Posts Tagged ‘dental bridge’

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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I need dental implants – am I a bone grafting candidate?

Monday, February 28th, 2011

My dentist said I need three dental implants, and that I may need bone grafting before we can do the implants. The thing is, my dentist is really young, and I don’t think he has much experience with dental implants. My previous dentist retired, and recommended this dentist. I really like him, and he is very personable and seems competent, but I am just not sure how much experience or education he has in dental implants.

How do dentists generally determine if a person is a good candidate for the bone grafting procedure? Because of a boating accident, I had a dental bridge put in 17 years ago, when I was 16. You can really see the bone loss (three missing teeth) when you know what to look for.

Thanks for the information-I really like your blog.

Melody from Austin, TX

Dear Melody,

We’re glad you like the blog! We enjoy writing about dentistry issues that are of interest to people.

To determine whether or not someone is a good candidate for a bone graft procedure, your dentist will first and foremost look at your general health. If you are in good general health, he will further examine your x-rays and scans before making any kind of decisions about your treatment.

You are right to be wary about your dentist’s perceived lack of experience. We would certainly suggest that you question your dentist thoroughly about his education and experience with dental implants. If you are not comfortable with his answers, be honest with him and ask him to recommend you to someone who has experience with complicated cases like yours. Placing dental implants is not considered a separate specialty, but doing it well does require extensive training above and beyond the standard coursework in dental school.

If your dentist does not know who to recommend you to, you’ll have to do some of the legwork yourself. Look for a dentist with a website that lists strong credentials, including specifics about his or her experience and training in placing dental implants. Check his biography page and look for memberships in groups like the Academy of Osseointegration, or the International Congress of Oral Implantology, or the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Affiliation with any of those groups or evidence of coursework done through one of them is a good indication that the dentist is well educated and experienced.

This blog produced on behalf of York PA dentist Dr. Currie.

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