I was faced with a situation with a piece of broken tooth one night and no where to go. The pain of it just sitting in the gum was unbearable, and I did find a way to get it out. I learned a lot about my pain threshold. Sometimes when you have to do something and don't have much choice, the pain will take a back seat. I succeeded, and followed proper sterilization and rinsing steps that any dentist would do. The pain stopped immediately after I had pulled the shard out. (The worst part is tearing it free just at the end! Ow! x1000) The dentist the next day couldn't believe I did it. Neither could I.