Dental Woes? An Online Second Opinion Could Save You From A World Of Pain.
By: Shawm Pro Kash, Shomprakash Sinha Roy
Tags: Dentistry, Root Canal Treatment, Dental Care, Second Opinion, Opinion

Dental Woes? An Online Second Opinion Could Save You From A World Of Pain.

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

What is the most common dental nightmare for patients around the world? — Getting recurring surgery and treatments done on the same tooth, over & over again.

While the underlying causes of dental pain may vary from hormonal fluctuations, wisdom teeth, alignment, or even periodontal (gum) disease, the availability and spread of generic dental treatment modalities, makes it very difficult for an actual patient to keep an accurate track of where their treatment is headed.

Some of the most common dental treatment journeys are guided by an element of fear, combined with very little understanding of what the ongoing treatment is doing, and how exactly this affects the inner dynamics of their body.

Patients who undergo procedures for root canal treatments, dental extractions, and other surgical interventions, often complain about :

Being on excessive antibiotic medication

Being in excessive pain throughout the day

Not being able to pinpoint if the treatment is working

Uncertainty about recovery timelines

Uncertainty about the necessity of repeat visits

Another common predicament for many dental patients is often summarized as repeat trauma on the same tooth. Due to age-related complications, a tooth that has previously been ‘saved’ via an intervention process such as a root canal treatment (RCT), can become further infected. Alternatively, an adjacent tooth (such as a protruding wisdom tooth) can cause treatment reversals. Quite often, ceramic-top dental crowns become detached, and this results in further cracks on the surface of the remnant tooth, causing further trauma to the enamel, gums, and nerves.

Photo by Umanoide on Unsplash — An Orthopantomogram

Although the availability of postmodern dental diagnostics makes it simple for dentists to arrive at the ‘source of the pain’, the locally hypothesized treatment plan may not always be the optimal path for every patient.

When a patient complains of repeat tooth trauma, the usual route for a dental practitioner is to get an Orthopantomogram (OPG) of the mouth. This is a cross-section panoramic (wide-view) X-ray image, which provides an overview of where every tooth and nerve is placed, and highlights areas of potential infection.

However, localized treatment plans drawn up on the basis of an OPG review do not always factor in elements such as a patient’s past medical history, or the body’s affinity to interact with various forms of anti-histamines, anti-inflammatory medicines, and anesthetics. Most accredited dental clinics follow due process as far as getting an accurate medical history is concerned. But for patients who undergo repetitive treatments on the exact same tooth / spot, an online second opinion from an unbiased practitioner is almost always recommended.

Here are the top three reasons to do so.

01 — Fresh Perspective Of Treatment

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

Unlike your regular dentist, a qualified practitioner who takes a look at your reports online, has a neutral opinion about your treatment history, and access to patient data that extends across a much larger sample size than what your local dentist may have exposure to.

This results in a fresh perspective, which often times results in a completely different direction of treatment.

02 — Aversion To Addictive Painkillers

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Pain medication is an integral part of almost any dental treatment / intervention. However, since many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical brands produce dental pain-relief medicines derived from opiates and other controlled substances, it is important that there be an element of controlled observation as far as the regular prescription of these medicines is concerned.

However, regional dental practitioners are often in the habit of recommending medicines that are lobbied for, by major pharmaceutical houses. In such a situation, seeking an unbiased online second opinion is guaranteed to result in a neutral review of any medicine that you may be getting exposed to, including any potentially addictive behaviors / side effects that may have been ignored or overlooked by your current dentist.

03 — Objective Accuracy

Photo by Caroline LM on Unsplash

While formulating a treatment plan, a regional dental clinic almost always weighs in the probability of repeat visits, and a schedule of treatment is created by factoring in the convenience of all stakeholders, such as any orthodontists, anesthologists or surgeons who may need to be involved. However, depending on the stage of aggravation of a particular dental ailment, the timeframe of treatment postulated by a local clinic may or may not be optimal for the patient’s health and potential recovery timelines.

To ensure that your treatment is not being subject to customary delays, it is always advisable to opt for an unbiased second opinion from an overseas specialist, who has a bird’s eye objective view of your treatment plan.

In the world of specialized dentistry, a good overseas online specialist might just be the tooth fairy you were looking out for!