip to the dentist when it is time or you   have a minor challenge fxed can save a pos sibility of developing tooth loss.

Besides leaning about changing your life with a smile and learning about my humanitarian trips you can get a good understanding of how modern dentistry can be painless and even comfortable by reading my book, “It’s All About Smiles”   www.itsallaboutsmiles.com  

 Click here for link to Castaway Scene:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Zy0o5z1_c