Archive for the ‘Root Canal’ Category

Accident made daughter’s teeth loose—will she lose them?

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

My daughter plays catcher for her Little League team, and at her game this last week she took a bat right in the mouth. I took her immediately to the emergency room, and they said they could not see any fractures as determined by a CAT scan. That was good, but her top two front teeth are incredibly loose. Is she going to lose them? They wouldn’t really say one way or the other at the ER, and my dentist has been out of town. I have an appointment to get her in in two days, but I guess I’d like to hear your opinion on this, too. She is 11, and these are permanent teeth.

The piece of skin that holds her upper lip to her top jaw also ripped, but they said that it was not going to affect her one way or the other, and that stitching it would be more trouble that it is worth. Is that really so? I just thought the ER doctor seemed incredibly blase about the whole thing. I know he sees a lot worse every day, but this is my child!

Kristy in Manistee

Dear Kristy,

I am glad to hear that you are getting her in to see your dentist. Her teeth need to be bonded into the correct position as soon as possible, provided that the roots are not cracked. If there are no fractures or cracks in the roots of her teeth the bone will heal, and everything should be fine.

If the roots of the teeth are fractured, she may lose one of both teeth. Given her age, you’ll have some time to decide how you want to handle the permanent fix while she wears a temporary dental bridge. You may decide on dental implants, or a permanent fixed dental bridge might be a good choice. Make sure you seek the services of a talented, experienced cosmetic dentist to help you make this decision.

If the roots of the teeth are just damaged, she may need a root canal treatment.

Though his bedside manner sounds like it could use some work, the ER doctor was correct: that piece of skin that ripped is not an issue, and may even grow back.

Dr. Currie is an excellent York PA family dentist, happy to see everyone in your family for their dental needs.

This blog post provided as a courtesy of the office of York cosmetic dentist Dr. Currie.

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Serious dental problems—is full extraction the answer?

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

I am a recovering drug addict. I’ve been straight for a little over a year, and my health is slowly improving. The one thing that is not going to get any better, though, is my teeth. They are really trashed.

The dentist at the clinic I go to wants to pull all of my teeth and fit me with dentures. He set up an appointment for me to get this done next week, and says he can do it all in one visit. That doesn’t seem like a very good plan to me, but I am not really comfortable arguing with this guy. He says what he is going to do and doesn’t really give you any choices.

I know something significant has to be done. My molars are such a God-awful mess that I have been chewing with my front teeth, and they are pretty wobbly and sore. This just seems like such a drastic option. I am only 23 years old.

Any advice you can offer would be great. I can’t afford to go to another dentist for a second opinion.

Ray in Kentucky

Dear Ray,

You are to be commended for staying off drugs-addiction is a difficult and painful malady.

The treatment plan recommended by your dentist is not one that we would support in our office. It is a quick and easy fix for your dentist and many years of struggle and difficulty for you. You are far too young to have all your teeth pulled.

If you have all your teeth extracted, you will eventually suffer from a condition called “facial collapse”. This is when the bones of the jaws deteriorate and thin, which happens at the site of a lost tooth or teeth. If ALL of your teeth are gone, this process accelerates, and by the time you are in your 40s you will be unable to wear any kind of denture.

Though we obviously do not know the details of your case, it seems unlikely that none of your teeth can be salvaged. If even a few are healthy enough to remain, they could be used to anchor dentures and will help maintain the bones of your jaws. Root canal treatments may help salvage some teeth, and down the road dental implants may be a possibility. Some kind of dentures may be necessary, but if enough of your teeth can be salvaged dental bridges may be possibilities.

If another clinical dentist is available, seek a second opinion.

This post is a courtesy of the dental office of Dr. Currie, York PA dentist.

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No insurance and infected tooth—home remedies?

Monday, April 18th, 2011

First off, I don’t have any insurance, and I’ve been unemployed for more than a year so money is pretty tight. I am hoping you’ll have some home remedies for me so I don’t have to go see a dentist.

I am missing three teeth on the right side of my mouth, all in the lower jaw. I have one tooth still there, but it splintered last week. None of the pieces came out, but now there is so much swelling back there I wish they would! Maybe it would relieve some of the pressure. It looks like I have a golf ball tucked into my cheek. It is really embarrassing! I don’t even want to leave the house until it looks better.

What can I do? I just don’t have any money for this. Can I just rinse with salt water, or put some kind of poultice on it?

Thanks for your help,

Riley in Champagne, IL

Dear Riley,

You probably won’t like this answer, but you really do have to see a dentist, and as soon as possible. As a word of caution, please do NOT take antibiotics without having the tooth treated. The infection is located inside what remains of your tooth, and antibiotics alone will not address the source of the infection. If you take antibiotics, you will only make the bacteria that survive stronger and more resistant to treatment.

If the tooth were intact, a root canal treatment would probably be the best treatment, but at this point you may just need to have the shards of tooth extracted. Down the road, you may want to consider a dental implant or mini-dental implant to help maintain the jawbone on that side of your mouth.

Right now, though, you need to find someone to help with that tooth. Check with social service agencies to see if they know of a clinic or program in your area that helps people with financial difficulties get emergency dental treatment. If there is no organized program, ask if they have the names of area dentists that are sympathetic to people in need.

Make no mistake - this is a dental emergency. You must get this taken care of right away. Tooth infections can travel to your sinuses or even to your brain. This is not something that will just go away if you wait, either. Get treatment.

This blog is supported by the dental office of York PA cosmetic dentist Dr. Currie.

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Addiction recovery and dental care

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

I recently started Methadone maintenance as part of my addiction recovery program. My teeth are in terrible shape and I need a lot of work done, but I’ve had some bad experiences at the dentist. The last time I went to get work done, the dentist would not give me anything at all for the pain after he saw on my chart that I was on Methadone. Even after I gave him all the contact information for the clinic and asked him to call and talk to my counselor and the clinic doctor about it, he refused to make the call. I wound up leaving without getting any of the work done. Things have gotten a lot worse since then, and I know I can’t put this off much longer.

How should I go about finding a doctor that will at least make an effort to talk to the doctor and counselor? I am nervous enough about going to the dentist, and afraid of pain. I am in a lot of pain right now, and can’t stand the thought of it being worse during and after treatment. I need at least two root canal treatments and there is just no way I am getting that done without pain medication. I also have gum disease that my doctor says requires immediate and aggressive treatment.

Anything you can do to help me would be much appreciated.

Valerie in Sacramento

Dear Valerie,

Most dentists and medical doctors have a healthy respect for the Drug Enforcement Administration, and are very cautious about doing anything that could cause them to undergo an investigation.

One place to start might be the clinic itself. They may have a list of medical and dental professionals that are sympathetic and well educated in working with the clinic’s clientele.

You might also look around your area for a sedation dentist. Dentists who are practiced in sedation dentistry will be more well-informed on legalities involving pain control medication. It may take several phone calls, but you should be able to locate a compassionate and knowledgeable dentist who will help you.

Best of luck to you in this new phase of your life.

This blog brought to you as a courtesy by the office of York PA cosmetic dentist Dr. Currie.

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