I was told by a friend who had a bridge placed that you have to make sure a clot forms before putting a dental bridge on and they do that by putting pressure on it. My dentist didn’t seem to do that. Will that be a problem? This was for an upper molar.

Lara

Dear Lara,

There are several reasons why your dentist might not need to put pressure on the extraction site. One could be that it just stopped bleeding. That can sometimes happen quite quickly. If so, the pressure isn’t necessary.

There are also other methods some dentists use aside from the old tried and true pressure method. One is electrocautery. Another possibility is placing gelfoam.

Your dental bridge could have added a little pressure itself. Either way, it obviously worked out or you’d be bleeding right now. I’m guessing that is not the case or you’d have mentioned it. If you are still bleeding, I would schedule an emergency dental appointment with him so he could check things out.

One thing I do think is important is that you feel comfortable asking your dentist anything. If you were worried about the clotting it would be perfectly acceptable for you to question him about it.

I love answering dental questions, but have noticed sometimes people write because their dentist doesn’t like to be questioned. Instead, they want unquestioned acquiescence. I don’t think that is good practice for either the patients or the dentist.

Patients have a right to understand everything going on with their care, along with all their options. Dentists need to remember they are human and can forget something or make mistakes. Having someone hold you accountable is rarely a bad thing.

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