Extraction reminder for myself

 This is just a reminder for myself to know when to call it quits for extractions. I've set a rule for myself in the past that if I'm trying a strategy e.g luxation for 5 minutes or 3 times and have made no progress then I should progress to the next best strategy e.g sectioning the tooth or raising a flap. Pushing on especially when there is some mobility can be tempting but when there is mobility and it is not changing after 5 minutes, there is some bulbosity, root curve, dense bone or path of removal issue that is holding me up. Pushing through can sometimes be successful but if you haven't made any progress in five minutes it is likely that you will just draw out the extraction and stress yourself and the patient out. Instead, make the procedure easier on yourself and progress the procedure on.

Today I was wrestling with a difficult wisdom tooth and kept trying different instruments for elevation with no avail. I knew after a while it became ridiculous and yet kept on with the same strategy for over 30 minutes. Finally after breaking the root several times I progressed to raise a flap and had the tooth out within 5 minutes. In this case, visibility and the ability to gutter bone were invaluable in achieving an effective extraction. In the future I will try to be more dilligent in making the call to progress my strategy in a timely manner.