September 2017 - Dental Care at Flint's Crossing

I’d never been to the dentist until recently. I’m 27. My parents never took us. They weren’t selfish or neglectful parents. We were very poor and it truly was a choice between the dentist or food. I’ve gotten a job which has dental insurance. I was very excited for my first dental appointment. I had reasonable expectations and knew I’d need a lot of work. I did. I have chipped teeth, several cavities, and need something called crowns. Plus, one tooth that we may not be able to keep. When I finished my first appointment, he recommended I have a full mouth reconstruction. I liked the idea. It will be great to have a beautiful smile for the first time since I can remember. But, the cost was beyond my ability to pay even with insurance. So, I wondered if there were dentists who did cheaper full mouth reconstructions. Any help you can provide will be appreciated.

Deanna T.

Dear Deanna,

I’m excited for you in your first experiences with dentistry. And, while there are many procedures in which it would be absolutely fine to find the most affordable dentist around, a full mouth reconstruction is not one of them.

It is such an advanced procedure that not many dentists are qualified to do it. If you just base it on cost, you’ll likely end up with a disaster which can even lead to serious health problems.

But, don’t get discouraged. Based on what the dentist told you was wrong with your teeth, I don’t necessarily think a full mouth reconstruction is even what you need. You can still get the beautiful smile you want, but without the high cost and risk of a complete reconstruction.

You mentioned needing dental crowns, but seemed not to understand what they are. What concerns me about that is the dentist you went to is recommending one of the most expensive and advanced procedures around, but hasn’t taken the time to explain what even the basic procedures mean.

A crown is a porcelain prosthetic, shaped like a tooth, which fits over your natural tooth. Your natural tooth will have to be shaved down so the crown can fit over it. They’re often used when the cavity on your tooth is too large for a filling to properly protect it.

What I’d like you to do is get a second opinion by another dentist. It may be you can get significantly less work done and still have a gorgeous, healthy smile. If you’re looking to beautify your smile along with repairing any decay, I’d like to recommend you get your teeth whitened BEFORE you have any crowns made, especially on teeth visible when you smile.

Teeth whitening only works on natural tooth structure, so once the crown is completed the color cannot be changed. You’ll want the dentist to match the crown to your whiter color.

After you’ve taken care of any decay and other degenerative issues, if you still aren’t happy with the appearance of your teeth, you can get porcelain veneers. They can completely change the appearance of your teeth. But you’ll have to have healthy teeth first.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Raymond Bolt.

My mother-in-law says she only goes to mercury-free dentists. I noticed my dentist’s website doesn’t say he’s mercury-free. Does that mean I’m getting mercury in my treatment? I don’t want to seem difficult by calling the office and asking, but I’m not too keen about the idea of there being mercury in my dental work.

Barbara O.

Dear Barbara,

Mercury-Free Fillings

When you’re talking about mercury in your dental work, the main culprit is amalgam fillings. While they’re commonly called silver fillings, that’s more a marketing tactic. In reality, they’re mostly made up of mercury. While the American Dental Association (ADA) insists tests have proved mercury to be completely safe in fillings, many patients feel these tests haven’t been done under real world conditions and prefer to avoid amalgam fillings.

Some dentists advertise as mercury-free dentists so potential patients know they will only get composite fillings there. Composite fillings are commonly called white fillings and have zero mercury in them. Patients know they won’t have to worry about the old amalgam fillings if they go to a mercury-free dentist.

Just because your dentist doesn’t advertise as a mercury-free dentist doesn’t necessarily mean he’s giving you fillings that contain it. As long as you’re getting white fillings, you don’t have to worry about any mercury content. It’s the silver fillings that have them.

If you have silver fillings and you’re worried about the mercury content, you could asked to have them removed and replaced. However, make sure whoever you have remove them knows how to do a sanitary amalgam removal. Without that, you’re likely to inhale some mercury vapors.

If your dentist doesn’t have a stopper dam and other equipment for a sanitary removal, you can simply go to a mercury-free dentist. They’ll know the proper procedure.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Raymond Bolt.

Is There a Way to Get an Affordable Full Mouth Reconstruction?

If a Dentist Doesn’t Say Mercury Free Does That Mean I Will Get Mercury?

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