Baton Rouge Dentist

Think I’ve got an serious infection

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I went to Mexico for some dental treatment. I thought everything was OK, but now it is a few days later, my mouth is killing me, and I have a substantial fever. Is this serious? I don’t have a dentist in the US. I went theire because it was cheaper.

Blake H. – Texas

Blake,

This could be very serious. You don’t want to mess with infections in your mouth, because it is so close to your brain if things progress rapidly. If you don’t have a dentist in the United States, then I suggest for now, you just do an internet search for an emergency dentist. Tell them what is going on. They will probably want to see you right away.

This is an inherent danger in going out of the country for more affordable care.  There are ways to do that in the US as well. I suggest you talk to a few dentists in your area and see if they will work with you. Many have payment plans with both low or no-interest.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

 

Are my fillings making me sick?

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I have been getting more and more sick. My doctors can’t figure out what is wrong with me. I’ve been doing some research on almost anything to try to see if I can come up with anything. Through that I learned that amalgam fillings are loaded with mercury. My mouth is full of fillings. Could that be what is making me sick?

Annette- Boston

Annette,

I couldn’t tell you what is making you sick. I can tell you that the American Dental Association has said that amalgam fillings are safe.  I know many patient’s are growing increasingly concerned. If you’re worried, I suggest you contact a mercury-free dentist in your area and ask if they do sanitary removal.

They can take out the fillings and exchange them with composite fillings. You could at least see if that helps you feel better. At the very least, it will give you peace of mind that you at least tried. Plus, composite (white) fillings are better for your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

I can’t eat food very well with my dentures

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I just got dentures and am finding that I cannot eat very well with them. I hate how the move around while I eat. I know dental implants would have been a better solution, but I can’t afford them. Is there a trick to eating with dentures?

Allison J. – Utah

Allison,

No, unfortunately, there isn’t any secret to eating with your dentures. I know it can be hard to afford dental implants. For that reason, many dentists have an alternative to traditional implants.

You can get affordable dental implants that will anchor your dentures. They aren’t as strong as their traditional cousins, but they will help you eat. They will also help prevent you from getting facial collapse.

This blog is brought to you Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

 

My teeth went gray with whitening

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I enjoy bleaching my teeth and do it at least once a month since my “official” bleaching treatments ended. My dentist let me keep my trays. Now, for some reason, my gums are receding and the edges of my teeth are gray. Did I get some bad bleach?

Gina D. – Alabama

Gina,

The issue isn’t a problem with the bleach, but with over bleaching your teeth. It really is possible to have too much of a good thing. In this case it is bleach. When the whitening agent is overused, it will not only cause your gums to recede, but can also make your teeth quite brittle. Another consequence is the edges of your teeth becoming gray or translucent.  This sounds exactly like what is going on with you.

It will be very important that you remineralize your teeth. You also need to stop teeth whitening for quite some time.  I’m rather frustrated that your dentist didn’t warn you about this. I’m assuming, of course, that he provided the bleaching gels to you as you ran out. He’d know how much you were using.

To remineralize your teeth get a toothpaste like Sensodyne pro enamel.  You’ll also want to get in and see your dentist. He can tell you how much damage has been done.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

My dentist says my teeth are too far gone for teeth whitening

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I have stains on my teeth from medicine I took as a child. My dentist said because of that I’ll need to get porcelain veneers. That my teeth are too dark for teeth whitening. Porcelain veneers are much more expensive than teeth whitening. I am tired of my dark teeth, but is that really my only option?

Nicole K. – Detroit, MI

Nicole,

I suspect you have stains from tetracycline. They do tend to make the teeth so dark that it is hard to repair them.  I am suspect of your dentist’s advice though. As difficult it is to get your teeth to whiten with tetracycline stains, it is more difficult to get them to look natural with porcelain veneers.

If you don’t want to spend that much money, I would ask him to try the teeth whitening first. Some dentists have had remarkable success, experimenting with different brands and systems.

Because of the depth of the stains a cosmetic dentist has to strike a delicate balance.  You need them to be opaque enough to cover the stains, but not so opaque that they lose the translucent look of natural teeth.

I’d have to be confident that your dentist was an expert in the cosmetic field. He would need significant post-graduate training in porcelain veneers with a great eye for artistry. Ask him how many tetracycline cases he has done and ask to see the results.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

My dentist says I can’t whiten my teeth

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I got porcelain veneers on six of my teeth, but you can see my other teeth do not quite match them. I wanted to whiten them to make the veneers and the teeth match, but he said you can’t whiten with veneers. What can I do?

Andrea M. – Franklin, TN

Andrea,

I want to make sure you understood your dentist correctly.  He is right you cannot whiten veneers, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot whiten your other teeth.  If he is telling you otherwise, then he doesn’t understand teeth whitening.

I will say I don’t think he understands porcelain veneers either. If you can see your other teeth, then he should have either had you whiten them to match your new veneers before they were placed, or he should have suggested you have at least eight veneers.

I suspect your dentist is just your average family dentist, and he doesn’t understand cosmetic dentistry. However, that being said, I would do take-home whitening until they are the color you are comfortable with.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Free Dental Exam

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You never know when you go to a new dentist, whether you’re going to like him or her. Will you mesh with the staff? Do they perform the kinds of treatments you’re interested in?  Will you be comfortable with their personality and chairside manner?

There are few things worse than paying all the new patient fees to discover this isn’t the dentist for you. To avoid that, Dr. Perry offers a completely free dental exam to all new patients.

To learn more, you may click here to visit our free dental exam page.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.