Archive for May, 2011

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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Bulimia and damage to teeth

Monday, May 16th, 2011

I’ve had bulimia since 1990. I’ve been seeing a therapist for the last five years, and finally feel like I have things under control. I will always have bulimia, but now I am in control of the disease instead of the other way around. I’m finally at a healthy weight, and my skin looks nourished and healthy. The one thing I can’t change with diet, though, is my teeth. They are very badly damaged from more than 20 years of abuse. They are chipped, discolored and really thin, and they don’t fit together like they should. One side sticks out when I open my mouth to bite something, and I’ve been getting headaches.

I think I really need to see a specialist for all this. I need someone to help me with my bite issues, and I really want to improve the appearance of my smile, too. Should I see someone for the bite first, and then address the cosmetics, or vice versa?

Thanks,

Kelly in Sacramento

Dear Kelly,

If you find the right cosmetic dentist, you could address both issues with the same professional, which would really be ideal.

The issues with your bite are likely the cause of your headaches, and it sounds as if it is a temporomandibular joint issue, commonly known as “TMJ”. TMJ treatment will get everything back in alignment and functioning properly, so your nutrition is not compromised and your headaches ease or cease.

Because you have so little tooth structure left, you will probably have to have dental bonding before anything can be done to address the appearance of your teeth. Traditional dental cement is not strong enough to hold dental crowns in place when there is very little tooth structure to work with.

This will not be a quick fix, unfortunately. You are probably looking at porcelain crowns for all of your teeth. The improvement in appearance and function will be dramatic, but the price will be steep.

Best of luck to you as you move into this healthier phase of your life.

York PA cosmetic dentist Dr. Currie’s dental office sponsors this blog.

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