Archives for May 2021

Can this Dental Crown Be Repaired?

Posted on May 30, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had a crown done a little over four months ago. Today it not only broke off, but the post broke as well. Is there any way to fix this or do I have to start over?

Calvin

Dear Calvin,

I haven’t examined you but will try to be helpful with the information I have. There are a few possibilities I can think of here. First, if the tooth broke off at the gumline, it likely means there wasn’t enough tooth there to begin with for a crown to be a viable replacement. I wouldn’t be too hard on your dentist. It sounds like he was trying to save the tooth, which is the best thing for you. However, if there isn’t enough left to save, the only thing you can do at that point is to have the remainder extracted and replace the tooth.

The best way to do that is with a dental implant. A prosthetic root is placed into your jawbone which makes it the closest thing to having a healthy natural tooth there again. A second option is a dental bridge. This suspends a false tooth between two dental crowns that will be placed on your adjacent teeth. This option makes more sense if one of those teeth already needs a crown. Otherwise, if possible, I’d get the implant. It is the better option.

One note of caution. A dental implant will need to be placed by someone with expertise. That requires post-doctoral training. Look for someone who is a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. These dentists are highly trained with a significant success rate. A poorly placed implant can lead to problems such as jaw pain and TMJ Disorder, along with a host of other potential problems.

If the tooth didn’t break off at the gumline, then it could just mean that you had a weak post. That does happen occasionally. If that is the case, your dentist should be able to replace it without too much trouble.

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

Multiple Dental Allergies and Need Help

Posted on May 7, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had a root canal treatment done several years ago and the dentist broke a file in my tooth. It was driving me crazy and I was in pain but my dentist kept insisting there is nothing wrong with a file being there and that it happens. I was absolutely miserable and had some testing done. I have multiple dental allergies and need a dentist willing to work with me. Out of desperation I left my dentist and went to an emergency dentist who was willing to do an x-ray on me. The x-ray showed that there was an infection under the file. He is willing to remove the file but does not want to work within the bounds of my allergies. Is there any way I can find a dentist willing to work with someone who understands Type IV allergies?

Carolyn

Dear Carolyn,

I am sorry that you have been through so much and even more sorry that those responsible for your healthcare were unwilling to listen to you. One of the things I have learned is that every patient’s body is different and responds differently to the exact same types of medication. While I don’t think you will necessarily be able to find a dentist who is familiar with Type IV allergies, I do have a solution.

I want you to look for a holistic dentist. These are dentists who are not simply interested in the teeth in an isolated way. They factor in the health of your whole body and will be willing to work within the confines of your allergies. I would simply do an internet search for holistic dentist and see who in your area pops up. Then, l would check out their website to see what exactly they offer.

Some who call themselves holistic really just mean they don’t use mercury fillings, while others go further by offering metal-free dental care. They will listen to you and be willing to help.

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

Decaying Tooth with No Money

Posted on May 6, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have a wisdom tooth that is rotten and decayed. Now the tooth next to it has decay and holes as well. My jaw is also starting to swell. I don’t have dental insurance at the moment and would rather not pay out of pocket. Is it possible to just take antibiotics until I have insurance again or can I just go to the ER for this?

Brad

Dear Brad,

I am worried that you are playing with fire here. If the jaw has started to swell, that is a particularly bad sign. Your decay has turned to an infection and that infection is spreading. Think about how close your jaw and cheek are to your eyes and brain. Or, if the infection goes lower, how close it is to your heart. I would consider this a dental emergency. If you don’t get it looked at, it will quickly become a life-threatening emergency.

Hospital Emergency Rooms will not treat dental issues, so that won’t be an option for you. As for an antibiotic. It can be briefly useful for holding the infection at bay, but that is the best it will do. I cannot heal the infection. Nothing short of a dentist physically removing the infected pulp can do that. This is done either by a root canal treatment or a tooth extraction if the tooth is too far gone to save.

I’m going to suggest you get this treated, even if it means out of pocket. There are dentists who will be willing to work with you on payments if you explain the circumstances. Waiting, at this point, is too risky for your health.

Hopefully, the teeth can be saved. If they cannot they you will need tooth replacements. If you are worried about finances, I would just get a temporary tooth replacement, such as a dental flipper and save up for a permanent one, like a dental implant.

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

Collapsed Mouth

Posted on May 3, 2021 by writeradmin.

I am so frustrated. I realize I caused this problem, but I didn’t know I was doing it. My mouth seemed to be changing where I couldn’t see my teeth at all. I had to smile super hard to even get them to show. My jaw has been aching as well. I spoke to my dentist about it and he said I grind my teeth and suggested I get a mouth guard from the drug store. I did, but it is uncomfortable. Are there other options for me?

Craig

Dear Craig,

I don’t know who your dentist is, but I would like you to find another one. If I understand you correctly, he has known for years that you grind your teeth and did nothing? He didn’t let you know or suggest a mouth guard? A second issue is that he just sent you to the drugstore for the mouth guard. While they’re okay in a pinch, they are not designed to fit your bite correctly. Your dentist could have provided you with a custom-fitted mouth guard. This would have been better for your jaw.

It sounds like you have ground your teeth down so much that your jaw is now misaligned, which is contributing to the pain you are in. If this is not dealt with you will end up with some TMJ problems. If your teeth are as ground down as I suspect, you will need a full-mouth reconstruction, which means placing dental crowns on all the damaged teeth (and possibly some dental implants on the unsaveable ones) to re-align your bite correctly.

However, this is not something you can let any dentist do. It takes extensive post-doctoral training in reconstructive dentistry. I would look for a dentist with two specific qualifications. First, I’d like him or her to have had training at one of the following places:

The Kois Institute
The Pankey Institute
The Dawson Academy
The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies

Second, I would love for them to be a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

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