Archive for the ‘Emergency Dentist’ Category

Toothache but no signs of infection

Sunday, April 29th, 2012

Over the past 6 years I have had two teeth pulled on the same side of my mouth. Both times I went to my dentist who referred me to an endodontist and neither one could find a problem with my teeth. The teeth hurt so bad that I just had them removed because I could not tolerate the pain anymore. Now once again I am having a toothache on the same side and am being referred to the endodontist again. Does anyone have any idea what may be going on with my teeth?

Thanks, Rebecca

Dear Rebecca,

Hearing that you have had teeth extracted with no signs of infection and are having another toothache may be an indicator that something else is going on. There is a condition known as Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), which is a constant pain that affects the trigeminal nerve. This nerve carries sensation from your face to your brain. The pain is like an electric shock that can last a few seconds up to several minutes. These episodes can last days, weeks, and even months and then can subside for months or even years. Pain can be triggered just from brushing your teeth, putting on makeup, eating, and even talking. Nobody knows the exact cause of TN but it’s assumed that a blood vessel is pressing on the trigeminal nerve as it leaves the brainstem which causes a deterioration of the nerve sending abnormal signals to the brain. Many people with TN develop toothaches with no signs of infection and have teeth extracted over the years before they are even diagnosed with this condition. The only way to determine if you actually have TN is to have a neurological examination completed by a physician. If you are diagnosed with this condition medicine is the most common treatment to subside the pain, however in severe cases surgery is needed.

Post courtesy of Dr. Malone, Lafayette Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist

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Are infections in your teeth dangerous?

Saturday, March 19th, 2011

I don’t have any dental insurance, or medical insurance either. I am writing to ask about a problem I am having, so I don’t waste my very limited resources in going to see the wrong professional.

Here is what has happened: Last week I broke one of my molars. It is the very back molar on the left side, right ahead of where my wisdom tooth used to be, in my lower jaw. Ever since I did that, I have a lot of pain in my cheek and jaw. In the last couple of days, the pain seems to be in my sinuses and nose, too. Basically right now my hold head and face just hurt!

I had some antibiotics left over from a recent infection (they are not expired), so I’ve been taking those but that doesn’t seem to be helping at all. Does all of this sound like it could be caused from that broken tooth, or is this more likely to be sinus issues? I know I need to see someone, but like I said I don’t want to waste my money on a visit to someone who is just going to tell me to go see someone different.

One of my co-workers said today that infections in your teeth can get in your brain?! Is that even true? She said that it can be really dangerous and that has me kind of freaked out. Any advice you can offer would be really helpful.

Thanks,

Eleanor in Ludington, MI

Dear Eleanor,

Your friend is correct–an infection in your tooth is dangerous, and can indeed spread to your brain. You must get this taken care of right away. The infection is spreading, and this will not get better on its own.

Call your dentist and see if he or she will work out some kind of payment plan. Very few dentists will turn away a patient in an emergency situation like this. If by some chance your dentist will not help you, keep calling around until you find one that will, or contact the local dental society (look in the yellow pages for a listing) and see if they maintain a list of emergency dentists in your area that can help patients without insurance or funds. You can also go into the emergency room and they will help you.

You should also discontinue the antibiotics immediately. If you take antibiotics for a tooth infection without treating the source of the infection within the tooth (and oral antibiotics do not touch it), then you simply strengthen the bacteria that remain and make them antibiotic-resistant. Only a root canal treatment or an extraction will reach the source of the infection. If you have to have an extraction, talk to your dentist about a dental bridge to replace the tooth. The location of the infected tooth means that a dental implant would be the best choice to replace the tooth, but dental implants are quite expensive and never covered by dental insurance.

Please do not delay. Get this taken care of right away, before the infection spreads further. Wishing you the best of health.

This blog post brought to you as a courtesy by the office of Lafayette Louisiana cosmetic dentist Dr. Malone.

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Front teeth loose after an assault—will they fall out?

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

I was recently the victim of an assault, and was punched quite hard right in the mouth. I had to go to the emergency room to get stitches because it tore the corner of my mouth. While I was there they did a CAT scan, and said there are no fractures, but my front teeth are loose. One is more loose than the other.

I don’t have any kind of dental coverage and am worried sick that I might lose my front teeth. From what I have described, does it sound like my dentist will be able to save them? I’ve been online, researching what treatments there are for lost teeth. If they fall out, I don’t think I can afford dental implants or a dental bridge, and it doesn’t seem like a partial denture would look good or be comfortable. I am trying to find out if I can sue the guy that hit me if the cops catch him, but that is kind of a long shot.

Eric in Sault St. Marie

Dear Eric,

We’re sorry that this happened to you. Hopefully the police will find the person who did this, and justice will be served.

In terms of your teeth, if the CAT scan was accurate and there are no fractures in the roots of your teeth, they should be stabilized in the correct position in the day or two following the injury. Your dentist should bond the teeth into place, fixing them in the correct position. The bone will then heal, and your teeth should be fine.

Two or three weeks from now, you should go back to the dentist and have him check for nerve damage on either tooth. If either of the nerves are damaged, you will need root canal treatment. If that is the case, tell your dentist that you do not want a dental crown. Some dentists will place a crown on any tooth that has had a root canal, as a matter of course. In this situation, a crown will actually cause the tooth to be structurally weaker. Also tell them not to leave any root canal cement or adhesive in the crown of the tooth, or the tooth will get quite dark in time.

This blog provided as a courtesy of Dr. Malone, Lafayette Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist.

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Should I wait to fix my child’s broken tooth?

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Last evening at t-ball practice my youngest daughter was hit in the mouth with a bat. One of her front teeth on the top broke right off, and the other one has a crack all the way across it. We took her to our family dentist first thing this morning, and he said he won’t have time to fix it for three weeks. Three weeks! That just seems crazy to me. Everything I’ve ever heard or read about damage to teeth says that you should “get to a dentist right away”. Well, what is the point of that if they aren’t going to fix it?

One of the reasons our dentist gave for the delay is that the root of the broken tooth needs time to “desensitize”. Is that customary? If it is, then I guess we will wait, but my instinct is to take her to a different dentist, one who will treat this with some urgency.

I hope you can answer this quickly. I don’t want to wait, but I’d like some expert advice about what to do.

Nora in Bar Harbor, Maine

Dear Nora,

Your instincts are correct – there is no reason to wait to address this.

If you have the piece of the tooth that broke off (and see this response promptly!), an expert cosmetic dentist might be able to reattach that portion of the tooth. If you don’t have the piece or it is too badly damaged, a likely procedure to repair both teeth is direct dental bonding.

For this reason, I strongly suggest you chose an expert cosmetic dentist for this procedure. Direct dental bonding requires more than excellent technical skills and training. It requires artistry. The bonding material must be color matched and placed with an eye to the gradients of color that comprise her natural teeth. Only truly gifted cosmetic dentists can do really beautiful direct bonding work.

You don’t say how old your daughter is, but because of your reference to t-ball I am guessing that she is under 10. Direct bonding is a great solution for younger patients. When she is older, she will probably need a single dental crown for the tooth that was broken, but your dentist will have to make that decision when the time comes. If the other tooth is severely damaged, both front teeth may need crowns.

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