Baton Rouge Dentist

Archives for May 2011

Broken tooth must be pulled – do I need an oral surgeon?

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I lost a filling in one of my molars a few years ago. I lived with the missing filling for quite a while, but then the tooth broke, and it got too painful to ignore. I had a root canal treatment done, but never went back in for the dental crown placement, because I just can’t handle that much time in a dentist’s office. The temporary filling fell out about six months later, and I learned to work around the tooth, but recently it has become really painful again. I know I have to go back in, but I can hardly stand the thought of it.

I saw a dentist and he told me the tooth is infected, and that there really isn’t enough of it to save. He said that it has to be pulled, and that the condition of the tooth means they will have to cut both gum and bone. He said it would be best to have an oral surgeon do this under anesthesia, especially given my anxiety about dental work, but that is just not in my budget. He said he COULD do the procedure under a local, but that an oral surgeon would be best.

My question is, can most general dentists competently handle this type of procedure? I don’t want to spend all that extra money to go to an oral surgeon, but every time I think about getting it done my heart pounds and my hands sweat and I feel sick. Pretty intense. I think I’ll calm down some if I think my dentist is really competent to handle this.

William in Orlando

Dear William,

It sounds like you really need to a have a candid conversation with your dentist. Either he is comfortable doing the procedure, or he isn’t, and it sounds as if he will be honest with you about that. It is also encouraging that he has acknowledged that your fear needs to be considered and handled with compassion. You could also consider seeking the services of a dentist that does sedation dentistry, which they may also advertise as gentle dentistry. Very often, the use of nitrous oxide with an oral sedative is the right combination to reduce anxiety and control pain so that the appointment is much less traumatic.

This blog post courtesy of Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry.

Worried about losing my front teeth

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My soon-to-be-ex wife hit me in the mouth with a baseball bat. As you might expect, both of my front teeth are now loose. I had to call the cops to get her out of my house, and the cops insisted I go into the hospital. I went to the emergency room, and they did a cat scan, which the doctor said did not reveal any fractures. I am kind of confused, because the teeth are still very loose. Am I going to lose these teeth? It also tore the little piece of skin that connects my upper lip to my jaw, but they said that was no big deal and did not bother to stitch it up.

I wonder if I should have gone in to a dentist right away. Is it too late? I don’t really have a regular dentist, or any insurance or money. The emergency room doctor didn’t say to go to a dentist, but he didn’t say I shouldn’t either, and I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. Any help you can offer would be great.

Thanks,

Keith in Lake Minnetonka, MN

Dear Keith,

Even if the roots of your teeth aren’t fractured, they still need to be stabilized in the correct position. If you don’t have a regular dentist, see if there is an emergency dentist in your area who will work with you on a payment plan. The dentist will need to bond the teeth into the correct position so the bone can heal.

If the roots are fractured, or if the nerves are damaged, you may need a root canal treatment on one or both teeth. If that is the case, you may or may not need a dental crown, depending on the condition of the tooth.

That is a lot of “ifs”. The best advice we can offer is to seek the services of an expert cosmetic dentist, if you can. If you cannot afford dental care, look into a program called “Give Back a Smile”. It is a program sponsored by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists, to help victims of domestic violence. If you contact the program, they’ll tell you what you need in terms of documentation to prove that the injury was the result of your wife’s assault with the baseball bat.

We sincerely hope this information helps, and that your situation improves. We’re very sorry for your pain.

This blog post sponsored by Baton Rogue dentist Dr. Perry.