Archives for June 2020

Can I Just Take Antibiotics Until I can Extract the Tooth?

Posted on June 27, 2020 by writeradmin.

I have a tooth that I am sure is infected. I don’t have time to deal with it right now as we are about to leave for a family vacation. I do have some leftover antibiotics and am sure I can get my doctor to call in another prescription. Then, when we get back, I’ll have the tooth extracted. Is there a preferred antibiotic for this?

Douglas W.

Dear Douglas,

I want to make sure you understand that antibiotics will not “heal” an infected tooth. The infected tissue has to be physically removed. I think you’re planning on doing that with an extraction. You should know you do have an option that will save your tooth, called a root canal treatment. This is a procedure where the dentist goes into the tooth canals with a tiny instrument to take out the infected pulp. It is always better to save a tooth whenever possible. This is because of the danger of root resorption.

What an antibiotic can do is sort of hold off an infection until then. How long they hold it off varies on the infection. Bear in mind, tooth infections are considered a dental emergency for a reason. If the infection grows too rapidly, it can become life-threatening. Think about how close your jaw is to your heart, lungs, and brain, you can see that you don’t want to let the infection spread.

There is a danger that you take your antibiotic and in the middle of your family vacation the infection blows up and you end up in the office of a strange dentist you don’t know while your family flounders on without you.

The better plan is to go ahead and get a root canal treatment before you go. This is a much easier procedure than a tooth extraction.

If It Comes to an Extraction

if it does turn out that the tooth can’t be saved, there are other considerations. First and foremost is the tooth must be replaced. If you don’t, the nearby teeth will begin to shift or tip into the spot. This will throw off your bite. When this happens, you’ll begin to experience jaw pain and it can even lead to migraines and TMJ Disorder.

There are quite a few tooth replacement options. The best replacement is a dental implant. This has a prosthetic tooth root that is topped by a dental crown. Having a dental implant is the closest thing to having a healthy, natural tooth in your mouth again.

Another option is a dental bridge. This suspends a false tooth between dental crowns. The downside of this is it requires two healthy teeth to be crowned. You may not want to do that.

Finally, there is a removable partial denture or a dental flipper. Both are removable. The latter is generally used as a temporary replacement option while you’ are waiting on something better like a dental implant.

This blog is brought to you by Sugarland Dentist Dr. Siny Thomas.

I Still Hate My Dentures After Ten Years

Posted on June 15, 2020 by writeradmin.

Ever Since I got my dentures ten years ago I have hated them. From the beginning, my dentist kept telling me I’d get used to them. The problem is no matter how long it has been he keeps saying I’ll get used to them. Let’s be honest, after all this time, I don’t think I shall. I keep reading about dental implants. Is it too late for me to get them?

Margie

Dear Margie,

It isn’t too late to get dental implants, as long as you are in decent general health. There is a caveat, though. You’ve been in dentures for ten years, which is enough time for facial collapse to set in. I don’t know if your dentist warned you about facial collapse, so I’ll give you a short summary of it here.

What is Facial Collapse?

When your teeth were first removed, your body responds by resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. It did this in an effort to be as efficient as possible with its resources. Because you no longer have any teeth, it doesn’t feel like you need your jawbone, which is mostly used to retain your teeth roots. Eventually, you will lose so much jawbone, there won’t be enough for you to even retain your dentures.

This is a huge deal as you will not be able to eat a healthy diet, being limited to the softest foods that don’t require teeth. Your quality of life will take a dramatic turn for the worse.

Even though you will likely still have some of your jawbone at this point, you will need enough to integrate with the dental implants, so they will be secure and can support your dentures. This can be overcome by have a bone grafting procedure done. This will build back up the lost structure, enabling you to move forward.

What are Implant Overdentures?

It is too pricey to get a single dental implant for each missing tooth. Instead, it is more practical to get four to six dental implants on each arch and then anchor your dentures to them. This is known as implant overdentures. Fortunately, because it still places dental implants in your jaw, it has the same benefits.

Your dentures will be completely secure.
Your chewing capacity increases significantly.
Your jaw’s appearance will look stronger and younger.
You will be protected from facial collapse.

This blog is brought to you by Sugarland Dentist Dr. Siny Thomas.

I Can’t Keep My Dentures In?

Posted on June 11, 2020 by writeradmin.

I’ve had dentures for a bit over twenty years. It’s gotten to the point where they won’t stay in even with adhesives. I’ve recently found out I should have gotten dental implants when my teeth were still removed, but that was never even mentioned to me. Is there a way to get them now? If not, is there at least a way to keep them in?

Mable

Dear Mable,

What you are experiencing is known in dentistry as facial collapse. When your teeth were first removed your body recognized that. As a result, it thought, “Hey, you don’t have teeth there so you don’t need these minerals for the bones. They’re for teeth roots. We are going to use those elsewhere so we can use your body’s resources well.”

While remarkably efficient, it does leave those who wear dentures in a bit of a pickle. You need the ridge of that lower jawbone in order to keep your dentures in. In as little as ten years without teeth, some patients can’t wear their dentures at all. Not only is that detrimental to your health, but it also ages your appearance by at least a decade.

The Solution to Facial Collapse

The first thing you need to do is have that bone built back up. Without that, you will eventually not be able to eat. This is important. The way to build your bone back up, is a procedure known as bone grafting.

A qualified dentist or oral surgeon can graft either natural or synthetic bone into your jaw. Once that is done you have two choices. The first is you can get dentures refit. This is fine, but you will face the same cycle of bone loss. A second option is to get dental implants.

Implant Overdentures: The Solution to Facial Collapse

Dental implants place prosthetic tooth roots into your jawbone. Then, after a period of healing, your dentist can place dental crowns on top of the root form. This mimics your natural teeth and preserves your jawbone.

It would be financially unfeasible to get a dental implant for each missing tooth, for all but the wealthiest of individuals. Instead, I suggest you get implant overdentures. These use between four to six dental implants and then anchor a denture to them. It completely secures your dentures, dramatically improves your chewing capacity, and prevents facial collapse.

Ideally, you want a dentist who can do the surgery and the crowns or dentures. This eliminates the risk of miscommunication in a complicated, advanced procedure.

I hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by Sugarland Dentist Dr. S. Thomas.

Porcelain Veneers and Smoking

Posted on June 9, 2020 by writeradmin.

I recently had porcelain veneers placed. I am enjoying them, but am starting to worry that my smoking habit will be a problem in staining my porcelain veneers. I know it stained my teeth terribly, which is one of the reasons I needed porcelain veneers to begin with. Am I putting them at risk? Is there something I can do to help them? It’s very hard to quit smoking.

Kathleen

Dear Kathleen,

One benefit to porcelain veneers is they are very stain resistant, even more so than your natural teeth. The bigger danger is around the edges where the bonding material can pick up stains from things such as cigarettes, or staining beverages such as coffee or tea. When it comes to maintenance of your porcelain veneers, one thing I always suggest to patients is that they brush with a toothpaste specifically designed for cosmetic work.

Supersmile toothpaste will help remove surface stains without damaging your teeth the way other whitening kinds of toothpaste will. The toothpastes you typically get at the store will use an abrasive to scrub off the stains. You absolutely do NOT want to use those with your porcelain veneers. It will ruin then. The abrasive takes off the glazing on your teeth which will cause them to pick up more and more stains.

I hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by Sugarland Dentist Dr. Siny Thomas.