Baton Rouge Dentist

Should I Have Seen a Specialist for my Bone Graft?

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Hi,

My general dentist told me I needed a bone graft before I could get dental implants. After the bone graft healed, he tried to place the implant, but said my bone was still too thin. After all this surgery, he’s now saying I should get a bridge. Would this have happened if I went to a specialist instead? I thought I could trust him because of his experience.

Marcel, from Seattle, Washington

 

Hi Marcel,

Your dentist sounds like he knows he made a mistake. He likely has more experience placing bridges than he does with dental implants, and is trying to give you the best-looking result. If you need work on a single tooth, a bridge is a good option. If you still would like a dental implant, ask him to refer you to a periodontist or oral surgeon with experience in implants.

While this incident would probably not have happened in the hands of a specialist, dental implantology is not a field recognized by the ADA. They do, however, have more advanced training in placing dental implants than general dentists.

Even with experience, a bone graft is a difficult procedure. If your dentist had gone ahead with your implant, your dental implant would have likely failed, which would have cost you even more in the future. So he is trying to do right by you. Dentists are likely to make mistakes as they try new things. It’s up to you to decide if you’d like a dental bridge or to see an implant specialist to continue.

This blog post is brought to you by Baton Rouge dental implant provider, Dr. Ryan Perry.

How do we best fill the space of an extracted tooth?

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My daughter had an accident in her gymnastics class and hit her front tooth. She has had root canals on it to fix it, but they failed. My daughter’s dentist is recommending that she have it extracted, which I’m okay with, but I’m just concerned about what to do after to fill that spot. This is such new territory for us and I don’t want to mess up her smile. What are our options?

Concerned, Santa Fe, NM

Dear Concerned,

Anyone would be concerned in your situation. You didn’t say how old your daughter is, but at any age, a person’s smile can speak volumes. After your daughter’s surgery for the tooth extraction, there are a few options you have for her.

Dental implant

For an adult, a dental implant is often the replacement of choice for a tooth extraction. A dental implant allows a porcelain tooth that is strong, durable, and natural looking, to be placed onto a root form that is directly implanted into the jawbone. The body will keep the jawbone there intact because the minerals there are still needed, as with a natural tooth. Unfortunately, a dental implant isn’t the best option for your daughter because of her age. Her face and jawbone are still growing. As her jaw grows, her natural teeth will move along with the growth. An implant won’t move as the other teeth, which will then lead to misplacement of the natural teeth.

Example of a dental bridge

A dental bridge can be a viable option in the right scenario. A bridge is made by putting crowns on the teeth on either side of the missing tooth with a false tooth in the middle. This can be a secure option, but the problem is the surrounding teeth have to be prepared and receive crowns, even if they are healthy teeth, in order for it to be stable.

  • Dental flipper

A dental flipper, which is sometimes called a flipper partial, is a reDental flipper with removable toothmovable temporary tooth. This can be made almost as a retainer with a mold that fits the top of the mouth, or with metal clips that go over the back teeth. This the least expensive option of the three. With this option, the surrounding teeth remain intact if you are hoping to wait for dental implants.

Please don’t be afraid to ask questions of your daughter’s dentist before any work is done. As with any cosmetic dental work, ask about his experience with all the above treatments and make sure you are comfortable with whatever treatment he suggests.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Ryan Perry in Baton Rouge, Lousiana.

 

 

There’s No Contact with my Dental Bridge

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Two months ago, I decided to get an upper right side three unit fixed bridge. This seems to look fine from the front but when I look at the back of my mouth, there’s a noticeable space between my top and bottom teeth. The teeth don’t touch, chewing is awkward and uncomfortable and my dentist doesn’t seem to think there’s a problem; my dentist said this is as good as it gets.  Is this normal or should I seek a second opinion?
– Daniel in Louisiana

Dear Daniel,

It’s a challenge to know why your teeth aren’t touching without reviewing your dental x-rays, doing a complete exam and seeing clinical notes. There are many reasons your teeth might not be touching. One reason may be that you have fractured bottom teeth and your dentist is trying to prevent more damage by allowing space on the bottom. The other reason is that you may have a tooth that has erupted on the bottom. Another consideration is that if a tooth has been missing for a while, a dental bridge may not duplicate your original bite because the mouth changes over time. Sometimes teeth shift so this can affect contact. It’s generally important that there’s tooth contact to prevent further dental issues. If you’re questioning your recent procedure, we would recommend you get a second opinion.

This blog sponsored by Dr. Ryan Perry.

What is the lifespan of a Maryland Bridge?

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In a couple of weeks, I will need to get a Maryland Bridge placed in my mouth. My dentist mentioned the lifespan would be about 10 years. I’m curious about what happens after 10 years. This bridge will be fixed. Does it loosen after this time?
– Terry from Louisiana

Terry,

Patients find it confusing when dentists talk about the lifespan on dental work. There is no way of knowing exactly how long dental work will last. It’s okay to give an approximate time and then let patients know that many factors come into play.

Lifespan varies from patient to patient and other concerns include the bridge wearing out and how long you will have it before something goes wrong.

Loosening may occur over time with the Maryland Bridge but this also depends on the stress in your mouth. If you flex your teeth a lot when you bite, 10 years might be overly optimistic for lifespan. However, if you are soft on your bite, you might get to wear your bridge longer. Eating habits play a large role in the health of the bridges because if you snack a lot and don’t brush well, you may get decay. Other issues can be tooth color. If you drink coffee or tea, dark-colored foods or eat other pigmented foods, your natural teeth may stain but your white porcelain bridge will remain whiter.  This is a problem but can be solved by having professional tooth whitening done.

Remember that lifespan is an approximation so keep this in mind when you have the procedure done. Your bridge will obviously last longer if you’re easier with your teeth.

This blog brought to you by Baton Rouge family dentist, Dr. Ryan P. Perry.

Is bone grafting something I should consider?

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When I was 12, I lost all my front teeth (top and bottom) in a boating accident. I’ve worn a dental bridge for years, but now the bone loss is getting very noticeable. I’ve been discussing dental implants with my dentist. He says he can do them, but I am not that excited about his apparent level of confidence. He is not enthusiastic about this procedure, and I think I am going to ask him to refer me to a specialist.

Part of the reason for this is that I think I need a procedure called “bone grafting”. I don’t think most general dentists do that sort of thing, do they? And how do you know if you are a candidate for this or not? My health is a little dicey.

Thanks for your help in this matter.

Shelley in White Plains

Dear Shelley,

The best chance for a successful bone grafting procedure is if your general health is good. “Dicey” doesn’t really offer us much information, so you’ll want to be very specific and detailed with the professional you choose to work with. The doctor will consider your general health, but will also examine your CT scans and x-rays. Decisions about this type of procedure are made on a case by case basis.

If you do need grafting, you would be very smart to seek out the services of a dentist who has strong experience with dental implants. Of all dental procedures, dental implant procedures seem to have the most severe consequences when things go wrong. Look for a doctor that has extensive training after dental school, at facilities such as American Academy of Implant Dentistry or the Academy of Osseointegration.

This blog entry was posted courtesy of the office of Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry.

Timing of wisdom teeth removal

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I am nearly 60 years old, and have had all my wisdom teeth up until a few weeks ago. One of the upper teeth had cracked, and my dentist said it was easier in this case to remove it than to repair it, so we took both the top teeth. The procedure went very well, and I am completely recovered.

My question is, do I have to have the other two out now? I’ve always heard of people having all four taken out. I asked my dentist about it and he said there is no reason to, though if I decide I want to I’ll have to have an oral surgeon do those as they are impacted. He said it might also affect a dental bridge I wear on the left side.

Is it worth it? What are the benefits? Thanks in advance for your help.

Celia in Bar Harbor, MA

Dear Celia,

In your case, it does not sound like there is a compelling reason to remove your remaining wisdom teeth. There should be a better reason than just “they are wisdom teeth”. It also sounds like that would be a more difficult and expensive procedure, with a long recovery. If your regular dentist did the extraction on your upper wisdom teeth, then they were probably not impacted. If the bottom ones are, their removal is more difficult, and the recovery will take longer.

Your dentist is giving you sound advice. I would keep the wisdom teeth in until there is some good reason to remove them.

Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry’s office sponsored this blog post.

For more information about natural looking, comfortable dentures, see our website.

Problems with ClearChoice

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A ClearChoice representative did a presentation at our senior center, and I was really impressed. I made an appointment for a consultation at a ClearChoice Dental Implant Center. I came away from that appointment really confused! Maybe you can help make things more understandable.

The representative I spoke with at the clinic said that they would want to remove all of my upper teeth. I have two dental implants that were done by my previous dentist (he retired) and a dental bridge that I am completely happy with. At most I think I would need two dental implants in my upper arch. If I do it their way, I am throwing away thousands of dollars I already spent!

They were really pushing hard to book the surgery at that consultation appointment, which just put me off. I don’t like to be rushed! They just seemed to have an all or nothing approach that did not take into consideration my individual circumstances at all. I did schedule another appointment with them, but am thinking about cancelling it. They spent way more time explaining the financing options than they did the details of the procedure itself! Basically it was, “Oh, we’ll just remove everything and do implants, and here are all the options to pay for it…”

Is this typical? So much of what you read indicates that they are the top of the line in dental implants, but their approach was a real turn-off.

Camilla in San Francisco, CA

Dear Camilla,

A trend in emerging in letters we receive about prospective ClearChoice patients. The treatment plan is almost always “extract all the remaining teeth and do all-on-four dental implants”. Almost every letter also mirrors yours in the discomfort with the level of sales pressure put on in the initial appointments, and the feelings of being rushed into treatment.

These reports make ClearChoice sound like they are not as focused on health care provision as they are on marketing. That is unfortunate. As everyone knows, there is never a “one size fits all” approach to medical or dental treatment. A second opinion on your case would definitely be in order. Can you still contact your retired dentist? If you are happy with the work he or she did, they may have excellent recommendations about who you should see now.

Support for this blog post is provided by the dental office of Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry.