Baton Rouge Dentist

Does my son’s broken tooth need an emergency dentist?

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My son slid into third base and was hit by the ball last night. The force of the ball broke one of his upper front teeth and cracked the other. We took him to the dentist today, but he indicated he could not make an appointment to fix the problems for several months. I want it fixed now and am wondering if we should see an emergency dentist. Is this necessary, or would it be best to wait for the tooth to lose its sensitivity?

Thank you,
Rachel

Rachel,

Your son should be seen by an emergency dentist as soon as possible. Waiting will do you/him no good. If you have have piece that broke off, that will be even better. If you can find an emergency dentist who is also an expert cosmetic dentist, that would be the best case scenario. You don’t want too much time to pass, but you also need to be sure you find someone who has the experience to remedy this issue. You see, you want the broken tooth to look good and natural, and match the other front tooth. However, if you no longer have the broken piece of the tooth, direct dental bonding would be the next best method, depending on where the damage is on the other tooth.

This post is brought to you by Baton Rouge emergency dentist, Dr. Ryan Perry.

Can I Get George Lucas to Pay My Dental Bill?

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My son and I were having a light saber fight. He’s become somewhat of a Star Wars addict lately. Normally, I survive these intergalactic battles, but this time a ring around the base of the lightsaber flew off and hit me in the mouth. I thought I was fine at first, and told my son so. He feels terribly guilty for hitting me. But, the next day my tooth felt loose. I keep messing with it and feel pretty sure it’s loose. As it’s an adult tooth I’m guessing I have to replace it. I’m sure that’s going to be expensive. Too bad I can’t get George Lucas to foot the bill.

Miranda P. – California

Miranda,

Yes, it would be great if George Lucas offered some financial assistance here! But, that’s as likely as a Jedi repairing your tooth. That doesn’t mean your tooth has to go the way of the Jedi in Episode III. It’s possible it can be saved. However, for that to have any chance at all you’ll want to stop messing with it. Your tooth has ligaments that attach it. When they’re stretched too much or too often, they can snap.

I’d get in to see your dentist as soon as possible so he or she can stabilize your tooth and do an exam to see how much damage was done. IF you don’t have a dentist you can see right away, you’ll need to call an emergency dentist. They can bond it to the adjacent teeth, splint it, or use a similar method to stabilize it. If it’s protected and kept in its place, those ligaments may heal on their own and the tooth will recover. However, the pulp of the tooth may also be damaged. If this is the case, it may need a root canal treatment after the ligaments heal. Teeth with root canals often need crowns to protect them.

If that’s the case, you’ll want to make sure your dentist is fairly skilled at cosmetic work as well, because from what you’ve described it’s a front tooth which was damaged.

There is a chance the tooth can’t be saved. If that happens you’re definitely right that you’ll want to replace the tooth. Two of your best options are a dental implant or a dental bridge. Dr. Ryan has a good page explaining both and when to choose which one. You can click here to read the dental implant versus dental bridge options.

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

Why Won’t My Gray Tooth Whiten?

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I have a tooth that turned gray. It’s been so frustrating, because I just can’t get it to whiten. I’ve been using whitestrips. Every other tooth whitens except that one. Why can’t I get it to whiten?

Sam W. – Kansas

Sam,

It sounds like that tooth has suffered some trauma. Nothing will whiten it. Not white strips. Not even professional teeth whitening.  Your stain has occurred from the inside out. The bruise on the inside of the tooth is what gives the tooth its gray appearance. Teeth whitening only works on stains that occur from the outside in.

What you’ll need is to see a dentist and have him or her do a root canal treatment on your tooth. If you’re already happy with the color of the remainder of your teeth, then you can get the crown to match the rest of your teeth.

IF you’re not happy yet, get professional teeth whitening done, so it can go quickly and then get the crown.

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