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Archives for November 2019

Will this Tooth Infection Spread to my Brain?

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I went to the dentist because I suspected I had a tooth infection. It turned out I was right. What worries me is the dentist doesn’t seem that worried about it. He scheduled me to come back in several weeks. While he did prescribe an antibiotic, he told me not to start taking it until the week before the procedure. I’ve been told that a tooth infection can spread to your brain. Should I be worried about that in this case? It seems like a long time to wait.

Percy

Dear Percy,

A man holding his jaw in pain probably in need of an emergency dentist

You are correct that a tooth infection could grow and spread to the brain. It can also spread down the lower jaw and interfere with breathing or reach your heart. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean your dentist is putting your life in danger.

There are some tooth infections which are so small, they don’t pose a threat to you at the moment. If it were to start spreading, you’d feel increased pain and the area would swell. At that point, it would be considered a dental emergency. The smart thing to do then would be to call your dentist tell him what is going on. You would start taking the antibiotic right away at that point.

Bear in mind, an antibiotic isn’t enough when it comes to a dental infection. The dentist has to physically remove the infected pulp. This is done with a root canal treatment. Then, your dentist will protect the tooth with a dental crown.

A dental crown can be made to match any tooth color. If you’re happy with the current color of your teeth, do nothing. If, however, you’d rather have a whiter smile, the time to whiten your teeth would be before getting your porcelain crown. Once the crown is made, the color is permanent and will not whiten after it is bonded.

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

What is a Pulpotomy?

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Our pediatric dentist said my son needs a pulpotomy because his tooth is infected. What is it and why can’t we just take out the tooth if it is a baby tooth anyway?

Mark

Dear Mark,

Boy smiling holding toothbrush

Essentially, a pulpotomy is the child’s version of a root canal treatment. When your son gets his treatment, your pediatric dentist will remove most of the pulp in his tooth. This should be done down to the roots. Then, the tissue inside is daubed with a disinfectant, sealed, then protected with a dental crown. Most children get a stainless steel crown.

You asked an important question as to why you’d need to preserve a baby tooth. In most cases, you don’t. The big exception is when it is a molar. These need to stay in your son’s mouth until he is around twelve years of age. If they come out prematurely, the remaining teeth will shift which leads to crowding as the adult teeth come in. This will cost you a fortune in orthodontics.

There is an alternative if you don’t want to save the tooth. You could have it extracted, but then you would need to place a space maintainer to keep the spot reserved.

Whatever you decide, it will likely make things more comfortable for your son if your dentist uses something like nitrous oxide to put him at ease during the procedure.

What you don’t want to do is put this off and allow this to turn into a dental emergency. Even in the 21st century, people still die from tooth infections. It is much better to get this taken care of as soon as possible.

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