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Archives for September 2014

Can’t afford pediatric dentist

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There are only two pediatric dentists in my city and I can’t afford either of them.  Is it wrong to take your child to a regular dentist? Will they even see children? I’m having trouble getting my son to brush their teeth and I just want to check if he has any cavities. I don’t have a dentist myself, so I wasn’t sure who to ask.

Dena J. – Ft. Worth, TX

Dena,

There are a lot of general dentists who are happy and qualified to treat children. It isn’t essential to see a pediatric dentist, unless some unusual issue arises.

You didn’t mention how old your child was, but one of the things to ask is at what age they want to first see a child for their initial appointment. If they say two or three years old, then  they truly enjoy saying children. If they prefer to wait until they’re eight years old or so, I’d look elsewhere.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Raymond Bolt.

Lost a tooth

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I’ve had some serious gum disease. My teeth have been coming loose. Today, though I got hit in the mouth and one of them came out. What do I do?

Alan H. – Iowa

Alan,

Generally, when a tooth gets knocked out there is a good chance it can be saved if you get to the dentist’s office within 30 minutes.  If you can’t reach your dentist, call an emergency dentist, because this has to be handled very quickly.  You’ll want to be sure you hold the tooth from the crown and not the root. You’ll also want to keep it moist. You can either wrap it in a wet paper towel or place it in a glass of milk.

However, your gum disease is an additional problem, especially if your teeth are still coming loose. Even if your tooth is restored, it will just fall out again.

Either way, I would get to your dentist and see what he thinks. The priority may be to deal with your gum disease. You don’t want to loose more teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Raymond Bolt.