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Archives for September 2019

Do Adults Need Fluoride?

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I’m a little concerned about the costs of my dental care. I have just started going back to the dentist after years of avoiding it. I have dental insurance now, but my dentist is doing procedures the insurance doesn’t cover. Two things which are making the affordability a challenge is his doing x-rays every six months. My insurance only covers it once a year. The second thing is the fluoride. He’s doing fluoride treatments on me but my insurance is saying that is only for children.

Paul

Dear Paul,

family: Mom, day, daughter, and son with the children on the parent's backs. All smiling

Pediatric and adult teeth need different types of care.

Let’s start with the x-rays. Typically, patients are given bitewing x-rays once a year and panoramic x-rays once every five years. While these are the standard recommendations, there are exceptions.

One exception would be if you are monitoring decay or other dental problems that have cropped up. Some patients are more susceptible to decay than others. It is not always a hygiene or lifestyle issue. Sometimes they’ve just been handed bad dental genetics.

That being said, some dentists just require x-rays at every appointment. If it is a financial hardship for you, I recommend speaking to the dentist about that. A compassionate dentist will want to provide quality care their patients can afford. If they refuse to work with you on the issue, then it is time to switch practices.

Fluoride: Adults versus Children

Fluoride is usually a pediatric dental treatment. It’s not given to adults because once the teeth are fully formed, the benefits to the enamel are not that useful.

Another reason it is not generally given to adults is because they often have porcelain work in their mouths, such as dental crowns. Most dental offices use acidulated fluoride which will etch the porcelain crowns and cause them to pick up stains.

There are exceptions as with anything else. If an adult is undergoing a treatment which can damage their teeth, such as radiation or chemotherapy, fluoride will help prevent decay.

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

Antibiotics & Tooth Infection

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I have what I think is an infection in my tooth. I can see a red line on the gum with a pimply thing. My mouth hurts like crazy. I called a local dentist. He called me in an antibiotic but said he wants to see me in two days. Why do I have to go in if I have the antibiotics? I don’t have a lot of money.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

illustration of an infected tooth

A pimple on the gum means you have an abcessed tooth

When there is a pimple on your gums, it means you have a tooth infection. These are different than a typical bodily infection. While antibiotics can work on your typical bacterial infection, tooth infections are different. During the infection, the pulp of the tooth will die, which means there will no longer be blood flow.

Without blood flow, there is no way for the antibiotic to get to the infected pulp. Because of that, a dentist has to physically go in and remove the infected tissue. This is done with a root canal treatment.

The dentist you called ordered an antibiotic in order to hold your infection from spreading too far before he could see you to do the root canal.

There are Affordable Dentists Out There

This is not something you should put off getting treated. An abscessed tooth is considered a dental emergency. If you put it off it can turn into a life-threatening emergency.

Think about how close your jaw into your heart and brain. If the infection spreads there things can go downhill quickly. People still die from tooth infections.

If you’re short on funds and can’t afford the dentist, you should be aware most dentists went into their profession because they wanted to help people. In cases of emergency like yours, many of them are willing to do the work you need and let you pay out the cost.

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