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Harry: Hi, I am 16 a week or so ago I felt this bump on the back of my tooth. I didn't think that much if it. Today I felt it again so I decided to try to take a picture of it. It feels quite big but it seems to be quite small? And it is red i can't get a good picture but this is it. It doesn't hurt at all. I am really worried it is a tomour jameslehman694: Toothbrush irritation, from improper brushing, causes receding gums, worn enamel, red spots and tooth sensitivity. I think this is not a tomour. You have not to worry.

Red spot on gums

Yeroc: Hello, Within the past couple year I switched to a new dentist due to moving. Prior to coming to the dentist I'm currently at I hadn't had a cavity in years. Within the past two years with my new/current dentist I've been told twice now that I have a very very small pit that is considered a cavity in my back molars. The first time I was nieve and got it filled. This second time happened today. I couldn't believe it with my oral hygiene habits and feeling no pain I was shocked. What I want to know is if I'm getting scammed by a dentist that's drill happy. I've done some research online and this seems to be a debate topic in the dental community whether to drill early or not. From research I've read that these micro pits "cavities" are better off not filled and could take many years to develop into an actual full on cavity. Or they may never get any worse or even completely heal. Other side of the argument obviously says you need to fill a cavity is a cavity. I wanted an actual opinion from someone with a background in the field on their opinion. Background info I'm in my 20s and brush twice a day and floss everyday sometimes multiple times a day. Any replies are appreciated!

Tiny "pit" in tooth

Orange24: I chipped my tooth when I was 8-9. I am now 19 and want to fix it. Can someone please give me an estimate on how much it would cost to fix the tooth? I chipped about 50-60% of my tooth. Can you also give me what the dentist would do??? Would they use Veneers or maybe even crowns? I am not in pain, and I eat normally jameslehman694: I think you should go with the crowns treatment and it cost you around $500-$2,000 per tooth. The crowns treatment requires a shot in the gums of lidocaine or another local anesthetic. After the procedure is over and the anesthesia has worn off, the patient may feel some sensitivity with the temporary crown or some soreness in the gums around the tooth. The pain is very minimal though and shouldn't last long.

Dentist Help, chipped tooth

Chen: Hi to all dentists, A few days back when I was eating, I felt something came out from my mouth and to my surprise, a part of my tooth at the back was chipped. I went to a nearby dental clinic to have it check on the condition and was advised by the dentist to have a tooth extraction. I was kind of shocked as I thought chipped tooth is quite common and normally can be fixed by filling. The reason I was told is because that the root of my chipped tooth is quite bad and there is decay around it. I'm not sure how true is it as I do not know how to see from the x-ray report. I have attached the x-ray report of my teeth, appreciate if someone can help advise whether a tooth extraction is really necessary for my condition. Thanks. Mr Chen

Seeking a 2nd opinion from a professional dentist

Glhjr84: I haven't been fortunate enough to acquire dental insurance for the last 20 years... I'm assuming I need these removed. What does something like this run?

Help! Woke up with pain, how bad is it?

Xin: Hi, I can't say my mind is relatively cool with this but here goes; I have a teeth top-right end of my jaw, which the teeth is dead. Filling is done once on it, and it came off just yesterday afternoon. The filling attached last for about 6 months. Is it possible to do feeling again? the hole is quite big. I never extract a teeth out, so i have full set a teeth. Is it a need to do root canal treatment and crowning? What is the risk of doing and after doing this? How high the the risk of infection and/or causing jaw bone losses? What will be the best approach for this? Is extraction and replant with the ceramic - Crown treatment the best; based on the current technology? I am worry about my jaw becoming weird. Any advise given is highly appreciated. As a student; this is unfortunate for me Thank you .. in advance.

Need Advise from a Dentist - Re: a dead teeth; filling fall out once; can it be refill?

J h: i always thought I had a narrow upper jaw now I know I am a class 3 malocclusion. In 2011 I saw a dentist who fitted an Alf appliance to expand my upper jaw, he did this with so much force I was constantly bleeding from my mouth and every one of my teeth was pushed out of position. I later found out he did not have a denta licence and was imprisioned. I had this appliance in everyday for over a year and I regret it everyday. I have had braces in twice but all it has done is straightened my teeth. My lower jaw falls back. I have had 2 jaw surgerys for the class 3 but because the surgeon goes by the teeth and the fallen back jaw both have been a disaster. All I see on the Internet are appliances to expand the upper jaw or move teeth in any direction apart from inwards, is there an appliance that does the opposite and brings teeth inwards? Please find attached photos, I hope somebody can help Regards J

Dentist without a licence over expanded my arch, is there an appliance to move teeth in

Allen: So a week before thanksgiving my lower left canine was loose, as natural I freak out and stop eating with said tooth. I expected it to get better, but it got worse. Forward about two weeks and half and now most of my front teeth feel slightly loose, along with a very few rare back ones. No explanation I make a dental appointment. Had a regular clean up, no cavities and no irregularities on my x-rays. Very slight gingivitis in some areas, but all in all good gums/teeth. I asked him about them and he attempted to move them for me. He said, he does feel very slight looseness but not clue why. The cleaner lady said she felt no movement at all. I did tell them I have bruxism, as I clench my teeth when mad or at night. Lately I've been trying my best not to, even ordered night guards. I'm stressing out about these teeth, there's apparently no reason for looseness. I've had no trauma (no one jacked me in the face) and no extreme gum disease. My gums are not receded, my pulp seems fine. I even brush twice a day with a toothpaste that has fluoride in it (Sensodyne Repair). I also floss and even use mouthwash once a day. I have plenty of vitamin C in my diet. I don't drink soda. Age: 20 TL;DR Slightly Loose Teeth No Trauma No Peridontis No Cavities No Abscesses No Known Diseases Don't Smoke Don't Drink Don't Do Drugs Don't Drink Soda Strict Cleaning Someone Help Me Before Insanity Gets Me. I Don't Want To Lose My Teeth At Twenty!!

Loose Insanity?

BAT: A quick overview: During 2015, I was pregnant. My teeth were fine before with only few cavities here and there which I always had fixed. Due to severe acid reflux, vomiting, and out of control pregnancy hormones, I suffered significant tooth decay during the pregnancy. I now have multiple cavities in every tooth except my front teeth. In the beginning of 2016 after giving birth, I went to a new dentist (due to insurance reasons) and had the cavities on the upper left side of my mouth filled and one crown put in. This exhausted all of my dental insurance benefits for the year. I was told I needed a root canal on my upper left back molar. I opted to have this tooth extracted instead to save money, since I was already burdened with the enormous out-of-pocket cost of my recent childbirth. Immediately after the extraction of the upper left back molar and the extensive fillings that were done in the remaining tooth next to it, I began to experience sensitivity and pain in this particular tooth, which is now my only remaining back left molar. This tooth had cracked and the filling broke while the dentist was working on it, so he had to redo the filling. I also ended up with a very large bone spur protruding out of my gum and into my cheek at the extraction site. The extraction hole had to be reopened and the large fragment of bone was cut out through it. The extraction healed, but over the next several months, the pain in the remaining upper left back molar increased until it became unbearable. I went to a different dentist, who confirmed my suspicion that the first dentist did not do a very good job and the fillings he did do will eventually need to be replaced. I have actually had one of these fillings fall right out of a different tooth since then, and quite a bit of pain in these teeth, so Dentist #2 is right. I am left with a mouthful of unfilled cavities, a few poorly filled cavities that need to be redone, unbearable agony in my remaining upper left back molar, and no more dental insurance benefits left for 2016. Dentist #2 was very understanding and has been trying to help me hold over until 2017, when I will have insurance benefits again. He did a procedure (a partial pulpectomy, I think) where he drilled into the tooth, cut out some of the dying pulp to give the dying nerve and pulp more room to swell to help with the pain, flushed it, pumped in antibiotics, and closed it back up. This only cost me $50. After he did this, the pain went from a 10 to a 2. After a few more months, though, the pain crept back up and a horrible smell began to emit from this tooth. I went back to the dentist and he repeated the procedure, which diminished the pain and eliminated the smell. He said if it continues, he won't be able to keep repeating the procedure and I will need to do the root canal. The point of all this is to save the tooth, since it's my only remaining molar on the upper left side, so I can hopefully be able to chew on that side again someday. Now, it is almost December. I have one month left before my dental benefits renew at the start of 2017. Overnight, the pain in my tooth went from a 2 back to a 10 and beyond. It is worse than it was the first and second time, and almost unlivable. I do have credit cards and I know about Care Credit, but my credit cards are already run up and it's Christmastime on top of that. I have waited and suffered all year trying to make it to 2017, and it would be a shame to have made it this far only to give in and pay the full cost of the root canal myself, when if I can just hold on one more month, I will be able to pay only $1,000 with insurance. Lacking dental and medical knowledge, I am trying to decide what I can do to mitigate the pain and risk of waiting another month for the root canal. I have been taking 400mg of Tylenol about 3-4 times per day. Ibuprofen doesn't seem to help. I had an unrelated blood test (for hypothyroidism) and my liver markers came back very elevated, probably due to the Tylenol. I am also still breastfeeding the baby who refuses to wean, so I have to take that into consideration as well. Is it safe for me to take this much Tylenol for a full month plus, and by doing so, am I putting my liver/kidneys/stomach/thyroid at risk? Breastfeeding is probably a bad idea, too, I assume. Are there any ideas I can try other than pain medicine to deal with the pain? I just need to survive one month and then I can finally get the root canal. Thank you.

Waiting for root canal, pain control and risks

Alvaro Reyes: My dad has been is pain since Tuesday of this week and has gone to the dentist twice and the ER twice as well. The X-rays done at the dentist do not show anything and he also had an MRI and face scan done and was told the problem is dental but the dentist can't find anything. He is taking medicine they gave him but the pain always comes back. At this point we don't know what else to do any suggestions?

Don't know what to do anymore

Author123: Hello, I was hoping someone could please help me. I am writing a book and I want the protagonist to be a Dentist. Said protagonist will be stuck in her ways with a love for routine. I was wondering if someone could please tell me what the first thing a Dentist does when they see a patient? Is there a list you mentally check off when you first look at a patients teeth? Which teeth do you start with, what do you look for? Or could someone please direct me to a website where I can read up on this. I know it's not my profession and I want to know as much as I can so I don't make any unnecessary inaccuracies. At moments of extreme pressure or stress I want the protagonist to refer to this checklist in her mind, like a way of calming herself and going back to basics. I know this is a bizarre request but I would really appreciate any help I can get! Thanks in advance.

Routine

zibbykaya: I have this white spot on my molar and can't identify the cause of it. Any help is much appreciated.

Do I have a cavity on my molar?

Elex: Patient female 50yr, teeth ( uder the bridge) were extracted several years ago.

What is this on Xray?

kr236rk: Hello, My NHS dentist recommended me to attend a dental hygienist to have my teeth scaled. I thanked the dentist but mentioned that my previous dentist had always scaled my teeth as a matter of course - treatment after a check-up, normally lasting between 30 seconds to several minutes, never longer. My dentist said they could scale if I wanted them to, but the hygienist was "better at it than I am". I find this slightly confusing, that a trained dentist is less proficient at dental hygiene than someone who is not a trained dentist? It is now 2 years since I have had my teeth scaled & I am beginning to lose patience with the situation. I take great care of my teeth and find that my dental care is actively being undermined by my dentist. If I want cosmetic dental work undertaken I will opt for that. At the moment all I want is a set of jaws in good condition and maintained by a qualified dentist. Is this unreasonable please? Many thanks, KR

Dental Hygiene?

Gez0011: A few years ago I had several implants which were necessary at the back of my mouth so that I could actually eat and chew proper food. I have never regretted having them and recently had them X rayed and the whole process has been a complete success. I recently had to have a natural tooth removed from the side of my mouth. I can still eat OK and I don't really miss it but I thought aestheically it might be nice to close the gap but also because I thought it might be important from a dental point of view to have a continuation teeth as I dont want to lose my neighbouring natural teeth in the future. The dentist said that I had lost some bone but he might be able to get away with putting any extra bone in. Now I don't like the sound of a dentist saying he can get away with this or that. To me the cost is of secondary consideration, I just want the treatment to be right. I have never really trusted dentists as all my problems have come through unnecessary work. Fortunately I do have the cash to spend but I would really like this to be the final time I ever have to visit one of these people. What I need to know is the likelihood in ten or twenty years time if I look after my teeth will my existing neighbouring natural tooth by the gap be relatively safe and stable ? Allowing for advances in dental science will I be able to have a bone graft if necessary in 10 years time if I lose bone and possibly want to have an implant in 10 years time? I am in my sixties and got a happy relationship with my wife and she doesn't mind me having a tooth missing and I am not looking to go out on the pull, so the aesthetics doesn't bother me. The only thing that concerns me is will I be able to have an implant at a later date if I change my mind? If dentists themselves had to go through the implant process and face these dilemma's in their personal lives, they might have a less cavalier approach, I have been through it before and should only be done if really necessary but I am beating myself up about this and really would appreciate some advice. Shahin Safarian: If you are comfortable without the teeth then I would say you can leave this idea for now to have a new implant. Gez0011: One person replied but then unposted, I don't know why, it seemed sensible advice. Anyway I am not going ahead as the rest of my mouth is healthy according to dentist. Becky: Gez0011 said: One person replied but then unposted, I don't know why, it seemed sensible advice. Anyway I am not going ahead as the rest of my mouth is healthy according to dentist. Click to expand... The post was made by a spammer, and when they were banned all their posts were automatically removed. I have reinstated the post for you - apologies for any inconvenience svor1988: Gez0011 said: I have never really trusted dentists as all my problems have come through unnecessary work. Click to expand... Wise approach, same here, though I had trusted all professionals initially. Teeth naturally move. Your molars should push forward to close the gap. My implant-placing doctor didn't tell me that till after the implant had been placed... I chose the implant over having a gap there the way he worded it... Had I known the molars would fill the gap I would have never gotten that implant. I lost a perfectly good molar due to complications associated with his implant as well. Andrea Giraldo: My suggestion is to just have a new implants. because nowadays new ones are very flexible & convenient than the older one. Fesenko Nikas: Of course, it would be better to have a new implant, since the nature of teeth is to remove all the gaps, so your teeth will move, and it can cause problems in future Fernando Saavedra: That's Goes For Me Too I Was About To Go To The Dentist To Check My Wisdom Too I Just Got Bad Teeth Like Untreated Cavities,Chipped Tooth And Erosion Due To The Lack Of Oral Hygiene My Dad Is Going To So Freaked Out I Am An Autistic Adult Who Lives With My Dad

New Implant or leave it.

Fernando Saavedra: Hello My Name Is Fernando Saavedra I Am An Autistic 25 Year Old Male Who Lives With My Dad I Am About To Tell You That I About To Check Out My Wisdom Tooth If The Dentists Found Out I Had Bad Teeth Due To Lack Of Oral Hygiene And Tell My Dad About It My Dad Is About To Freak Out,Hitting Me And Ground Me Because I Did Not Take Care Of My Teeth Properly Because I Am A Terrible Person I Had A Chipped Tooth And Cavities That Are Untreated And Erosion Because I Didn't Brush My Teeth Properly My Dad Is Not Going To Like It Wish Me Luck

Bad Teeth

Sadpanda88: Hi. So basically it's kind of a long story but over the years of unfortunaltely having bulimia I've ruined and done a ton of damage to me teeth, especially on top. My dentist told me I need a lot of work don't a couple visits ago so I kept going, then last time he goes off about how I'm not giving him "much to work with" and also "there's not much I can do." I have a gap between my front teeth and it is so aweful I can't even look at myself in the mirror. I've asked him if I could get bonding to close it or at least make it smaller and he basically said "no" or "I can't because of your bite" something like that. To be honest I think he's full of BS. So basically my question is, can my gap actually be closed with bonding or is he telling the truth? I don't wanna be stuck with this for life. Should I maybe find a new dentist? Or maybe I really am just completely hopeless. Thanks.

Dentist won't close my gap?

Dr. Peterson Huang: Hello, I am putting together some literature for my patients, and for prospective patients, and am interested in learning some of the more common issues that draw patients to a particular dentist, and which things might keep a person away from a particular practice. What do you think? Thanks in advance.. Dr. Huang. snaggletooth: As an older person, I've noticed that doctors nowadays, have neither the time nor the interest to really listen to their patients, What used to be considered a good bedside manner has gone the way of the Dodo. Doctors have too many patients to have the patience it requires to adequately attend to their needs. paula ggibson: I would like to understand why the cost of Dentistry is so expensive in the U.S. I simply cannot afford to have any work done. svor1988: I have tons of dentists in my area. One said the dentist market here was over-saturated. For me having the cash cost of procedures listed on their web site is a big plus. Being low cost is most important to me. Reviews are important. Being upfront about what they bill for and how much before they provide whatever service. Once he asked me if I had any questions. I asked about pain in my palate due to another dentist's dental implant- he charged me $30 for his response talking about stem cell healing he learned about at a convention... I never should have paid that. I never went back though. Good riddance. Dr. Peterson Huang: Thank you for the questions! I really appreciate the feedback. As I mentioned before, I am always looking to better my practice, and questions like these are a help to that effect. In response to: snaggletooth - I agree that medical professionals are busy and getting busier, and this reflects in time spent with patients, and in some cases, the quality of those interactions can go down. Whether this is due to changes with regard to insurance (as is stated in articles and forums elsewhere, offline) I am not sure. What I do know is that I strive to keep this concern in mind when attending to my clients. Asking questions, and listening to answers, is a first step, and this extends outwards from the dentist/ doctor, to everyone that the client interacts with while in my office. paula ggibson - This is a question with a complex answer, and I appreciate you asking it. The cost of dental procedures does seem to vary, and is expensive, relative to other countries. I do not claim to be an expert in the area of relative dental costs; however, the many individual units in the chain of dental care - from salaries, to rent for offices, to insurance, and specialized machinery (for example, machines t omake custom milled crowns, in-house)- do add up and are expensive. That said, costs do vary, and I always recommend that prior to a procedure, interview different dental practices and ask questions. Be sure to ask about insurance and any financing options that they may provide. I hope that this helps! svor1988 - Thank you for your response. I agree that reviews are important. Although I see points both for and against listing costs on a website - not having such costs listed can encourage someone to call in and have their questions answered while making options for them easier to create- I agree wholeheartedly about being up front about costs prior to a procedure being done. Transparency with regard to how much the total will be, and how much would be covered by that particular insurance, is good for everyone involved. I hope you found another dental office more to your liking. Thank you again, everyone, for your replies. And please keep more coming. Dr. Huang, https://novapremierdental.com/

What are the top things patients look for in their dentists?

danimous: Hi, I had a funny reaction possibly to the gas (laughing) that they give and I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience. I had 2 fillings done today and I had the laughing gas. I have had the gas a couple other times and it was great. I felt very relaxed and kind of tingly. Today however, I never got that tingly feeling. I actually felt a pretty anxious, my heart was beating fast, and after the appointment, I noticed my head was a little sweaty. I noticed a couple things that were different from my previous experiences. 1. I had a new dentist and assistant that I hadn't seen before. 2. They administered it differently. This time they I had one of the partner dentists and they only turned the gas on when he was in the room. So it started about the time he gave the numbing shot which didn't help much. 3. They asked me a couple times, if I could feel the gas (I think they could tell I was anxious) and I said no so they said they were going to turn it up. At the end they said it was as high as they were allowed to go. 4. The appointment took 1.5 hours. The assistant even commented on how the dentist was very thorough. 5. They did stop during each filling to give me an extra numbing shot because it was still painful. When I went to stand up after they were done, I almost fell over and the assistant caught my arm and told me to sit down and gave me some more oxygen. It wasn't really a bad experience, just a little embarrassing and I was wondering if I maybe had to much gas? Maybe a bad batch? Something else?

Reaction

Micheal: Hi All i need some help here please i have a 7 year old daughter that keeps on getting abscess - especially on her maulers - she has received antibiotics treatment for this but to much antibiotics is also not good for you she has already lost 2 of her maulers and there is an abscess again and i am taking her to the dentist again this after noon we brush her teeth morning and evening with "Thursday plantation tee tree oil" tooth paste as well as tooth paste with fluoride we have a mouth wash which she uses to rinse her mouth with and some times we use a salt solution as well to rinse her teeth we also floss her teeth frequently questions what else can I do? would she out grow it? what would happen when she gets her grown up teeth - are the chances good of getting it again? has any one else on the forum experienced the same issues and what did you do? then in extreme cases could this be a form of lupus? thx Mike

7 Year old constant abscess

december: Husband took 7 year old son to the dentist who diagnosed him with a couple of cavities. Dentist showed my husband where these cavities were, on the tops of two of his molars, and my husband said he could see what the dentist was talking about, but then when he tried to show me, neither one of us could find them. I decided to take him for a second opinion. As soon as dentist #2 found out who dentist #1 was, she acted like I was doing something wrong bringing him in for a second opinion and kept raving about how dentist #1 was the best dentist in the area. She checked my son's mouth, looked confused, looked at the X rays dentist #1 had done, still was confused, so she did her own X rays and then diagnosed with my son with an additional bunch of cavities on top of the ones that dentist #1 had found. Once she saw the X rays then she could point out where the cavities were to me, which were areas that were just slightly a different shade of white. I was so skeptical about the whole thing because how bad of cavities could they be if they could only be seen once you know what to look for on an X ray? Not to mention just her whole attitude of how dare you question dentist #1 made me feel like she had some other agenda than giving an honest 2nd opinion. So I was paralyzed with indecision for a few months trying to decide what to do when I learned about silver diamine fluoride and decided surely this was the solution! So I asked dentist #1 about using it and he said it would be unlikely to work because my son's cavities were all in between his teeth. What?? He had never said anything about the cavities being in between the teeth before, so I decided this dentist could not be trusted, if he was changing the story now. I took all my kids to dentist #3 and didn't mention anything about a second opinion, just acted like it was a regular check up. Dentist #3 diagnosed my son with multiple cavities in between his teeth. Said that his teeth looked perfect just looking inside his mouth, but that there was decay in between the teeth that couldn't be seen except on an X Ray. So it corroborates exactly with what Dentist #1 put in my son's dental chart but not at all with what we were verbally told. So my question is why did I have two dentists physically pointing out decay to us when none of the decay can visually be seen? Why didn't they just say what Dentist #3 did, that the decay was all between the teeth? december: My second question would be is it common to have no tooth pain, but need a pulpotomy? That is what dentist #3 is recommending. She seems trustworthy and I really don't want to go get a fourth opinion because that's getting really excessive, but it is nagging at me that my son has absolutely no pain or any other issues with his teeth, yet supposedly the pulp is affected? How does that work? svor1988: Dental professionals in my area seemed to have each others back as well. My best interests were always beneath theirs and these professionals kept me in the dark about my best interests. Though it does sound like the 2 independent dentists found something. I'm no dentist, hopefully somebody else answers here. The cavity had reached the pulp? If not, try a different diet. Make sure he's really brushing (soft bristles) and rinsing hard too... not just spitting out the toothpaste whole (like I did when I was young because I hated the taste, I'd just pretend when mother was around). I take it this is a permanent tooth? Seems odd that there is a cavity this soon. I'm skeptical of silver diamine fluoride. Yes silver has an antibacterial effect, and fluoride makes a nice chemically inert barrier (e.g. teflon)- but I'm concerned about unknown chemistry, ingestion/adsorbtion, and unknown interactions with the body (including possible immune reactions which can affect one person but not the next). I've had luck with bacterial treatments for reversing and removing superficial decay: http://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6831-10-18 Way better than a dentist drill permanently removing the affected enamel... svor1988: *fluorine makes a nice chemically inert barrier Fluorine was the appropriate word to use there, not fluoride. Plaza Dental Group: As far as your question is concerned, in my opinion sometimes a dentist can tell you have a cavity just by looking in your mouth. There are many ways that a dentist can detect a cavity. Your dentist may question your overall oral health, and will examine your teeth for any soft spots or sensitivity while using dental instruments. X-rays are also helpful in determining the seriousness of a cavity. The dentist looks at your tooth to see if there are any weaknesses, usually a brown spot or some other sort of abnormality. If your dentist uses magnification, that is VERY helpful in differentiating between decay and stains. You can help prevent cavities by regularly visiting the dentist, brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning daily between your teeth with dental floss.

dentists pointing out decay that really isn't

facebook101: I lost my night guard. I am thinking my roommates cats got to it . I grind my teeth pretty badly so I need a replacement one. I am away at college so I can not go to my normal dentist. The dentist I called at my college said that night guards start at $330 and can not give me the exact cost until I come in for a $96 appointment. I called my insurance and they said that night guards are not covered. I would just go to the drug store and get one of the ones you boil but I was also using my night guard as a retainer so I am guessing the boil ones will not retain my teeth. (Am I wrong about this?) So my two questions are, Would getting one from an online lab work be fine? And if so, what lab do you recommend? And what thickness would you recommend? I have worn my teeth down from the grinding. Is there anything my insurance might pay for in regards to getting this fixed? (They are very short now, to the point that you cannot see them when I am talking). THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP.

Is it wise to get a night guard from online? Will insurance pay for teeth damage from grinding?

janeharper: My mother has only 2-3 teeth in the back of her mouth. I am preparing to help pay for new teeth for her in Jan 2017. Would she get dentures? She is 69 years old and has borderline type 2 diabetes. If I find a good dentist I'm also trying to sign her up for a good dental plan/insurance in Oklahoma. I don't know if you need new teeth at that age, are they dentures or, something else. Fesenko Nikas: Seek for the competent doctor, as not every dentist knows, for example, that pain sensitivity is increased among people with diabetes, they will quickly become fatigued, and they have reduced immunity. And the choice of the type of dental care and the materials require special knowledge. Prosthodontists often make mistakes, choosing the design of dentures for the patient with diabetes. They underestimate (or overestimate) gum health in diabetics. Each patient is recommended to remember that it is necessary to postpone the orthopedic treatment of the disease if the blood sugar level is heightened until the compensation or, particularly, it is wrong to refuse in treatment. In such cases, treatment should be limited to the manufacture of dental prostheses that meet the requirements for proper redistribution of the load. Dentists for teeth prosthetics use structural materials. Most of them are different metal alloys. But the presence of metal alloys in the mouth is a source of trace elements to the body. In addition, metal compounds in the oral cavity, affect the quality and quantity of saliva, and its enzyme activity, and can provoke allergic reactions. In this regard, patients with diabetes cannot be provided with dentures and crowns made of cobalt-chromium and nickel-chromium alloys which are widely used in prosthetics. Only gold-platinum alloy can be used for crowns and bridges (but it's very expensive!), and dentures must have titanium base. It prevents mouth the fungus genus Candida, multiplication of staphylococci.

New Teeth/dentures for 69 year old

Tanman: 18 year old male tooth extracted on feb 2016 looking for advice based on ct scans and report provided below. Also can some one explain what the report is saying. svor1988: It is a cone beam ct scan. All they're doing is measuring the bone to select an appropriate sized titanium screw for your planned implant. If the screw is too wide the bone would fail, if the screw is too long it would go into your nose, if the screw is too small you could face failure due to the use of the tooth. You will loose some bone after the placement as well, hopefully not too much. Around my implants the bone is now concave. The cone-beam ct scan is a sign of competency to me. Mine used x-rays. They make sure they won't hit a nerve or anything either. Some people have had permanent numbness in their mouth due to implant placement hitting a nerve (or even being close). You're 18 years old? I got suckered into an implant right after I turned 18 as well. One of the worst mistakes of my life. If you're serious, wait till you're 4 years older and through college is my advice. Also, do a google search for the life expectancy of dental implants- you should see 30 years tops. It is not life-long. Even if all goes well with the implant, with the bone loss, there may not be enough bone to replace the implant when it eventually fails. I lost a perfectly good molar due to this implant. And my implant turned out not safe to chew on due to faulty placement. It is cosmetic. That is all it is. In sales pitches I've seen it said that titanium is inert. I've seen research online saying some people (<4%) do have allergic reactions, and should get a titanium allergy test done prior to such a permanent and invasive placement. Spend that money on pizza instead. And wait till dental science improves. Kudos to you for doing some research online first. And make sure you get another opinion! P.S. A few year down your road if your wisdom teeth are coming in strait, you don't need them removed. They can come in handy decades later as replacement molars (your molars naturally scoot forward to fill gaps). Your dentist may still pressure you to remove them to get whatever your parent's insurance company pays for that service. Tanman: If you lose bone cant you do a bone graft to build it stronger. I cant imagine another 4 years with a dental flipper, the most annoying thing iv ever experienced. And if you wait dont u just keep losing more bone in the area svor1988: Tanman said: If you lose bone cant you do a bone graft to build it stronger. Click to expand... If you want to pay for that possibility. I no longer want to be treated like a human Frankenstein personally. This chap did just what you asked about twice, look how he turned out: https://www.dentistry-forums.com/threads/implants-bone-grafts.22112/ After my experience with implants, I only advocate for life saving surgical work. Cosmetic surgical work I strongly advise against. Ask your doctor if he can sew it back to the underlying tissue. If so disconnected for too long it will likely die due to lack of blood. Tanman said: And if you wait dont u just keep losing more bone in the area Click to expand... Hmmmm I don't have any literature observations here to give a good answer. The space my socket is now didn't fill up with bone, adjacent to it is a cliff of bone. Seems in better shape there then the bone next to my implants. My impression is that somehow the titanium implant causes bone loss. Good research project I guess, but I need to go run an errand now. Plaza Dental Group: You will need to have the tooth extracted or pulled, and then have a dental implant surgically placed. In my practice, I will take a 3-D image of your mouth. The image will show the intricate details of your bone structure, teeth, and gums. I plan the implant placement using guided implant surgery technology that ensures the most comfortable and natural fit.

Dental implant advice

Hurtmouth23: I have a weird flap on my gum on my upper jaw, right behind where my wisdom tooth was extracted. It's on the part where it angle upward. It's been hurting for 6 days. It strated off feeling like a blister, now I can feel a flap. Does anyone know what this could be? It only hurts when something rubs on it. Teeth do not hurt around it. Please help

Weird Flap on Gum

Sarah N: Hi, Please see Pano X-Ray taken a few days ago attached. I recently went to a dentist that advised that the best long term option for me was to do a full extraction of my upper teeth and do a procedure known as all-on-six. The dentist also said there were other options which included multiple root canals with crowns put on each along with a 3 crown bridge supported by 2 implants. My main concern is it worth saving and investing in my teeth or doing the full upper extraction with all-on-six. I am 29 years old. Please help ASAP! Thanks!!!!! Sarah AlinaM: Sarah N said: Hi, Please see Pano X-Ray taken a few days ago attached. I recently went to a dentist that advised that the best long term option for me was to do a full extraction of my upper teeth and do a procedure known as all-on-six. The dentist also said there were other options which included multiple root canals with crowns put on each along with a 3 crown bridge supported by 2 implants. My main concern is it worth saving and investing in my teeth or doing the full upper extraction with all-on-six. I am 29 years old. Please help ASAP! Thanks!!!!! SarahView attachment 747 Click to expand...

Urgent Dental Advise FULL EXTRACTION - Pano X-Ray Attached

michie: I recently went to my dentist due to a tooth needing to be extracted. I had no insurance at the time. I have since obtained insurance, so I went back to my dentist office so I can get the procedure done, but the office manager insisted that because the diagnosis was done before I had insurance, I need to pay the non insurance price and I wouldn't be able to use my insurance. Is she correct in charging me the non insurance price?

Insurance??

mydent: I was wondering if I was to put some flowable Dental composite over a tiny little cavity I have, would this in turn prevent the cavity from getting bigger? Cavity is very tiny, not worth drill and filling yet but I sure don't want it to get bigger either. Dentgr: NO! DONT! mydent: Dentgr said: NO! DONT! Click to expand... Anyone can say this, care to explain why? Or are you just a troll Dentgr: Cavity will keep growing unless totally cleaned and filled. Dental composite needs to be bonded on tooth structure. That's not an easy task anyway....so.... NO! DONT!

Flowable Dental composite over a tiny cavity?

reikoweller: Hi About 3 month ago, Oral surgeon place implant posts on 12 and 14 ( 3way bridge ). I thought it went very well, no pain what so ever. HOWEVER, Today I was looking at a post surgery X ray picture and realized post on #12 is so close to my $11 natural tooth. This makes me so nervous. Is this normal or can it cause problem to #11 in the future? Plus can my dentist place crowns in the proper location if the post is so close to another tooth? I paid extra $500 to make a surgical guide prior to the surgery,,,, I thought the guide prevent such a issue. Should I ask the oral surgeon to replace it?? Dentgr: You can't judge the proximity of an implant to a tooth by an X-ray. It CAN be deceiving. Just talk to your surgeon about your concerns. reikoweller: Thank you so much I will talk to him.

Implant too close to adjacent root of natural teeth (Pic)

Denis Manje: Hi, My 3 year old upper front tooth including the root fell off while eating. This is per the nanny's story. I later looked at the gums and any physical damage but could not see any. Should i be worried? Why would a tooth fall off just like that in such a young child? Denis Denis Manje: Hallo....

Tooth Fell off with root

mydent: Hi guys I was wondering if it would be ok to take some flowable dental composite and paint it over my mercury type amalgam? I'd be doing this for safety reasons only. They say these filling leak some mercury, theory is that you would have way less leakage if you had a thin coat of composite over it. Seems to me this is pretty easy to do and a great idea as well. Thoughts?

Flowable Dental composite over mercury filling?

Jack The Gap: My son who is 21 has indents in his top teeth where his bottom teeth rub. I am encouraging him to see a dentist but wondered if anyone has had a similar problem and what your experience is. I have attached a photo of his top teeth (which are not as yellow as they look)

Bottom Teeth Wearing in to Top Teeth

HIGH NOOT: So I remember 1 time when I went to the dentist to get a tooth out (the tooth's roots weren't dissolving), and when the put the watermelon flavored laughing gas on, for some reason literally nothing happened, I wasn't feeling any different or loopy I was just acting normal, and after that day I was wondering if it was something to do with the laughing gas they used or maybe something else, does anyone know why I wasn't affected? Nikolai Fesenko: Laughing gas does not make you laugh literally. This nitrous oxide just makes you more relaxed, so you would not be nervous while you are in the dentist's chair.

Laughing Gas Not Affecting Me

Nuluvius: I'm currently suffering with both of my upper right premolars which are badly broken and literally rotting in my mouth thanks to the handy work of two NHS dental practices, which in the space of a year have between themselves managed to completely ruine my teeth. I originally went to the first dental practice following the fillings dropping out of both teeth. The treatment plan devised at the time was for both teeth to be root cancelled and then crowned (band two NHS). The root canal was completed and temporary fillings placed. However I was promptly deregistered after having to cancel an appointment on short notice due to sick children. I then had to wait over four months to see another dentist by which time the temporary fillings that the first dentist put in had degraded and fallen out leaving me with exposed root cavities which became infected. The second dentist that I saw informed me that the first dentist was simply trying to make money off of me and that I only needed both teeth to have the root canals repeated and then filled (band one NHS). I’d agreed to this course of treatment on the principle that this dentist seemed honest and reputable. However the fillings continued to fall out over the course of the next few months, they must have refilled the teeth around five times per tooth, each time more and more of the original tooth was destroyed until my second premolar had completely shattered and sheared right off at the gum line. Following this my first premolar became reinfected yet again i.e. the second root canal had failed and I had an acute infection around the apex of one of the roots. The dentist treated this with medicated dressings which also continued to fall out. I'd simply had enough of this and decided to go to a third dentist which I had to wait another month to see. This one was highly recommended by family, friends and colleagues. However upon arriving I was made to wait one hour and twenty minutes for the appointment. When finally meeting the dentist he was rude, arrogant and patronising. Upon concluding a very heavy handed examination he thrust a pamphlet at me detailing private fees and proceed to try to coerce me into paying them. The gist of his 'advice' was that I'd waste my time with the NHS treatment as they would choose substandard materials and techniques which would ultimately fail. He tried to hard sell me on either private root canal therapy followed by private crowns or 'for a better foundation' as he put it, private implants; all carried out within their group practice/s of course! Needless to say that I walked out and refused to pay the £35 XRay fee and the £20 'checkup' fee they tried to demand... At this point I am sitting here despairing, as mentioned previously, literally with a mouthful of broken and rotting teeth. Moreover I have no clear plan on what to do next. It occurs to me that NHS dentists are either not capable of undertaking the work or they simply don't want to due to the potential cost based on risk of failures. I cannot afford to pay thousands for the treatment yet equally so I cannot afford to loose the teeth due to them being a highly visible part of my smile line. So far I have raised all of this to the GDC and the NHS. The GDC didn't want to know unless the NHS escalated a case up to them and the NHS have a very slow turnaround time apparently; and time is most definitely not a factor that is on my side with this kind of problem. Unfortunately there are no dental universities in my region or in the immediate vicinity of it and moreover they traditionally have a long turnaround time and compounding eligibility criteria. I am wondering if there is anything that I am missing/not aware of that I can be proactively doing right now? What advice can you offer me? Should I simply find a fourth dentist to pull the teeth and then try to manage the physiological and professional implications before sepsis occurs... I honestly find it incredible that in this day and age and especially in the west that one can be left in such a state... Nikolai Fesenko: I would recommend not to give up the search for a good dentist. Look for your local forums, read reviews concerning doctors, and then choose whom to go to an appointment. If you really liked the doctor, ask the contacts, so next time you do not have such a problem! Good luck

NHS Dentists Have Ruined My Teeth

everway9: Hi everyone. I hope your all doing good today I'm just wondering which of the following will be best for toothache either on their own or in a combination? Paracetamol 500mg Ibuprofen 400mg Naproxen 500mg Codeine Phosphate 30mg Nefopam (Acupan) 30mg Morphine Sulfate 25mg (OxyNorm) Gabapentin 100mg Many thanks in advance. everway9: Thanks for all the replies In the hope of helping others..... I took 1 x Naproxen and that worked better than any of the others taken in the past. However always check the patient information leaflet before taking anything you have never had before and always check for interactions with any other medications you take. tuneful: Do you need a prescription for Naproxen? everway9: No thank you. I'm curious what your reasons are for asking? tuneful: everway9 said: No thank you. I'm curious what your reasons are for asking? Click to expand... I ask because last year I was getting headaches 24/7, they lasted 6 months and I was prescribed Naproxen, they were the only pain killer that helped. Thankfully I have not had a headache since last December and I have some naproxen left over. I had a tooth removed the week before last and needed the roots drilling out, I have been using 1 or 2 Naproxen a day and it helps. I wondered if I need more will I need a prescription, so good to know I wont. everway9: I'm pretty sure Naproxen is available in many different brand names OTC in the UK without the need for a prescription. Naproxen is the only NSAID that helped with the last type of oral pain I had. I have an ongoing condition which requires opiate based medications and that did nothing for my oral pain. But the Naproxen did. It's a good thing that there are so many different types of pain management available. However finding the right one for the type of pain is sometimes a bit of a problem. Unfortunately I have paid the price for not looking after my teeth and have had most of them removed. I wish I found Naproxen earlier than I did. And wish I looked after my teeth better than I did too! I am glad your headaches and oral pain has subsided. Best wishes. tuneful: everway9 said: I'm pretty sure Naproxen is available in many different brand names OTC in the UK without the need for a prescription. Naproxen is the only NSAID that helped with the last type of oral pain I had. I have an ongoing condition which requires opiate based medications and that did nothing for my oral pain. But the Naproxen did. It's a good thing that there are so many different types of pain management available. However finding the right one for the type of pain is sometimes a bit of a problem. Unfortunately I have paid the price for not looking after my teeth and have had most of them removed. I wish I found Naproxen earlier than I did. And wish I looked after my teeth better than I did too! I am glad your headaches and oral pain has subsided. Best wishes. Click to expand... I wish I had known that last year as I was paying over £7 each time I needed a new box of naproxen and the staff in the Drs surgery were so miserable and unhelpful too. I found naproxen took a while to kick in but when it did it lasted a good few hours and eased the pain. Thankfully the pain has subsided from the tooth extraction now. Like you I wish I knew then what I know now and I had looked after my teeth better, actually I was over brushing and brushing incorrectly which receded my gums and they do not grow back. This site does not seem to get much participation, do you know of another UK site for dentistry? You can PM me if you prefer. All the best with you pain management. Nikolai Fesenko: everway9 said: Paracetamol 500mg Ibuprofen 400mg Click to expand... These painkillers are quite good for a toothache but do not combine them! You can take one pill, and the next one can be taken only in four hours, in order not to get the overdosage. Nikolai Fesenko: But of course, consult your dentist concerning a toothache everway9: Hello Nikolai Fesenko and thanks for your input. Did you mean that combining Naproxen and Ibuprofen is not a safe combination? If you did, then yes that is correct. Otherwise, and if you were not aware, I'd like to draw to your attention that you can safely combine Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. There is no reason to suggest that the combination can cause problems if used properly and responsibly if you are otherwise healthy. http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/857.aspx?CategoryID=73 But also remember that the re-dose interval for Ibuprofen is different to that of paracetamol. You can have a maximum of 1000mg of paracetamol every 4 hours and no more than 4000mg in 24 hours. And with Ibuprofen a maximum of 400mg every 6 hours and no more that 1200mg in 24 hours. Ibuprofen 400mg Patient info: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/spcpil/documents/spcpil/con1454050023657.pdf Paracetamol 500mg Patient info: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/par/documents/websiteresources/con125973.pdf However if you have current or past liver or kidney problems it is advisable to consult with your GP before taking either paracetamol or ibuprofen together or separately. And as always with any medication, always read the label and check with your doctor before using if you are at all unsure in any way. And if its concerning toothache you should also check with your dentist as you already mentioned. P.S. I'm sorry if you already know that. I'm posting this for others who dont. everway9: Also before combining any medication be sure to ask your GP about any interactions new medication may have with your existing medication. Of course you should check with your doctor first but if that's not possible drugs.com have a brilliant interactions checker here: https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html Nikolai Fesenko: Yes, you are right. If you had taken one or another medicine and it doesn't help, you can take another one. For example, you took Paracetamol 500mg, but the pain didn't go away, you can take Ibuprofen 400 mg. But the next dose is to be taken no less than in 4-6 hours. everway9, great that you left such a full answer concerning these painkillers everway9: Thank you Nikolai.

Best painkiller combo

ankur bansal: Hi some years ago i got a severe toothache. the toothache was so strong but the diseased teeth was not noticeable in X -RAY . Most dentists were unable to do anything as there was nothing in x ray . But the pain was really severe .IT continue to do so for around 1.5 year .After that i managed to get my teeth removed against the dentist wish who wanted to do root canal . The pain stopped at that area but i think continuous inflammation has damaged my nerves . Now it feels sensation like burning pin and needles plus irregular mouth movements . my jaw becomes tight some time . Really i am hopeless and want to cry sometimes Please help me thanks ankur bansal: HI can anybody please reply ? I am feeling really sad svor1988: Did you have any other root-canals done in the area? Or any other dental work? Jimmy: ankur bansal said: Hi some years ago i got a severe toothache. the toothache was so strong but the diseased teeth was not noticeable in X -RAY . Most dentists were unable to do anything as there was nothing in x ray . But the pain was really severe .IT continue to do so for around 1.5 year .After that i managed to get my teeth removed against the dentist wish who wanted to do root canal . The pain stopped at that area but i think continuous inflammation has damaged my nerves . Now it feels sensation like burning pin and needles plus irregular mouth movements . my jaw becomes tight some time . Really i am hopeless and want to cry sometimes Please help me thanks Click to expand... Hello, Don't feel sad my dear. I hope every thing is going to be okay How many teeth you have extracted ? Can you explain more about your pain in details. is it continuous or it resolves and generates after a while ? Generates with stimulation or not ( i mean during sleeping on the painful side or during hot/cold beverages ) its intensity increases during What ? or during rest ?

My nerves are seriously damaged

Chris in NEPA: Hello all! Looking for some advice here... I was at the dentist this week and was told after examination by the hygienist that it appears I grind my teeth at night. However, I am a mouth breather and upon reflection, I realized I have an oral fixation with chewing on pens at work during the day. Could chewing on pens produce the same sort of results that would mimic grinding my teeth? I tried a mouth guard but it will not stay in and makes it very hard to fall asleep. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! Chris in NEPA svor1988: Grinding teeth is a common medication side effect. Taking any anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication? If so, look up their side effects, and if it is the drug then change the treatment, or do no drugs at all. No I don't think chewing on pens would produce the same result. One friend lost a lot of teeth due to night grinding and not routinely wearing his mouth guard. I don't think the momentary benefit of said drugs are worth your teeth. Nikolai Fesenko: I had the same problem, I took a course of a sedative drug, a vascular drug, and then I stopped to grind my teeth at night. Consult your neurologist, very often it is a nervous problem

Oral Fixation vs. Teeth Grinding

DentalFill: Hello Everyone Went to the dentist and truly disappointed to know my back tooth could not be filled because it was not reacheable even after when they pulled my wisdom tooth out. The tooth is the second molar from the back on my bottom left side jaw (wisdom tooth pulled out so no tooth in my way) Can an experienced dentist perform a filling on a tooth at the back they cannot see is the question? Plaza Dental Group: As a specialist, I would like to tell you it does happen, but more often with general dentist. Don't fear. Most oral surgeons are skilled in dealing with this situation. Perhaps an X-ray might help in giving us a better idea however; I'd request you to stick to ANY ONE dentist for the treatment. If you have a broken tooth, see your dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist can figure out if the break was caused by a cavity, and if the tooth's nerve is in danger. A damaged nerve usually will require root canal treatment. A root canal treatment is not supported as the tooth is usually not accessible by the operator, and the anatomy of the root is highly unpredictable, which makes it difficult to give a predictable result after root canal treatment. In the following cases I would highly recommend extraction, a tooth with no functioning opposing, i.e. the opposing tooth is missing or you don't need it for eating. Also if the all your other teeth are sound you could extract it and take good care of more important ones.

Dentist unable to reach my back tooth for filling

Morgin: So I am a 20 y/o male undergoing my orthodontic treatment as of now. However, I realised that my dentist (do note not a orthodontist) has not made any major improvements to the overall aesthetics of my teeth. I am not sure if i'm being paranoid or do I have an issue to be worried about. My concerns are as follows: (a) my central incisor has been rotated about 10 degrees ever since January and nothing has been done to fix that. My dentist placed a wire with a metal band (instead of a normal rubber band) to fasten it to the wire. However, nothing has significantly changed. Do I need to be worried or is there something that I can advice her to do about it? (b) I was naturally born without a lateral incisor as seen in the attached photos. However, my current dentist proposed closing the original gaps that I have (which is my current state) and to insert in a resin-bonded bridge to the adjacent teeth. However, I have my own reservations about that (i.e. natural discolourations and the possibility of the teeth looking fake or too small). Even an implant is definitey off the list because the space is too small, and I have insufficient dental bone at that specific area. I actually went to seek a second opinion and the dentist there told me that my best method for moving forward is to seek a orthodontist, which would most likely suggest to me extracting 2 pre-molars on the upper and possibly none or 1 on the bottom, and use braces to close the gaps without the need to have a bridge/implant. I am currently extremely confused and lost as to what to do and I hope I could get some help here. Thanks. PlacidWay-US: In your case I really suggest you seek for a second opinion and on an orthodontist. Based on what you said your teeth is really messed up and that Gap is really noticeable. You should look for qualified orthodontist, some general dentist can refer you to an orthodontist but now ask more details. You should know and ask what will be the outcome of the procedure they will be doing and what are risks. Good luck to you.

Messed Up Teeth

Gary: I have not had a tooth filled for over 13 years until yesterday when I had two teeth filled. In the past the dentist always filled up the inside cavity of the tooth until the top of the cavity was almost flush with the surrounding tooth. Yesterday the dentist filled the two teeth but I noticed he left a a sizable valley on top of the filling. Is this something new? Does it have something to do with putting pressure on the sounding tooth? Was the dentist correct in doing this? Will food get stuck in the valley of the tooth? Thank you for your help. Plaza Dental Group: As specialized in this filed, I would say that you should go to the dentist for checking the vitality status of the nerve - sometimes when you have a large cavity or filling, the tooth (nerve) may die over time and you will have a lot of discomfort when you chew - if this is the case, you need a root canal. If you are hitting the filling incorrectly, it will prolong the sensitivity. Also, your nerve may have been affected by the depth of the restoration. Finally, sometimes when a filling is very deep, it irritates the nerve of the tooth and if this does not go away over 2 weeks to a month it is probably time for a root canal. Next step is to go back to your dentist ASAP. Good Luck.

Low Filling Question

Anonymous1992: Hi all, had a root canal done on a molar around 4 months ago, unfortunately yesterday my molar broke at the back whilst eating and part of my large filling has come loose. Problem is I go on holiday tomorrow for a week! What's the best thing to do? Can't get into the emergency dentist! By the way in no pain at all! Rabbit: That one is not good because the tooth may spoil fast especially when biting hard substances. You may end up with extraction if not repaired immediately, so the best option is to see the most available Dentist to fix that. It only takes short time and you will get the best advice after examination to assess the extent of damage- so go on and visit the Dentist next door soonest. Plaza Dental Group: As a specialist, I would like to tell you that Dental mishaps and emergencies happen every day and obviously it is important to contact your dentist immediately if you have sudden severe pain, a swollen face, swollen gums, a loose tooth, or tender gums—as these are signs of an infection or an acute abscess. If you just broke off a significant portion of your tooth and if the tooth has a large filling, there’s a good chance the filling is secure. If the tooth fragment has broken off completely, the initial pain will often fade and you can continue your meal remembering to avoid cold, sweets and extreme heat. If the tooth breaks and your dangling cusp is being held in by your gum, go to the restroom with your ice water. Place a piece of ice against the gum where the tooth is loose for 30 seconds, being careful not to put the ice directly on the tooth. Your gum will be numb enough that you will be able to gently and painlessly remove the loose broken piece of tooth dangling by a thread (like a baby tooth that’s ready to go). If your gum bleeds a bit, bite on a tissue or paper towel for a few minutes and the bleeding should stop.

Broken tooth and loose filling after root canal!

Concerned dental patient: Hi! I am a 30-year old guy, who has always had excellent dental hygiene (I floss and brush three times a day, and visit my dentist frequently). During the past few years, I have unfortunately developed gum recession. I did some research, and came across using tea tree oil. I bought it, and put a few drops in my toothpaste, and brushed with it. However, the oil itself smells of mosquito repellent spray, and my entire mouth has the same scent. I don't like it at all. 2 questions... 1. Is it worth continuing using it? Will tea tree oil regrow my gums? If so, is it better to put it on my gums using a q-tip? 2. I am hesitant to say but what caused my gum recession was increased pressure from my dentist to use an electric brush. I used a manual brush for 28 years, and never had gum recession. Is it true that electric brushes can cause recession? Shahin Safarian: You should continue using tea tree oil as it is a herbal remedy that help in treating dental problems. Also you should brush two times a day and stop using electric brush instead of that brush manually. Concerned dental patient: Thanks! How should I use tea tree oil on my teeth? Is there any difference between using the electric vs. manual (as long as my technique is correct)?

HELP: Using tea tree oil to solve dental problems??

Rita Doshi: My son had 2 mesiodens that were extracted by an oral surgeon last year. We found the mesiodens when his front permanent teeth wouldn't come. The dentist extracted the 4 baby teeth and after a couple of months looked closely and found mesiodens. It's been a year since his mesiodens were removed. Out of the 4 teeth, the first on his left side has erupted although I feel it's not out all the way. I see 2 in the gum. I can even see the white color thru the gums but it's been like that since last 6 months. They won't erupt. The dentist cannot find the 4th tooth. The dentist also said that the root hasn't been formed for the 2 teeth that are visible in his gums. Any advice ? Plaza Dental Group: Sorry to hear about your son's tooth. I suggest you consult an experienced pediatric dentist immediately. Pulling teeth isn’t going to help to prevent white spots at all! You need to get a second opinion ASAP. Look for an excellent cosmetic dentist to help you. As he is only 10 years old, he will have many developmental changes related to his growth, including facial and dental changes, for 10+ years. Once his growth pattern stabilizes, he will be ready for a more permanent fix like a dental implant. But until then, expect multiple dental visits to keep up with his growth and maintain his dental health. Rita Doshi: Plaza Dental Group said: Sorry to hear about your son's tooth. I suggest you consult an experienced pediatric dentist immediately. Pulling teeth isn’t going to help to prevent white spots at all! You need to get a second opinion ASAP. Look for an excellent cosmetic dentist to help you. As he is only 10 years old, he will have many developmental changes related to his growth, including facial and dental changes, for 10+ years. Once his growth pattern stabilizes, he will be ready for a more permanent fix like a dental implant. But until then, expect multiple dental visits to keep up with his growth and maintain his dental health. Click to expand... Thank you for your reply. I had posted this about 2 years ago. But since the topic has been revived, I would like to post an update. After his mesiodens were removed, 3 of his front teeth came in naturally. Fourth one still didn't. We worked with an orthodentist and an oral surgeon. He first got expanders put in for 6 months. The tooth still didn't errupt, so the oral surgeon exposed the tooth by pulling the gum above and then the orthodentist put a chain and brace to pull it down. He now has all 4 of is front teeth.

Help with my 9 year old's teeth

Gemsi110: Yesterday I felt something between two teeth - ones a crown the other is a healthy tooth. I flossed and the below came out as one (now two bits from proding). I have no pain or sensitivity. I can't see any chips or holes. What would you do or think it is? To top it I'm an anxious dental patient.

What is this that was loose between my teeth?

Mark X: Patient is female, age 10. Thanks. Zuri Barniv: You can't just ask for an interpretation, this is not a radiology study club. Do you have a specific question?

X-ray interpretation please

Adria: Hi there. I think I have two cavities...maybe? ...at my gum line. Two mollars on right bottom have dark area at gum. The gum looks a little notched out aswell and slightly swollen. The funny thing is, there isn't alot of pain just some sensitity. Any ideas what this could be? I'm a little concerned. Thanks

Cavity at Gum line? Help

Rabbit: I have a very sensitive molar on the right side of my jaws. it is sensitive to cold, hot liquids and sometimes to touch. I have tried to use toothpastes recommended by my dentist for sensitive teeth but it's getting worse. I think it may be wearing off slowly or has a microscopic crack/hole. What is the most appropriate remedy for such a tooth- extraction, root canal, filling? I think I should go for an xray or something. Somebody there has an answer to this- shoot before it grows taller than its brothers! Plaza Dental Group: As per your description can be a possibility of the decay reaching pulp/ nerve endings thereby giving rise to sharp pain at times. In such cases any contact with hot/cold food/beverages also gives rise to sharp pain. A tooth which hurts when exposed to cold for a longer period of time(say more than 15 seconds) or hot, is a classical symptom of pulp involvement. Your best course of action will be to seek a dentist’s advice as soon as possible who can decide the treatment plan after taking an x-ray of the involved tooth. Avoid eating, hot, spicy and hard food. Don’t brush hard or chew hard foods from that area.Keep that area as clean as possible. Try using special toothpastes instead of normal tooth pastes called sensitivity toothpaste. Use it daily with warm water (don’t use hot water) to brush your teeth. These tooth pastes contain special components which block the dentinal tubules (on teeth) that cause pain and provide relief.I hope this helps!

My molar tooth has a hole or something

pjbren: Hi Everyone, There's a bit of history to this question: I had pain in a lower molar when chewing on certain foods for about 2 years. The pain became progressively worse, and I saw 2 dentists in attempt to find the cause. They guessed it could be a small crack in the tooth, but were unable to replicate the pain by doing various tests. The pain started to get quite a bit worse about 2 months ago. I saw an endodontist who was able to replicate the pain and determine which tooth had the crack (tooth #30). He recommended seeing my dentist and having either a full crown on onlay put on the tooth to hopefully fix the pain issue without need for a root canal. I made an appointment with my dentist, but just a few days before my appointment, my tooth broke while I was eating. Pretty amazing timing considering I'd had the crack for about 2 years! It wasn't a huge break, basically a part of a cusp fractured off. I saw the dentist the next day, and she said she could try to restore the broken area with a filling. We made an appointment for the next week. While the tooth was broken, it was less sensitive to chew on, but if I touched inside the broken area, even with my tongue in the right spot, there was a very sensitive pain. The dentist had taken an x-ray and saw no decay or inflammation, but the fractured off area looked like it was pretty close to the pulp. After having the (composite) filling placed last week, I am very discouraged to find that I again have regular pain when chewing food with that tooth, enough so to cause me to only chew on the other side of my mouth. It's not as severe of a sharp pain as before the cracked piece broke off, but it actually happens more easily (less force needs to be applied to cause the pain). The dentist said that the tooth would likely be sensitive for a month or more, but this seems like more than post-operative sensitivity. It's not actually sensitive to cold or hot at all, only the pressure. Even just pressing lightly on the filling area with my finger causes pain. I guess my question is: what seems the most likely cause of this continued (but different) pain? Is there another hairline crack extending through part of the tooth (maybe a continuation of the crack that caused the cusp fracture, or a separate crack)? Is the composite filling pressing on a sensitive, thin layer of dentin above the nerve and transmitting pain when pressure is applied? Maybe the filling wasn't well placed? It's seeming like a full crown is probably going to be needed to get this tooth to stop hurting during chewing. I was actually glad when the cusp broke off because I figured that was a good way for the crack to reveal itself, and that maybe a filling would be enough, but it seems like there is still a problem. Thank you in advance for any input, similar experiences, or advice!

Pain After Broken Tooth Filled

rookie: Hello all, Three weeks ago, I was on antibiotics for such blinding throbbing pain in my head and tooth which was a suspected abscess (I have a deep filling in that tooth). The dentist said that it isn't dying just infected because of me having no sensitivity. I took them and felt so much better the pain went away completely. Now it's just been throbbing a little for the past couple of days just randomly and I have a little bit of pain on it (like electric shocks and normal toothache pain). It's very mild and I barely even notice it and it doesn't hurt when i bite on it or chew my food on it (although I do get the sensation that it's moving around). Now, here's the real problem I'm moving on the 3rd September and I cannot get an appointment before I move. Do I wait and call my new dentist or book an emergency appointment? I have no reason to book one as I'm not in severe pain it's just an annoyance and it worries me a bit how I'm not going to be able to get treatment in time. I'm not sure why this had to happen right now, but I guess life is a bit like that sometimes.

Need some advice about a throbbing tooth

ZAmil517: Hi gusy Can anyone give me the latest composite filling technics pls ??? Thx

Last composite technics

tvc15: Hi, I am looking for more information about traveling into Europe from the UK for dental treatment. The treatment in question will be crowns. In the UK this would cost too much so does anyone have any advice, tips or info on where to look to become better informed? Thank you. tvc15: Any ideas?

Dental treatment in Europe

Speuce: Hi! A while ago, when I was 12 or so, I had an adult tooth grow behind the baby tooth, my dentist referred me to some orthodontist and over the course of 8 months they looked into it, after numpurpus xrays, they thought that the tooth must be a supernumerary tooth, so it was extracted. The root for the tooth was huge. Later on we found out that they mightve extracted the adult tooth, and evenfurther it started to wiggle a bit. Ive been very careful with it, and three years later I still have it, but recently, after a ball to the face, it seems to have gotten a bit looser, so I'm back at thinking about this nightmare. Unfortunately, this left-for-dead baby tooth is a lateral incisor (#7), and being a highschool student, Im not excactly looking for the nickname 'toothless wonder' I'm just wondering what options I have as far as trying to keep the tooth, and if It does fall out, what options I'd have to replace the gap At this point, from multiple dentists/orthodontists Id have to get some type of thing that connects to the two teeth beside it to hold up a fake tooth until im old enough to get an implant. Is there anything else I can do? Ive really ran out of trust for both dentists and orthodontists, Im hoping I can get some advice from one somewhere else in the world..

How to keep a baby tooth/tooth replacement for minor

Gareth: Hello I've recently visited a dentist for a root canal after I had came out (hour and half later) in pain I was shocked to see that he had drilled through my gold filling to hopefully remove the root ? This was very painful even with an injection. My question is should he have done this? In that way? Surely the filling should of been removed to get to root? Thanks. Gareth:

Advice from a dentist

Jethro: Back in April 2016 my dentist did a root canal to number LL1 (one of my lower front teeth), even though there was nothing wrong with it. The reason for the root canal was to alleviate many years of intermittent and very mild radial pain in LL3 that sometimes travelled along and towards the back of my lower jaw. The rooted tooth LL1 is sited three teeth away from the one one causing the trouble, which is LL3 and the dentist had a hunch that it was LL1 causing the ache because it was the only one nearby with a very small filling. However the root was not successful and is now causing far more constant pain than the tooth my dentist was trying to cure. Because I am an NHS patient I have been waiting a very long time just for an appointment to see a dentist in the Birmingham Dental Hospital. Due to its distant location from the troublesome tooth, is it likely that the rooted tooth was the cause of mild intermittent ache, or was the root unnecsessary.

Root Canal, was it necsessary?

TRINA: I have six upper teeth starting from the front to the back ,have no feeling at all. Feels just like i had shots to numb them. But have not been to the dentistry in over a year. what causes this? I do get a headache after a few hours waking up in the morning. I also feel tired. My teeth on the right upper side also seen heavy. I don't see anything when i look at my gums or teeth. Can anyone help.? ty Zuri Barniv: There could be many reasons for this ranging from benign issues like sinusitis to more serious conditions. This cannot be diagnosed over a forum. I will say your symptoms are highly unusual and I would recommend you see an oral surgeon as soon as possible. Dr. Barniv

6 upper teeth on right side .i can not feel them at all????

Kendyl: So I've had a nightmare of a day today. I visited western dental this morning for an appointment that I waited 3 weeks for, just for them to tell me I cannot be seen and I would have to be referred to a specialist. From what the lady (whatever her title is I don't know, but she certainly is a hag) told me, the oral surgeon was not comfortable working on those teeth (17,32) because they are too close to the nerve. I am not a dentist and I don't know much about these things, but I would love for a seemingly more reliable source to explain what this means. They did not explain anything to me other than I'd have to be seen elsewhere after waiting 2 hours this morning and the past 3 weeks. I did call their corporate office to complain about my treatment. Not only that but the never prescribed anything for my pain or infection but that's irrelevant. Needless to say I'll be going elsewhere from now on. Attached is a copy of my x-ray that I managed to obtain. Zuri Barniv: There is a nerve that runs under these wisdom teeth that goes to your lip and chin (look up "inferior alveolar nerve") to find out more. Your teeth are very close to this nerve which makes injury to it especially risky when taking them out. Hope that helps, Dr. Barniv FYI - you may also have an infection to a root canal that was done on the lower right #29 that you may want to look into as well.

Wisdom teeth and nerves

Deborah Murphy: Hi I am new here. I belong to a dental clinic as I lack dental insurance. It is associated with our local hospital. Every filling I have only lasts 4 to 6 months. I am so depressed. I deal with many autoimmune illnesses. At first I wanted to believe this was associated with one of them that causes dry mouth. I treat that Faithfully and if that were the case the other fillings that are 15 years old and done when I did have insurance are perfectly fine. I somehow feel they may use a lower grade material? With everything else I cannot bear to lose my teeth. I have a dislocated jaw which makes the work challenging as it is let alone going back over and over and over again. I'm thinking of calling the Americans Dental Association to maybe get some ideas from them but if anyone here has some sort of clue for me that would be greatly appreciated. I live alone on disability grateful for everything but I just do not have a lot of money for dental work. Thank you again

Help!

Abram Tai: Should I remove my upper wisdom teeth? Two days ago I removed my bottom left wisdom tooth due to infection. I didn't remove my bottom right one because I don't have insurance yet. I'm going to remove the right bottom one within 3 months, when I get insurance. However, the staff in the dental clinic told me I don't have to remove my upper teeth, just the right bottom one. I'm not sure if it's true? Because I don't wanna go through this three times.. My X ray picture : http://imgur.com/vZTwXKn Thanks !

Should I remove my upper wisdom teeth?

lori726: I have very large filling on my front two teeth and I am getting crowns placed on them. My dentist has suggested getting four crowns instead of just the two because he feels it will look better cosmetically. The teeth on each side on the from teeth will be crowned as well. These teeth also have fillings but not noticeable ones. I would like the most natural looking smaile. I don't want the two front teeth to stick and and look fake. However, I feel a little stressed about doing all four. I was just thinking I would do the two with the large fillings. I would like advice on whether I would get better results doing all four or if I do just the two front teeth with the large fillings is it possible to get a natural look. Thanks

Need advice on crowns on front two teeth

saquiwej: Hello, I am looking to some knowledgeable people who can read this x-ray image and explain certain details to me. I can't really figure out how my dentist can decide on the basis of this photo, that a tooth has to be extracted. Thank you in advance for your time.

How to correctly read a panorama X-ray image

RichardJim: ...my teeth still doesn't look straight. Will composite filling help make my teeth look straight? I've had braces for about 19 months now. My orthodontist said in the beginning of the process that it could take up to 18 months... I'm at the elastic rubber band stage to help straighten my midline. And why are my bottom teeth small? Is there anythkng I can do to them to make them look normal?

Orthodontist said roots are straight BUT

Albert12345: Quick question and would appreciate your input... My dentist gave me treatment plan of a RCT for 2 and Implants for 30 and 31. At the moment 29 and 30 (30 is infected - the crown/rct failed) have a crown (bridge). Tooth 31 was extracted 3 years ago and I never went back for the implant. He says I need an implant on 31 otherwise 2 will fall off over time since there is no tooth to support it. He also said an alternative is if I dont want an implant at 31, then to extract 2 because there is no real point of a RCT since the tooth will eventually fall out. Therefore the only implant would be on 30. My question is as follows: 1- Should I extract or RCT 2 if I am not doing an implant on 31? 2- What if I extracted 2 and 30 to avoid any implants? Thank you.

Dental Question (Pls advise)

thetoothsayer: What do you think is the best alternative to using traditional dental floss? Water flossing? thetoothsayer: I answered my own question and wrote this article http://thetoothsayer.com/waterpik-vs-flossing/

Alternatives to Flossing

alpacka: Im clearly clueless and have nobody to ask about this. Im in my early 30s and have already a education in computer science but I feel that I want to do more in a practical field,, I would love to be in meds because I love science so I have been thinking about being a dental nurse (dentist is too long education for me and too hard also). I am a person that changing my mind alot, I get easily bored and constantly want to do things, waiting is something thats hard for me. Rolling my thumbs is something that makes my feel really anxious on work so thats impossible, I rather be unemployed then bored. I would LOVE to know what type of person fits as a dental nurse and what type of person that doesnt´? Im very close to say yes to the education but would love to hear first of all some thought about this. Im a bit Adhd/aspergers person, what I mean is that I need alot of stimulation for my brain even if Im calm on the outside. I can focus really good when Im interested in something and put all my time on it but also get frustrated when Im bored. Nobody see my inner frustration but I can feel it and thats almost the only reason why I quit jobs (frustration and boredom) I can see blood without feeling bad, I have no problem with disgusting things like pukes or other things other think is too much but I cant handle skin diseases (rare conditions when the skin falling off, thats the worse) and I suffer from trypophobia. I can look at pictures of trypophobia (many of these are just fakes) but real once I think I could never handle, my brain get too overwhelmed and I feel dizzy. Sarafbt: Hi. I'm a practice manager and for me a dental nurse has to have the following qualities along side the education: Enthusiasm, compassionate, kind, great listening skills, accuracy, fast working, sincerity, hard working, flexible towards working hours, can do attitude, ability to work with everyone, and a positive outlook on life. Nursing is a challenging (and sometimes thankless) job. The patients need to trust you, and will often ask you about treatment plans after the dentist has finished (patents see you as more human than the dentist!) The dentist rely on you to be quick and accurate when in surgery and you have to be organised and able to plan ahead. You'll have to be able to handle all different personalities, from difficult and terrified patients to colleagues that are focused and driven to the down right rude people. You liase between dentists and reception - so being part diplomat helps too! Its a challenging position in the practice but a great nurse is worth her weight in gold!

Which sort of a person fits to be a dental nurse? Would love to see answers from the dental field

Andresc: hello everyone, Our nightmare started a year ago. We went to the dentist they found cavities in two of her upper molars.. The pediatric dentist told us they would like to do a pulpotomy and put crowns on both, this happen in January. Fast foward to May, my daughter started to complain about toothache (complain as irritable, cranky) so we decided to take her back to the dentist they told us they didn't see signs of infection, but to make sure they wanted to prescribe Amox. We did that for a week. The pain was still present since she was still bitting down, and cranky at times. The dentist was hesitant and she said to wait it out see whay happens, happens two days later my daughters gum around one of the molars was completely swollen, you could barely see the crown at this point. I called them, they said there was nothing else they could do we took her to the Emergency room and well they had to papoose her and giver her a sedative, the tooth was infected and so they extracted it. It has been almost 3 weeks since this happen, but for some odd reason my daughter keeps bitting down like it hurts her, there has been times she says it hurts.. We took her back to the dentist they said her gum was healing, nothing to worry about, they also said she had no cavities.. But im worried about the fact the gets cranky at times, and keeps bitting down like something is painful in there. I guess my question is: is this normal? Is the recovery painful? What else could it be? I'm sorry for how long this post is, thank you for reading. Zuri Barniv: You need to go back to (probably a different) pediatric dentist to have a look. But after an extraction it can take about 2 weeks before the gums heal, so since it has been 3 weeks, you need to have it looked at. You also can't take out the baby molars and then do nothing, because nearby teeth will tip into that new space and prevent the adult tooth from coming out. You need something called "space maintainers", so again, you need to go find another pediatric dentist to help you. Andresc: Zuri Barniv said: You need to go back to (probably a different) pediatric dentist to have a look. But after an extraction it can take about 2 weeks before the gums heal, so since it has been 3 weeks, you need to have it looked at. You also can't take out the baby molars and then do nothing, because nearby teeth will tip into that new space and prevent the adult tooth from coming out. You need something called "space maintainers", so again, you need to go find another pediatric dentist to help you. Click to expand... Hello, thanks for your input. When we took her they told us, everything was fine i asked them if there was anything else to be done as far as the extraction site and they never mentioned a spacer, so yes I'm going to look into another dentist. Also she says it hurts, today again i took a look and the hole seems smaller but still open, is that normal? Thank You Plaza Dental Group: Your daughter is much too young to have these problems. It sounds like she and her parents would benefit from being instructed by the dentist on how to care for her teeth. Eating habits and food choices may also be involved. Pain is not a reliable indicator of anything. The best method for dealing with controversial recommendations is to simply get a 2nd or 3rd opinions from other dentists. She needs to see a pediatric dentist for treatment. It may be worthwhile to investigate the possibility of using a dental sealant on her remaining healthy teeth.

Advice 3 year old extraction

aroundteeth: Hello, I've been having pain/swelling on a tooth the past few days that has a crown. This also happened about 5 months ago but after I saw the dentist (who recommended a root canal) the pain subsided so I put it off. I had the crown put on about a year and half ago. I don't remember the reason but apparently I had a cavity and too much of the tooth was gone to fill. My question is, should the dentist have done the root canal back then before he did the crown? The reason I ask is because now I'm going to have to get rid of a perfectly new crown (well, it wasn't perfect, I still had pain sometimes when eating hard foods) and now have to buy a new one. Thoughts? Thanks Dr David Lee: Hi aroundteeth, Sorry to hear about your situation. Let me see if I can shine some light on it based on the information that you gave me. When there is a large cavity, we have to remove the cavity before proceeding with restoring the tooth with either a filling or a crown (for bigger cavities). At the time of removing the cavity, we may not see the pulp (nerve) of the tooth exposed, which is a good sign. However, it is possible for a root canal to be necessary in the future, since the cavity was NEAR the nerve. This could happen at any time, and is unpredictable. If the cavity is close to the nerve, you could preemptively do a root canal, but most people would opt to not do this and take their chances. Most of the time, a root canal can be performed through the crown, and the access hole can be filled with a filling. Therefore, a new crown is often not necessary. Hope that helps and answers your question!

Crown/Root canal question

ForMe: Two months ago, I chipped my front incissor tooth. Obviously visible. The dentist smoothed it, but I felt self-conscious about smiling or talking to others. It looked bad. After three weeks, I went back to the dentist and asked that it be filled. The dentist warned me that a resin filling would break off if I chewed on it or bit food with it (because the filling would be thin). Also, it's considered a cosmetic procedure so my dental insurance wouldn't cover it. Several hundred dollars paid upfront. If it breaks again, then I would have to pay all over to have it re-filled. I signed that disclosure and then the dentist filled the chipped tooth. Tooth looks good now, and I'm confidently smiling and laughing again. Except, now I can't eat in front of anyone. Because I can't use my front incissor teeth, I have to cut up my food into bite-sized pieces to place under the molars by the cheek. No more am I able to eat foods by hand - like pizza, burritos, apples, bagels, sandwiches, etc. I have to place pieces of food in my cheek area with a fork. And when I'm chewing, I look like an olden-day baseball player with a cheek full of chewing tobacco. Big effort to eat, and embarrassing to have others see it. I look weird eating a slice of thin crust pizza with a fork & knife! Do others who have chipped & filled their incissor teeth eat very, very carefully? Dr David Lee: Hi ForMe, Composite/resin fillings are commonly done for small fractures or the front incisors. While it is possible for resin fillings to chip or break, they have the potential to last a long time. If the chip is very small, they tend to be less durable. Foods that have bones (such as chicken wings/ribs) are most likely to break any fillings on your incisors since you are putting alot of force on those teeth. If the filling is chipped or fractured, you can have it replaced. ForMe: Thank you for your reply. Yes: if the filling breaks by me chewing with it, the filling can be replaced. Except its not covered under my dental insurance and the cost is several hundred dollars. That would be one expensive slice of pizza if it breaks the filling! Just wondering if most people with small chips try to avoid chewing on that filled tooth (less durable). Eating this way takes a lot of effort, isn't very pleasant, and it looks awkward to others. Or, do most people just chew with the filled tooth and risk prematurely breaking the filling? Dr David Lee: I am not sure which insurance company you are with, but resin fillings on anterior teeth are usually covered in my experience. Did your dentist try to claim the filling through your insurance? It is very difficult to avoid chewing on that tooth specifically. The best thing is to avoid chewing the foods I mentioned in my last reply that are more likely to break the tooth. ForMe: Dr David Lee said: I am not sure which insurance company you are with, but resin fillings on anterior teeth are usually covered in my experience. Did your dentist try to claim the filling through your insurance? It is very difficult to avoid chewing on that tooth specifically. The best thing is to avoid chewing the foods I mentioned in my last reply that are more likely to break the tooth. Click to expand... The dentist office checked with my dental insurance. They wanted an xray to prove the filling was medically necessary to have the filling covered. Otherwise, my dental insurance considers it a cosmetic procedure. In the meantime, I will avoid eating food with the filled tooth and look for a new dental insurance plan for the next open enrollment. Dr David Lee: ForMe said: The dentist office checked with my dental insurance. They wanted an xray to prove the filling was medically necessary to have the filling covered. Otherwise, my dental insurance considers it a cosmetic procedure. In the meantime, I will avoid eating food with the filled tooth and look for a new dental insurance plan for the next open enrollment. btw, I see you Click to expand... That is unfortunate that they will not cover that type of filling. Glad that I could help!

Do people with a chipped/filled tooth have to eat very, very carefully?

Erosion: I have a single tooth that has more gum erosion than any of the others. I emailed my hygienist who is 30 miles away and told her about it just 2 weeks after my 6 month appointment. The reason I'm so concerned about it is because she had pointed out that the tooth with the most gum erosion had a pocket of 6mm, and it the 6th tooth from the left on the bottom. But look at the 3rd tooth visible from the left and you can see it's much worse. Almost as much root is visible as there is tooth! Anyway, she responded that she'd have to know exactly which tooth it was, so I replied by sending the picture of it so she could see. I got no reply, so I sent it again and got no reply. My next appointment is 5 months away and I don't want to wait that long to get an answer. So what do you all think? Should I be concerned? It just seems strange that the 3rd tooth has more erosion than the 6th, and yet I was told the 6th one is the worst. Could this much erosion of the gum have happened just 2 weeks since my appointment? Plaza Dental Group: By viewing your snap, I would advice that Overzealous brushing can cause damage to teeth and gums.Note that the gums have receded and the roots, which are now showing, are also being abraded. You don't have to worry about that, but they can be indicative of periodontal disease. If this is the case, there are many treatment options such as simple cleanings or scaling and root planning. Make sure you are brushing not scrubbing. Erosion: Plaza Dental Group said: By viewing your snap, I would advice that Overzealous brushing can cause damage to teeth and gums.Note that the gums have receded and the roots, which are now showing, are also being abraded. You don't have to worry about that, but they can be indicative of periodontal disease. If this is the case, there are many treatment options such as simple cleanings or scaling and root planning. Make sure you are brushing not scrubbing. Click to expand... Thank you for responding to my post! I used to have periodontal disease in the past, but my hygienist has been telling me lately that I've been doing a good job for the last few years. She's noted gum recession but thought it was normal with age, and also because of the fact that I had braces from when I was 34 until I was 36. I'm 45 now and still use retainers. I also have decalcification of teeth along the gum line and plenty of fillings. I didn't realize that the roots are being abraded. My hygienist hasn't said anything about that. But that corner tooth seems to have the most gum recession and she didn't mention that at all, and now it has me concerned. Do you have any idea why that one would especially have so much more recession?

Is this much erosion of gum normal?

Sid: can we use cap splints as a way to prevent dental caries in healthy pedodontic patients? will there be any complications if they wear it while eating?

Cap splints to prevent dental caries!?

Brian Wasserman: Hi, I'm going to try to keep this short. I had a baby tooth removed and braces put on at roughly the same time. Shortly after my premolar next to the extraction site abcessed. I received a root canal and my dentist says he sees no more sign of infection but I'm still in pain. The pain can be described as sharp and intermittent, located in the jaw around the root and shooting into my ear. Please tell me what's going on. Brian Wasserman: I should say the second image is several months after the root canal was done. Plaza Dental Group: As a dentist, I recommend only after the properly diagnosis of the patient. Try not to get upset with your dentist. The reason you may be still experiencing pain is due to "dry socket". This is very painful and does last for a bit of time. Next time you see your doctors ask about any antibiotics, there may be more involved in your case. If you are now experiencing pain on the other side, seeing and oral Surgeon may be a good idea. You should apply an ice pack on the skin over the extraction site 20 minutes on and then 20 minutes off for the first 6-8 hours. Eating soft foods. Once you feel like you can chew those without any pain, then it’s probably alright to move on to harder foods. If you feel pain, that’s a sign that you need to back off and let your tissue heal some more. Your dentist/oral surgeon can give you more information about any special precautions you need to take depending on how your surgery went. I hope that helps. Good luck.

Unexplainable pain!

AdamK1989: Hello I am new to this site and am looking for some support and reassurance before I slowly go mad with worry! I had a tooth extraction last Thursday so I am not on day 6 post extraction. While most the gum has healed, I am still getting some slight pain, (also some spurts of intense pain which last about 20 minutes) that happens about twice a day. Also the gum is still quite sore, I was not given antibiotics, but I fear I have an infection. I am NOT in unbearable pain nor have I had any fever or bleeding, but I'm still worrying as the site looks like it has yellow in it!? Is this normal? Also just below the site, I have a little indent that has some yellowish colour in it (could be an ulcer?) Also when I have touched the site with my tongue, I get a very strange taste in my mouth, I have attached a picture to help with my description, Any advice or support would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you in advance Adam

Tooth Extraction, post care

kathy jo: i had a cold or virus in my lungs and head cold pretty for the past 2 weeks and had antiboditc but not even close to be `100 % better.... i better but not completely still having to clear my nose and throat...and i am suppose to have 5 teeth pulled in about 3 days... on friday.. today is tuesday... should i go ahead and keep the appointment or change it to when i should be more well... i am also diabetic type 2 so everything takes longer to heal...?

Had a cold and been sick for the past weeks..

patanjali: Though I'll be seeing my regular dentist in a few weeks for a routine checkup, any input received here will help me to get the most out of that meeting. I have a white filling on #24, done by my previous dentist. The tooth had chipped on the back side, though the filling may also be visible from the top. It may be relevant that a fair proportion of fillings done by the previous dentist had failed early on, though this was not the case with the filling on #24, which has been there 2 - 3 years. Anyway, I have started to feel sensations in the tooth--not always, but much of the time. This has been going on for at least a month. Nothing painful so far, but I wonder if perhaps the filling should be replaced. Found a good article which indicates how hard it can be to tell when fillings need to be replaced: http://www.dentistrytoday.com/diagnosis/979. I could be missing something, but don't notice any obvious discoloration in the tooth or cracks in the enamel (two criteria mentioned in the article). I imagine my current dentist will take x-rays and look carefully at the tooth. But I wonder: 1. In the absence of x-ray evidence or visible signs, would it make sense to replace the filling now just based on the sensations I feel? 2. Is there much risk of damage to the tooth if the filling is replaced? 3. If I do nothing now, and the sensations turn into pain, then what would my options be at that time? 4. Any other thoughts? Thanks very much for any input!

should this filling be replaced?

Montgomery28: I am having a lot of trouble with an upper crown that was recently taken out and cleaned and put back in and also have a temporary brace to correct my jaw going sideways - I have hyperflexibility. I am getting increasing amounts of nerve pain near this crown and despite meticulous cleaning routine - I am now getting neuralgia and ear ache as a result and cannot eat anything too hot or cold. My dentist is wonderful but cannot see anything wrong with the root or the nerve but I am at my wit's end with the pain. Would this be a case for another specialist dentist or a hospital or ENT situation? I have taken the brace out for a week just incase it is the pressure on the nerve but has made no difference. Advice please? I am in the UK by the way and so NHS is an option. Suraj Patel: Hi Montgomery28, May you please answer the following questions; What is your age? Which tooth is it that has the crown? How long have you been experiencing pain in that area? Is it a constant throbbing pain or does it come by sharp and intermittently? Thank you

Nerve pain

Blank_276: There's no specific reason for this post, but I am curious. When I was a kid (early 2000s), the dentist I went to used two different kinds of local anesthesia for cavity fillings: a syringe (which I assume was Novocaine), and this... thing. He called it a "pop gun", probably to try to make it sound cute. It looked kind of like a dental drill without a bit and had two little holes at the head. Rather than inject something in the back of your mouth, it made a click followed by a very sharp sting. Not sure if it's just me, but whatever it was seemed to render the Novocaine useless, so I felt everything. The reason for my curiosity is that no dentist I've gone to after him ever used this contraption for cavity fillings, just nitrous oxide and Novocaine. Come to think of it, he used this lengthy cavity filling technique that I never encountered at any other dentist. Anyway... Does anyone here know of this instrument, and maybe why it isn't used anymore? Zuri Barniv: Have no idea, but it may be a "Ligmaject". Look it up and see. I use one all the time and it should not sting or hurt. Also, no one uses Novocaine, that's just from the movies. 99% of dentists primarily use Lidocaine.

What was this instrument called?

Micheljames: Hello Everyone, I am new here in this forum. Zuri Barniv: welcome

Introduction

Willow: I lost my teeth due to years of certain medications. I've struggled for years, spent thousands of dollars and lost them in the end. I'm not only just sick about it. I can not tolerate this chunk of plastic in my mouth. It's so thick and ill fitting. Are there any alternatives? I've heard of "horseshoe" dentures or also called "4 on 4". The cost my dentist quoted me was outrageous.I could never afford something like that. I'm looking for a new dentist as he doesn't seem to take my opinion into account. The teeth in this denture look nothing like my teeth had before and I had always been told I had a nice smile. I not only can not stand the way it looks, I just can not tolerate the way it feels. I have a hard time with speech also. I am so miserable, any advice would be appreciated. Thank you. Zuri Barniv: Consider getting two implants placed which the denture can attach to and perhaps some of the plastic in the palate area can be removed. Around California, a service like that is still very expensive but much MUCH less than the "all on 4" option you mention

Can not tolerate upper denture

Lysander: Hi, and sorry for hijacking your forum. I am a general practice nurse who for the past 5 years have been taking part in healthcare outreach clinics in rural Kenya. These are for 2 weeks and generally occur in November. We have been working with local Kenyan staff for the past 3 years and last year we were lucky enough to take along a UK dentist too. The two of them worked really hard, in an area of malnutrition and where dental hygiene is taught but toothbrushes are scarce. They managed about 150 extractions in 6 days, mostly for severe caries and abscesses. Our UK dentist is unable to join us this year, and she will be sadly missed by us nurses and the community. Would anybody consider joining us? We travel with Camps International, the trip costs approximately £690 with flights, visas and vaccinations on top. Here is a video explaining what we do. If anybody would like further details please contact me directly.

Has anybody considered dental outreach clinics in Kenya?

whatever61: Hello all, I have a problem for a long time already. Every morning my mouth is full of saliva that I need to spit. If I don't spit it just feels disgusting in my mouth. Swallowing it is also disgusting. Before that I used to have bleeding gums for a long time (and now I still have a bit of inflamed gums). It used to be even worse, because I had a lot of blood in the saliva in the morning. Now my gums don't bleed but still in the morning I need to spit, otherwise I can't continue sleeping. When I start spitting it's mostly white, but a bit reddish (perhaps a little bit of blood that makes it disgusting?) But now when I brush teeth my gums don't bleed anymore. When I floss also not. Dentists clean my teeth every half a year and I try to keep a good hygiene. Two dentists said that my gums are a bit inflamed but they are OK and there's no actual problem. That it's normal. My question is: is that a common thing to have a disgusting saliva in the morning? or maybe I am just used to have a disgusting saliva so it's automatically disgusting for me? Yes, I can drink a juice or something in the morning. But that's not solving the issue.. Any advice? Thanks whatever61: Anyone?

Need to spit in the morning

zogthegreat: Hi everyone! I have had a strange dental problem with teeth numbers 5, 6, and 18 for about the last 5 years. These teeth are causing severe and at time blinding pain with changes in air pressure. All teeth have had root canals that were delayed for a varity of reasons and when the root canals were performed, the roots were necrotic/half dried out. The pain in teeth 5 and 6 were initially diagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia, however I have none of the symptoms of trigeminal, other than the pain being in the general area of the trigeminal nerve. This pain, (5 and 6) would spread in a line, #5 going up my face, through the eye socket and into the scalp. #6 would go from the tooth along my cheek and into the back of my head. I finally convinced my dentist to extract #6 and that line of pain stopped after the extraction. #18 doesn't bother me that badly, it seems to just go down into my jawbone and not spread out. I have seen several dentist as well as a neurologist who have not been able to figure out what is going on. Does anyone have any suggestions to what I should look at next? I really would like to avoid having #5 pulled, but the pain is getting to be too much. Plaza Dental Group: I would suggest that you find an oral surgeon since you have pain and swelling. It’s important for you to have a complete oral examination to determine the cause. Other causes of a toothache can include the following: Infection, Gum disease, Grinding teeth (bruxism), Tooth trauma, an abnormal bite. TMJ/TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder), sinus or ear infections, and tension in the facial muscles can cause discomfort that resembles a toothache, but often these health problems are accompanied by a headache. Find a good dental clinic and get proper treatment for your toothache. Hope this answer will help you. Good luck.

Strange problem with severe pain.

cm232: Hi, I am not sure if I am posting in the correct area but I have a question that I believe is best to ask dentists. I am interested in becoming a dental hygienist and am curious as to what dentists opinion are towards Carrington College graduates. Has any RDH graduates from Carrington college worked in your office and if so what is/was your opinion of their competency? Also if you have not previously employed a Carrington College graduate is there any stigma preventing you from doing so? I hope to get some honest replies as I am interested in attending this school and wanted first hand opinion of the quality this program provides. Thankyou

Advice on RDH programs

ConcernPatient: My english are quiet bad , so please bear with me . I think the my front upper tooth are a bit broken on the front , is it something to be concern about ? I couldn't find anything about it online . The tooth are perfectly fine except for the front part where it has break off a bit . I think it look somewhat like the pic below , except not with the same severity and is not chirped . thanks you for checking this thread out PlacidWay-US: Hi @ConcernPatient if you will ask me I think you need to have a dental crown - Crowns are custom fitted over a tooth that has been broken. Usually made of porcelain or acrylic, they can be fused to metal and slipped and glued over broken or damaged teeth. You need to see your dentist but probably crowns will be needed to repair that tooth or veneers will also do. Good luck to you! mikebs: I agree with @PlacidWay-US fullmouthdentalimplants: First you go to your dental specialist as quickly. Otherwise, your tooth could be damaged further or become infected, possibly causing you to end up losing the tooth. In your teeth little bit of polish severed, the repair should for the most part be possible just in one office visit. A seriously harmed or broken tooth may require a more protracted and expensive methodology. your dental specialist may repair the harm with a filling. On the off chance that the repair is to a front tooth or can be seen when you grin, your dental specialist will probably utilize a strategy called holding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin. Elizabeth Darden: Hi, i am Elizabeth Darden I think your first step is go ahead your personal dentist and tell him your front upper tooth are a bit broken on the front. Because it create bad impression on your face. So i recommended a suggestion, you consult your personal dentist.

Broken front tooth ?

Lynn: Found out last week that I need to have a molar extracted and an implant done. I'm fine with the implant as I've already had a couple of those. The problem is that the dentist wants to put me on clindamyacin since there is an area showing on the X-rays that she suspects has some infection. She tested the tooth and it has no sensitivity to hot or cold so she said the tooth is dead. I haven't had any pain since last week just a vague "off" feeling in my upper jaw. I absolutely hate antibiotics! I'm allergic to penicillin and everything else just throws my body into chaos. I had a doctor give me cipro one time and it gave me hallucinations. So I'm staring at this bottle of clindamyacin trying to get the courage to take it. I don't see the implant dentist until next Tuesday and can't call him since he's out of town until then. Any help on getting through this? Thanks.

Fear of clindamycin

AustinAHatch: Hi, everyone! I'm pretty new here, but I'm beyond excited to be a a part of this community! We have been working on some really great projects over at Weave to help make your day-to-day a lot easier. We are currently developing a free mobile app and making some changes to our old system. I need some opinions and I would really love to give anyone who might be interested a quick look at it and get some feedback about what we can do to make it better and see if anything can be added or changed to better suit your needs. feel free to contact me in the comments or send me a personal message if you would like to help out. Any feedback is appreciated. thanks a million! -Austin

Weave development, Feedback needed!

Paulette: I have a 30 year old cavity between my front teeth. It is miraculously not visible from the front. You can only see it if you use a mirror and look behind my teeth. I have had dentists up and down the East Coast of America try to get me to agree to having it filled. I have always said no, since I was 15 years old. Keep in mind, the cavity is still not visible when I smile and hasn't grown hardly at all. Why? I don't understand that? Recently, I found a fabulous dentist and he also insists that a filling is the right thing to do. The problem is that I really trust his work, and I have an appointment set for this 30 year cavity. I am having panic attacks about it, and I would like for someone to clearly outline specific answers to help me keep focused on what is the correct thing to do. Please and thank you! What are the risks if I have it filled? What are the risks if I don't have it filled?

30 year old cavity in front teeth

arupton: Please help me identify this...feels like when you chomp down on a chip with the roof of your mouth, constantly. My bottom teeth line up with it as well, so it's always being aggravated. Any ideas of what it may be and how to treat?

Identify: Absess/Ulcer in Roof of Mouth

Ahmed Hanafy: My daughter have 5 Years and 2 month she didn't have the incisors teeth till now I make a panorama for her teeth Please till me from her panorama if the will have the incisors with her permanent teeth or not ? and if not what can i do for her ??? thanks

missed Incisors

Glen: I've been having these ugly teeth for many years now. Any home solutions for this? If I'll go to the dentist, what will I say? And how much will it cost to repair these? As you can see my three front teeth has white build ups. The white build up on the two main front teeth is on the outside since I can feel it when I touch or feel it with my tongue. Unlike on the other one, which is on the right side, it seems to be on the inside. Please help me guys, this is so embarrassing. I dont even wanna go to the dentist because I don't know what to say.

Please help me with my teeth.

RightBoy91: I am 24, I think my front tooth got chipped about 12 years ago after I was hit by a car. It has only recently begun to bother me much more. I just wondered, how much will it cost approximately to repair a chipped front tooth ( only a small chip ) oh, and can I seek out any dentist to do the work or must ti be the dentist with whom I am registered with ? thank you PlacidWay-US: Hi @RightBoy91, if the dentist in your locality can do the job then go for it But if not there is no issue having it done with other dentist. Also since your problem is chipped tooth you may need dental bonding, it is a cosmetic dentistry procedure. But first your dentist will examine your teeth in order to choose the correct type of composite resin color that most closely matches to the color of your existing teeth. In most cases, the dental bonding procedure may take anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes per tooth. To give you an idea dental bonding helps restore strength, fill cavities, and repair cracks, chips or gaps found in the teeth. About the cost depending on geographic location, average dental bonding costs roughly between $100 and $400 per tooth, though in most locations, the average ranges between $300 and $600 per tooth. In locations such as India, dentists in Delhi, Mumbai, and Goa may charge between $20 and $50 per tooth. Hope this helps good luck to you.

How much will it cost approx to fix a front chipped tooth, oh, and can any dentist do the work ?

RightBoy91: If I wanted dental work on my teeth can I see out any dentist that I like or must I consult only the dentist with whom I am registered with ? Many Thanks PlacidWay-US: @RightBoy91 I don't think there is a need for you to stick on an single dentist sometimes it is good to have a second opinion. There are some Dentist which provide their service at a very high price but failed to give your desired result. I am saying this in general since there are really cases like this. There are also some cases which you are registered to your local dentist but they don't have the capability to do some dental works so your other option will be to look for another one. This is true especially to medical travels who go abroad for some dental works which they can't have in their own country.

Can I seek out any dentist to work on my teeth or only the dentist with whom I am registered with ?

Erinlynn: For the last 8 months my boyfriend has been battling tooth pain. Well more like agony. It took several months of seeing dentists, oral surgeons, a tmjd specialist, and going to a medical center in Boston to get a very unhelpful answer. What was explained to him was that there was a combination of causes that lead to this pain. He had braces as a kid which they said caused him not to be able to brush right, he grinds his teeth in his sleep and he just has overall sensitivity. We weren't really happy with that answer but we took it and ran with it because it was the only thing we had to work with and this was really starting to ruin his life. By the point that we got this answer he had already had to drop out of school because he couldn't handle the stress, pain, and waking up early when he could barely sleep. Once this answer came about he got a mouth guard to sleep with that he always used. They gave him a low grade long term pain medication to be on. He was using special tooth paste and taking perfect care of his teeth, He was doing fluoride treatments and baking soda mouth rises to help. He cut everything bad for your teeth from his diet. well what ever was left of his diet.. He was always using straws, drinking mostly water, watching the Ph balance of his mouth. His teeth look perfect. They are white and straight and they say even his xrays look pretty good. He was doing everything in his power to get ride of this terrible god forsaken agony. NOTHING WORKS! Absolutely nothing works, And no one is doing a damn thing! By this point my boyfriend has decided he wants nothing to do with his teeth or life, He wants them all taken out and he wants to get dentures. He's 23... Now i know (mostly because its all i have been hearing at the other end of the phone) that he is so young for dentures. And i keep getting this "we want to save the teeth" crap. I'm so sick of this answer absolutely no one is listening to the problem. For the last 8 months my boyfriend has been drowning in hell. He has been in terrible or terrified that the pain will start up again. Currently half of his diet is pain medication. He eats maybe once a day twice if he isn't in too much pain. As i said he dropped out of school and is in the process of losing his job with all the sick days he has taken to either see someone or because he is in too much pain to function. He has let all of his friends, hobbies,wants,and family slip away from him. I am watching the light slow die in his eyes. The way he talks, the way he looks, he is just miserable. And now he is miserable to the point where he has lost hope, He doesn't want to do anything anymore. Life is point less to him, he no longer cares about anything and I am so terrified about what will happen if i cant find something. He has been so withdrawn and sad and i cant bare it anymore. I can no longer watch the love of my life slip away while he is still physically present. I'm so sick of calling the people who tell me they want to save the teeth I desperately need to find someone who will save the man. We live in Rhode Island but I am willing to travel to wherever whenever to get this done. If insurance wont cover him getting dentures someplace will pay out of pocket. We have family that can help, we will take out loans, ill work 8 jobs if i need to. I am just in desperate need of help. I have no idea what to do anymore. I just need a place willing to extract healthy looking teeth to give my man his life back. He in no way shape or form cares about his teeth or keeping them. While i know other people get upset about getting them he doesn't care, He is one of the most confident people i know. He just wants to live life again. Please someone, anyone please help us. I want him to live, we are both terrified of whats to come. This so stressful and aggravating. No one seems to care to help. I will go anywhere to get him out of pain. If anyone has ideas or actual know of someone please let me know. You will be giving a young man his life back. PlacidWay-US: Hi @Erinlynn i can feel you. It is really hard for a guy to have a very bad teeth and as you stated it really affects your boyfriends life. Guys are number one self concious in terms of how they look. About his case you may seek a second opinion, there should be an initial assesment if there is a need to take out all his teeth and have dentures. Maybe there are other dental treatment available so don't fall into dentures alone. You also stated traveling abroad for a paricular treatment, Just to give you an idea it is not easy to look for a good dentist and dental centers abroad. You need to do more deep research and background checking. The best option for you to look into is either Mexico or Costa Rica there are also good dental clinics in Asia but you really need to do more research. Good luck!

Can someone please help me? I'm terrified

hak: Hello everyone. hi from the U.K. im a gdp in England. have been in dentistry for almost 10 years now and im 35 yrs old now , but frankly speaking, ive had enough and now just want out!!!!!!! There is nothing nice left in it for me. everything about it irritates me now, im depressed agitated and irritable all the time. and I don't think its worth my well being anymore. so I want to leave dentistry. atleast the clinical side of it, but unsure how to do it or where to start in a new career or is there a pathway I could take to start teaching in a dental university and what degrees to take then. As you Could realise, there is this stigma associated with dentist who LEAVE dentistry so I cant find a lot of sympathy or help from the dentists I work with. so thought ill ask a wider audience if they could help. Zack Keihani: Hi , I was in your shoes about 12 years ago back in U.K. I decided to leave dentistry as well because I was doing the same procedures again and again. In 2002 , I took a year off and lived in different places in USA but became bored very soon . I then returned to my country of birth , Iran and started a brand new practice www.mytehrandentist.com and good things started to happen for me. Because of my background in U.K. and Denmark and my 12 years of clinical expertise I soon became the trusted dentist for all the European embassies and oil companies operating in Tehran and became a real success in matter of 2-3 years. I no longer had to do root canals , fillings etc as I hired other specialist dentist to do those for me. The last 8-10 years I have been doing only cosmetic dentistry and Implants and I love it. In short , there are very very few positions for a general dentist other than dentistry . Try to take 6 months off and new ideas will come to you. I am now 52 years old and love my work. I hope this helps !

leaving dentistry

poka: Recently a large infection was found on my tooth and was informed that the tooth pulp might need to be removed if the infection reaches there. Currently I live in Japan and it seems there is a treatment that dentist applies antibiotics paste on an infected area, which possibly removes the infection and the dentin can be grown back. (This treatment was first developed in Japan and is known as 3Mix, which is to use a mixed paste of three antibiotics. However, nowadays the combination of antibiotics can be different by dentists and the dentist I saw is using metronidazole only because he thinks this alone gives sufficient effectiveness.) Unfortunately my tooth infection seems really big so I feel no choice of removing tooth pulp sooner or later but at moment thought of giving this antibiotics thing a try in order to delay the removal if possible. I just wondered if this kind of treatment is popular in other countries and is there any other treatment to save tooth pulp? Thanks! Anna Wiliams: Thanks for sharing this information. I think this mixture used by Most countries now all depends on level of infection. As in your case i went to bad and ended in removal. Hope other may get to notice early and stop it early stage. poka: Hi Anna, Thank you for your comment. It seems this antibiotics thing is effective and being used for mainly children here. Hope to hear more people's comments. Thank you! Enrique: As far as I know root canal procedure as done to save the infected too right?? poka: Thanks for comments. I will close this post now. I am not sure about the root canal procedure. I prefer to get stuffs done as little as possible. Afterall, I got my teeth applied with 3-Mix. The teeth was infected deeply as nearly reaching nerve. I may need to extract this teeth if I become feel pain in future. I wonder why I did not feel pain at all for this big infection.. having less artificial stuffs on mouth is better for health and well-being I think.

any treatment to save tooth pulp (nerve)?

Tonia39: My son (17) had braces for a couple of years and has had them off now for nearly three years. He still uses his invisalign type retainers at night. The ortho (a wonderful man) spent lots of time worrying about these lower molars and one upper molar that just would not erupt fully. He sent us to a oral surgeon (also a great guy) who manipulated both of those teeth and the one on the top to push/twist them toward full eruption. Not sure what the procedure is called, but it sounds worse than it is. The one on the top turned out great, and one on the bottom also successful. The other on the bottom just refused to cooperate. Flash forward, both the lower molars in question have been diagnosed with "root resorption." Regular dentist sent us to an endo who concurred that they were beyond saving and would eventually need to come out. Good grief. We do not have the money to pay for implants, even with insurance. The teeth are asymptomatic at this time. No pain, functioning properly, brushed and flossed three times a day. Endo says just watch them and it could be years for them to become truly problematic. Dentist wants to pull NOW. What happens if we just don't do anything at all? Will the body simply "eat" the tooth? Will these teeth just be like wisdom teeth back there, no roots but not really causing trouble? If we have them pulled, I cannot afford to replace them. Can his retainers hold everything in place to keep things from shifting after these teeth are removed? I'm embarrassed to admit to our dentist that we don't have the money to pay for all this stuff, but, even with the excellent dental insurance we have, it will only cover 60% of the cost. Plus, we have an annual limit of $2500 per person. Even with that truly decent coverage, we are looking at thousands of dollars at a point in our lives when we've got to save every dime toward college! Any thoughts are appreciated.

Tooth Resorption questions

Mohammed Hajab: For years I've been tormented by horrible pain in the upper left side of my mouth. It all began when I had an abscessed molar that made my gums at that region swell. I went to a dentist and he drained the puss using a syringe. After sometime I went and got it surgically extracted. After that and for years now, I have been suffering from pain in that area but can't identify its source and all the dentists that I've visited can't find anything wrong. The pain is in the upper left side, I can't describe it that well but it feels like pressure, migraine or some kind of infection. When the pain sets in, it won’t go away except by taking a good pain killer. Even trying to sleep it off wouldn’t work. An important thing to mention: Recently, when I probed the gums between 2 molars with a toothpick, and blood came out I would feel relieved from that pain in about 5 minutes from doing that. This no longer works though CharlesH: Greetings, I sympathize with your left upper molar pain. I deal with this as well and can't give you an answer why but wanted to say hoping you find the problem. I will like you wait for a knowledgeable doctor to answer. No fun taking pain meds all the time to work everyday. Charles

Years of Torment

Romonator: Lower Left Molar (#19) had old Metal Filling that cracked six months ago. Dentist told me that it may need Root Canal, but he was going to first try replacing the filling, which he did successfully. Then two months ago I started feeling cold sensitivity to that same tooth. Concerned that the filling was failing, I went back, but x-rays and exam showed no problem. Sensitivity to cold continued, with only an occasional soreness, so I returned. Again x-rays / exam showed nothing. Was referred to Endodontist, who concluded that Root Canal wasn't necessary yet but may happen eventually. Last few weeks, sensitivity has gotten worse, but no pain. Get a slight discomfort drinking cold, and a twinge occasionally just taking deep breath. There is no pain, but just a feeling of pressure that is pretty constant. I also have sensitivity on the tooth directly above #19, but some also on the other side of my mouth as welI. It seems my whole mouth just feels different. Sometimes It feels like there is some sticky substance on all of my molars! I have had grinding issues in the past and I wonder if all this can be caused by a return of that. Or maybe they are getting overly sensitive as I age (52 yrs old.) I have just started using sensitive toothpaste. My Dad and older brother lost all their teeth prematurely due to poor care and I am very careful. I am not averse to any procedure but want to be sure that any procedure is indeed necessary and will fix the problem. Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone? Thanks in advance!

Sensitivity Gradually Getting Worse

collieman: I am 66 years old and now have to get dentures as most of my teeth are now gone. My current dentist is going to extract my remaining teeth except for the two impacted wisdom teeth. Can dentures be put over those impacted wisdom teeth without problems? That doesn't sound right to me. The wisdom teeth are not totally impacted. He says they don't have to come out. Don't know what to do.

dentures over impacted wisdom teeth?

cindy: i went to the dentist 3 months ago and he told me i had 2 cavities. i regret going because the teeth he filled were previously filled 3 years ago with resin filling and he filled them with mercury. The teeth never hurt me and its all my fault i let him drill them. this is the only x ray i got from them...how many cavities do you SEE??

How many cavities do you see???

JoshW: I am suffering. Horribly. Two years ago I had horrible tooth pain. I went to a dentist and he said I needed a root canal on my right bottom molar. I did the root canal, pain remained, no change. I went to another dentist. He said I needed my wisdom teeth removed. I removed both on the right side only, pain stopped. After that I started getting chest pains, I'm only now realizing that's when it started. I went to multiple cardiologists and doctors. They said it was anxiety. Fast forward to 2 months ago. The crown on my root canal cracked and broke. I went back to the dentist who put it on, he replaced it with another. Immediately after he replaced it, I felt pain and tightness on the tooth. Like a clamp had been applied to it. My bite felt...off. I told them that but was ignored. Fast forward 2 weeks later. Intense pain developed in my tooth along with HORRIBLE ringing in my head. It's like both ears but doesn't feel like it's coming from my ears, like it's just in my head and I'm hearing it with my ears. Also, my face goes numb, espescially my chin and tongue. My hands go numb. My feet go numb. I get shooting sensations like electrical shocks through my body. Horrible shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain, chest pain more severe. I went back to the dentist. He said he had to file down the crown because my bite was off. He did this and pain remained for about 4 days then improved a lot (only the pain in the tooth itself improved). Fast forward to today (6 weeks since intense pain). Pain is still in that tooth if I bite down on it but not nearly as severe. If I grab the tooth and move it around the ringing in my head goes CRAZY. I'm still having all of these horrible symptoms. I feel like I'm dying. The ringing in my head is so loud and so high pitched it's...I don't even have a word to describe the horror. I've been to neurologist, ent, vascular doctor, cardiologist, chiropractor (chiropractor said my back was so messed up he couldn't adjust it), Massage therapist (massage therapist told me he'd never seen muscles so messed up and was scared to even give me a massage), acupuncturist, even was admitted to the hospital where they ran a bunch of tests for two days and could not find anything wrong. My dentist claims it's not my tooth but it hurts still???? I don't know what to do has anyone ever heard of this? JoshW: I went to another dentist today. He said he has no clue why that tooth hurts and it shouldn't be hurting. He did a test on it though and said it's obvious that tooth has pain and no other one does. He said I should just get it pulled because it doesn't make any sense. Guess I'm going to try that.

Need help. In constant torture (tinnitus, numbness, muscle tension)

luckyman316: Bare with me, as this is sort of a longer story but I'm looking for opinions. Last July, I had cracked my tooth around a filling I had done (non-metal). I ended up going to my dentist, who cut the tooth down (tooth #31) and fitted me for a gold crown. Gold crown was fitted tight next to tooth #30, not as loose my teeth would normally be. Sometime after this, about 3 days, I developed some weird symptom where I keep feeling like I had some sort of head cloudiness or my eyes would feel like they would roll in the back of my head. I also, somehow, became unbalanced and also became afraid of heights all of the sudden (I never used to be by the way) Same dentist later discovered that tooth #30, which also had a filling in it, developed deep decay under the filling. He had sent me for a root canal and then eventually put he post in there and put a gold crown on it. Both crowns are next to each other and the way he shaped them, he put them so tight and almost next to each other because he did not want to see any more food get trapped in there under the crown, causing more decay. Also also developed tinnitus around this time too (I think it was right before the root canal though, I can't recall) Fast forward almost 8 months later, I went to a new dentist who immediately noticed I was unbalanced after checking my teeth and ears. He suggested a few things. He said that the bite on the crown with the root canal was off. He also suggested the crowns were too tight together, giving me issues with nerves on tooth #31. He then suggested that the work that was done, was causing the imbalance in my head especially since I had wisdom teeth removed many years ago (I had no issues after this). He presented me with a few options to fix this and wanted me to go with the cheapest, as he didn't want me to spend money. Has anyone heard of issues like this? What would be the reccommended fix? I've been to neurologist, they found nothing. I've been to ENT, they told me it was symptoms of Meniere's, regular MDs just told me I was having panic attacks, etc. Curious if dental work can be involved here... JoshW: Did you ever find an answer? I have a similar issue.

Can dental work cause an inner ear issue/imbalance?