Baton Rouge Dentist

Need wisdom teeth removed but I don’t have dental insurance

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In January, a corner of my bottom right wisdom tooth broke. It eventually fell off, and gradually, little bits of the tooth are falling off. About two months ago, the wisdom tooth started to hurt, and I knew it was trouble. The pain was so bad that I made an emergency appointment with a nearby dentist. She gave me an injection to numb the pain and said that I need an x-ray and probably need a referral to an oral surgeon to remove all my wisdom teeth. I’m nervous about my wisdom teeth now, but I cannot afford oral surgery. Not much is left of the tooth, and it looks like the pulp is dissolving. I don’t have dental insurance. I will start a new job in January, and I hope to make it until then. But the job doesn’t offer dental insurance. Will the broken wisdom tooth eventually fall out? Konnor from Albany, GA

 

Konnor,

A decayed and broken wisdom tooth will continue to decay and fall out. But you’re at risk of a tooth infection that can spread to your jawbone and create a pus-filled abscess. The dentist you saw for the emergency appointment was right. It’s best for an oral surgeon or a dentist skilled in extractions to remove the tooth.

We are not sure what you mean about the tooth pulp dissolving. But if the pulp was exposed and infected, it’s dead. And if the pulp is dead, the tissue and nerves inside it are dead too, and you should not feel any sensitivity or pain in your tooth.

No Insurance and a Broken Wisdom Tooth?

Man frowning and holding the side of his face; for Baton Rouge emergency dentistry from Dr. Ryan Perry.
Don’t ignore tooth pain or swelling. Schedule an emergency dental appointment.

If you don’t have dental insurance and your wisdom tooth is badly broken, your next step depends on whether you feel any pain or sensitivity. Keep in mind that these suggestions apply to wisdom teeth only. They do not apply to other teeth, including first or second molars.

  • Pain, sensitivity, or swelling – When you feel pain or sensitivity in a tooth or see swelling, it is a dental emergency that you need to take care of right away. A lingering infection will get worse, spread into your jawbone, affect other teeth, and eventually get into your bloodstream. Even if you don’t have dental insurance, you can find a dentist or oral surgeon who offers payment plans. Your oral health isn’t worth the delay.
  • No pain, sensitivity, or swelling – Eventually, your tooth will decay on its own and fall out. But if you can see a dentist for extraction before it falls out, please do so. If you begin to feel pain or have swelling, see a dentist right away. Don’t mask the problem with over-the-counter pain relievers. And please don’t let anxiety keep you from getting the tooth removed. Most dentists offer some form of sedation to help you relax.

Another option

The ideal solution is for you to get the tooth removed. If you live in an area where there is a dental clinic or a dental school, they might be willing to remove your tooth at a reduced rate or no cost at all. You can call a few local family dentists’ offices to ask if they know about a clinic in your area.

 

Best wishes.

Ryan Perry, DDS, a family dentist in Baton Rouge, LA, sponsors this post.

 

Emergency Dentist Said the Wrong Tooth Needed to be Fixed

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I have some pretty severe tooth pain in one of my teeth. I know exactly which tooth hurts. I went to an emergency dentist because I don’t have a dentist of my own. He told me that it’s a tooth next to the one I showed him which has the problem. I can tell exactly which tooth hurts. Could he be just trying to get me to fix an extra tooth to get more money?  I didn’t let him move forward because I wanted to make sure he wasn’t cheating me first, but I’m still hurting. Now I feel like the appointment was wasted.

Bobby R. – Denver

Bobby,

I don’t even know which dentist you went to, but I can tell you with almost complete certainty that the emergency dentist isn’t trying to trick you. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the phrase “referred pain”, but that’s likely what you’re experiencing. That’s when you feel pain in one part of your body, but it’s actually coming from a different part of your body.

It sounds like the dentist wanted to work on the source of the pain and not just the tooth you thought was hurting. I know this is a new dentist for you, so you hadn’t built up trust, but in the long run he was trying to not only do the right thing for you, but his actions would save you money.

He could have appeased you and just worked on the tooth that hurt you and said you also had another tooth that needs help, charging you double. He didn’t.

However, if you’re still not sure and want a second opinion, I’m going to make a suggestion that you don’t tell the second dentist who you went to and what their diagnosis was. Just tell him you have a toothache, tell him where, and leave him to make his diagnosis. If he comes to the same conclusion as the other dentist, you’ll know you’re on the right track.

What I don’t want you to do is put off getting treatment. This is likely a tooth infection and it will spread. I’m not saying this is you, but sometimes when a patient is putting off care even while in pain, it is actually because they have dental anxiety. If that happens to be you, be aware that sedation dentistry is an option. It will give you a pain-free dental experience.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry.

Don’t want to be lectured by dentist

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I haven’t been to the dentist in years. I’m having a problem with one of my teeth now. I know that is my fault, but I don’t really want to get a lecture from the dentist. If I liked them, I’d go. I don’t. How do I avoid a preachy dentist?

Marcus G. – Little Rock, AR

Marcus,

First, because you are currently having a problem, you’ll need to see a dentist right away. My suggestion is you get to an emergency dentist. You likely have a tooth infection, which will spread to other parts of your body.

It’s hard to know what a dentist’s chairside manner will be like without visiting with them, but one thing I would suggest is looking for emergency dentists that specifically mention treating fearful patients.

If they mention options for fearful patients on their site, then they’re likely not going to judge or lecture you. They understand what it means to have dental anxiety.

Some, like Dr. Perry, even specifically mention on their site that you won’t be judged or lectured.  So, you might look for something to that effect as well.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry.

A dentist for chickens–not the animal?

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Is there a dentist for people who are afraid of the dentist?

Margie H. – Little Rock, AR

Margie,

You’re not alone in your fear of the dentist. A large number of Americans have some form of dental anxiety.

There are dentists who work with fearful patients. Most of them do some form of sedation dentistry, which will give you a pain free experience.

Don’t just look for a dentist who does sedation, though. You want to be sure that they enjoy working with fearful patients. They’re more compassionate. Which means you’ll not only have a pain free experience, but also a judgment and lecture free appointment.

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

 

Treatment while in recovery

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I have a problem. I need extensive work on my teeth, and I get really freaked out about going to the dentist. This wouldn’t be a problem for most people, but I am on methadone maintenance for opiate addiction. The last time I tried to get  some of this work done, the dentist refused to give me any pain medication at all after I told him about the methadone. There is just no way I can face the kind of work I need done without pain medication. We are talking about multiple root canal treatments.

What should I do? I tried to have him call the doctor at the clinic, even gave hime the phone number, but he refused. Obviously I need to go to a different dentist, but how do I avoid going through this all again?

Thank you in advance for your advice and help.

Marcy in Los Angeles

Dear Marcy,

Many dentists will not risk attracting the interest of the Drug Enforcement Administration. You’ll need to find a dentist who is more concerned with being compassionate.

You need to locate a dentist who does sedation dentistry. Talk to them honestly about what they can do to help you with pain, both during and after surgery. Your instinct to have them talk to the doctor who is in charge of your methadone care was a good one–your doctor may be your greatest support in getting a dentist on board to get you the treatment you need.

The office of Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Perry support the provision of this blog.