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Just curious, why are dentists so secretive about/unwilling to show you your own teeth that they pull? I ask because I had 4 wisdom teeth pulled by 3 different dentists at 4 different times and they all had excuses or reasons why I couldn't even look at my own tooth. Reasons given: We already disposed of it (uh, where?, I've been here the whole time)....It's a biohazard....We're not supposed to do that...
What's the deal? And also, what do they really do with the teeth, do they sell them to dental colleges or something?
Healthy teeth come out with a fair amount of gum tissue clinging to them - kinda like looking at a chicken leg at an eatin' contest - ragged lookin' thing it will be and it'll have some blood and blood clots on it as well.
Now even under anethesia, getting a tooth pulled is a wounding and can make folks a litlle shaky from either the trauma or the nervous tension associated with the process so pulling out a bloody clotted with chunks of you on it could be a little too much for you at the moment. So rather than have you fainting/puking/taking a vapor, just better to wrap it up and put it out of site. Much like you ladies do with your tampons and the like.
Now, that's for the purty healthy teeth. Some teeth will split when being pulled or break off one or more roots or be a nasty shade of black/green/purple depending on how badly the tooth and the surrounding gum tissue at the time of the extraction. And it won't smell so good - most of the time, at best, it wil smell like you just stirred up the bottom of a still lake or pond and at worst, well, that's another good reason the dentist uses suction when he is working on your mouth...
So there you go. It's to pertect your more genteel feelings and appreciations of your dental well-being.
What's the deal? And also, what do they really do with the teeth, do they sell them to dental colleges or something?
They just might.
I do agree with cpalmist's very fine answer above! I would just like to add the following.
I know that when a friend of mine had an abscessed tooth pulled, the dentist refused to show it to him.
I don't know, but I would suspect that they might be trying to avoid people freaking out when they see how large (and maybe gross looking) the entire tooth and root might be that they have just had extracted. They might be being taught to do this as a safety precaution in general. Maybe something happened some time ago to a patient who was shown a tooth or teeth that were extracted that caused some kind of problem for the patient that then lead to other problems.
I saw my wisdom teeth when they pulled them back in january i was curious as they were sending them for examination they let me look at the pots they were sat in. Admitedly they had big blobs of stuff on the bottom witch turnt out to be dead abscess it was pretty yucky.
Guess it just depends who what and how at the time of pulling.
As a child i always kept all my teeth that were pulled how else was the tooth fairy gonna give me my money.
Ha i was spoilt and not forgetting im english i got an average of 50p to a pound depending on the size of the tooth and how much change my dad had in his pocket tee hee.
Well, I can see that we've come a long way since I was young, baby! (I hope that you get the pun.) It is based on a cigarette ad for women in the U.S. about twenty or so years ago.
hehehehehehe its ok i understand your an old man but then saying that im not exactly a spring chicken any more either but im sure being a gentleman you wouldnt ask my age.
I cant wait for the tooth fairy to come to our house again for Millie it will be fun.
i got an average of 50p to a pound depending on the size of the tooth and how much change my dad had in his pocket tee hee.
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