tooth replacement options Archives - Dental Care at Flint's Crossing

Can a Broken-Off Tooth Get Infected?

Posted on August 23, 2019 by writeradmin.

I had a molar break off partially several years ago. I wasn’t too worried about it because it didn’t hurt and was in the back and not visible. Last year the rest of it just fell off. Again, not worried. The root was still there, so the only thing missing was the top. Recently, it has started hurting like mad, but not consistently. Sometimes I’m fine, but other times the pain shoots through my jaw. Can a broken-off tooth get infected?

Paul

Dear Paul,

Not only can a broken off tooth become infected, yours is already infected. This is a dental emergency and you need to be seen. It will continue to spread until you deal with it. When you think about how close your jaw is to your heart and brain, you do not want the infection getting too far. Believe it or not, people still die from tooth infections.

At this point, the remainder of your tooth will have to be extracted. When you go to the dentist, even if it is just an emergency dental visit, make sure the dentist looks over your other teeth so you don’t end up in the same situation. Prevention is always the most affordable dental care.

The Progression to Needing a Tooth Extraction

At first, your molar just had a simple cavity. This requires an inexpensive filling. If it is left untreated, the decay will grow until you need a dental crown. The cost for that is between five to tens times that of a filling, depending on the dentist.

If the decay reaches the pulp, you are then looking at a root canal treatment and a crown. Your cost has now gone ten to twenty times higher. The next step is tooth extraction, where you are now.

Unfortunately, when you’re missing a tooth it will need to be replaced. If you don’t, the adjacent teeth will drift over or tip which can lead to expensive and painful TMJ problems. Two of the most common tooth replacements are a dental bridge or dental implant. Now you’re at twenty to forty times what a filling would have been.

This is why I want you to have the dentist look over your other teeth. It will save you a load of hassle and money.

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

Allergic to Her Partial Denture

Posted on July 11, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’ve been sick for a couple of years. It stated not long after I got my partial denture. Then I started getting sores in my mouth and on my tongue. My dentist couldn’t figure out what was going on. Eventually, I just had my doctor run every test possible. It turns out I’m allergic to a lot of metals. Could the metal in the partial denture be what is making me sick?

Andrea

Dear Andrea,

Metal sensitivities are serious

I’m continually perplexed and frustrated by dentists who don’t understand the seriousness of metal allergies. There should be a standard question on the medical history form about metal sensitivities. Some patients can even have trouble breathing. If you’ve got a metal allergy, then yes, that partial denture is making you sick.

We are a mercury-free practice, but have had patients come in with a mouth full of mercury fillings which they suspect are making them sick.

We are careful to do a sanitary amalgam removal process. When they come in for their next appointment we ask if they’ve felt a difference. Almost always they have had an ailment that disappeared after they get rid of the silver fillings. One particular patient had her arthritis disappear. Most just felt like they felt better overall.

There are metal-free options for you to get as a tooth replacement. You don’t have to have a removable denture either. Often you can have a zirconia bridge to replace the tooth. This is completely metal free. The only downside is you will be required to crown your adjacent teeth.

If those teeth are healthy, you might be better off with a dental implant. These are made from titanium. It’s very rare for someone to have an allergy to this particular metal. Titanium is very biocompatible and has been used for decades in both hip replacements as well as implants.

However, because you’ve already been diagnosed with some metal allergies, you might want to get checked just in case. If you are allergic, there are zirconia implants as well.

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

Baby’s Front Teeth Haven’t Erupted

Posted on June 27, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m a little worried because my daughter’s two front teeth haven’t come in yet. She’s almost ten months old. The weird thing is the teeth that would be next to them have come in, so she looks like a baby vampire. Is this okay or is something wrong?

Nervous Mama

Dear Nervous Mama,

Take a deep breath. There’s no need to grab some garlic yet. While there is a general schedule, teeth don’t always follow that schedule. It is not unheard of for the lateral incisors to erupt before their central incisors do.

Here’s a loose schedule of when teeth come in:

Lower Central Incisors – 6 to 10 months

Upper Central incisors – 8 to 12 months

Lower Lateral Incisors – 10 to 16 months

Upper Lateral Incisors – 9 to 13 months

Lower Cuspid (Canine) – 17 to 23 months

Upper Cuspid (Canine) – 16 to 22 months

Lower First Molar – 14 to 18 months

Upper First Molar – 13 to 19 months

Lower Second Molar – 23 to 31 months

Upper Second Molar – 25 to 33 months

When Should I Child First See a Pediatric Dentist?

It’s recommended you first take your child to the pediatric dentist or a general dentist who treats children when their teeth first start erupting. This is usually a simple appointment where the child is just introduced to the dentist and staff and shown what the different tools are. Its intention is to allow the child to get familiar with the dentist in a non-threatening environment. In your sweet babe’s case, they will likely do an x-ray as well just to see if the central incisors are actually there.

Sometimes, a person will have congenitally missing teeth. This is okay too and there are many solutions. Either way, your child will not go toothless throughout their life. Even if they are missing both baby and adult teeth there are fantastic tooth replacement options these days.

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

Tooth Infection with No Money

Posted on June 12, 2019 by writeradmin.

I don’t know what to do. I am sure I have a tooth infection. My cheek is so swollen and there is a pimple on my gum. My problem is I have no dental insurance and no money. I was laid off six months ago, my savings has run out, and I have no job prospects. I do have some leftover antibiotics in my house, from a time they decided to switch me to a different antibiotic. Would that work?

Livvie

Dear Livvie,

I’m very sorry for what you are going through. I am going to discourage you from using these antibiotics. Once a tooth infection has reached a certain point (and yours has) because of the anatomical structure of teeth, the antibiotic won’t even get to your tooth. Instead, the infection will continue to spread.

This is super dangerous for you because of how close your jaw is to your brain. This infection can cause a brain infection, a heart infection, or even spread to your throat and swell up so much that you can breathe or swallow.

This is a dental emergency. It does need to be dealt with. Ideally, you’d be able to get a root canal treatment and a dental crown to be able to save your tooth. If that is not possible, you’ll end up with a tooth extraction, which also requires you to find a tooth replacement.

Now that I’ve completely depressed you, I also want to give you a solution. First, you should know that most dentists went into their field because they care about people. Many will be willing to help you and let you pay it out. Some of them have in-office payment plans. However, most work through Care Credit. This is a medical credit card which has low and no-interest plans.

If You Lose Your Tooth

If the worst case scenario happens and the tooth can’t be saved there are good options these days. The ideal tooth replacement is to get a dental implant. In your current circumstances, that is impractical for you. Instead, you could look at a dental bridge.

Sometimes even that isn’t affordable. In that case, I suggest you get a removable partial denture and save up for the better replacements in the future when you have found your new job.

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

Mother’s Teeth are Just Falling Out

Posted on September 23, 2018 by iowasmiles.

I need some help. My 87-year-old mother needs an affordable solution. She’s recently had two teeth just fall out. I’m guessing her teeth are in bad shape. We need to replace the missing teeth. Are bridges a good option?

Kate

Dear Kate,

I’m sorry for what your mother is going through. If her teeth are just falling out, it means she has very advanced gum disease. This needs to be dealt with right away or she’ll loose all of her teeth. Sadly, a dental bridge will not be a good solution for her. With her advanced gum disease, the remaining teeth are not strong enough.

My suggestion is you get her gums treated in order to save as many teeth as possible. I hope you can at least save some. The ideal solution for missing teeth is to replace them with dental implants. But, you asked for affordable dental solutions. A full set of dental implants can cost between 20-40 thousand dollars.

Your mother will need dentures for her missing teeth. Hopefully, you can get her some like the one pictured above which leaves space for some remaining teeth.

Why I Don’t Normally Recommend “Affordable” Dentures

In your mother’s case, because of her advanced age, dentures are a good solution. But, for a younger patient, it’s disastrous.

Your body begins resorbing the jawbone after your teeth are removed. After ten+ years, there’s not enough jawbone left to even support dentures. You’ll spend the remainder of your days on a liquid diet of sorts, unless you get bone grafting done. Then, of course, you’ll also have to get the dentures re-done to fit. You’ll be good to go for about another ten years, then you’re right back to square one.

This is one of those cases where affordable isn’t in a patient’s best interest. Your mother being an exception.

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

Is a Gum Pimple a Dental Emergency?

Posted on September 9, 2018 by iowasmiles.

I have had a tooth which has been in pain. I’ve kind of ignored it because I’m a bit low on funds. The pain stopped for a bit so I thought I was in the clear. This morning, though, the pain started up again with a vengeance and now there’s a pimple on my gums. My husband said this is a dental emergency. I think he’s overblowing things. Can’t I just take some pain medicine and try to ride it out?

Simone

Dear Simone,

A pimple on the gum means you have an abcessed tooth

You’ll want to mark this down because from what I’ve heard husbands aren’t often right, but this time yours is. I’m sure he’ll celebrate later. It’s lucky for you he was too. A pimple on your gums means you have an abscessed tooth— an infection.

Without treatment, this will spread and could settle in your organs. Then, you’d not only have a dental emergency but a medical one as well. Think about how close your jaw is to your heart and brain. Things like this can quickly turn life-threatening. Believe it or not, people still die from tooth infections.

Your dentist needs to get in there and physically remove the infected pulp. This requires a root canal treatment, but it can save your tooth as well as your health.

Your dentist likely has an emergency protocol for situations like yours. Call his office and let him know what’s going on.

Affording an Emergency Dentist

I know you were worried about money. In future, you should know there are affordable dentists out there who will work with you financially. They’d rather have you get the treatment you need and pay things out than to ignore necessary treatment and face what you’re facing now.

Truthfully, getting regular dental care saves you money. It’s much more affordable to get regular cleanings than it is to avoid them and end up needing an expensive dental crown because of decay. Even worse, would be to wait so long that the tooth needs to be extracted and replaced. that would cost you thousands of dollars.

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

Antibiotics Instead of Emergency Dentist? Dangerous Idea

Posted on May 15, 2018 by iowasmiles.

I don’t like dentists, which is probably why I have a tooth infection to begin with. The infection got so bad I was swollen all the way up to my eye. I went to my doctor. He gave me antibiotics. At first they worked. Everything stopped hurting and the swelling went down. Now, however, the swelling has started back and the pain has returned. Do I need a different antibiotic?

Tony

Dear Tony,

It sounds to me as if your doctor either doesn’t understand dental infections or is a poor communicator. What he doesn’t seem to understand is that antibiotics do not work with tooth infections. The reason is once an infection gets to the tooth the pulp dies which means no blood flow, therefore the antibiotic can’t even reach the root cause of the infection.

In cases like yours where the infection is spreading, antibiotics are used to stave off the infection. It doesn’t stop it. Your dentist has to get in there and physically remove the infected tissue. This is called a root canal treatment. Otherwise, what will happen is you’ll start to feel better as the antibiotic helps with the infection it can reach. Then, the still infected pulp starts to spread again.

Think about how close your eyes are to your brain. If your infection reaches your brain it will become life-threatening fast. 2017 had several people die from tooth infections, including a father of three young children. It always breaks my heart to hear these stories because this day and age it is totally preventable.

Dealing with Dental Emergencies

What you have would be considered a dental emergency because of the risk of dying from a tooth infection. Plus, you’re likely in pain and dentists will want to get you out of pain as quickly as possible. I’m assuming you went to your doctor because you don’t have a dentist. That’s okay, but your doctor will not be able to remove the infection. There are emergency dentists who will see you right away, even if you’re not a patient.

Contact them and let them know what’s going on. As I said above, they’ll do a root canal treatment and provide you a prescription for pain relief. Each dentist is a little different as to what they prescribe. If your emergency dentist prescribes you a narcotic, be careful. They’re quite addictive. You don’t actually have to take them as often as the pill bottle will say. Only take them as necessary and make it a goal to get off of them as quickly as possible. I recently had a dear friend become addicted to them. It nearly destroyed his family.

Who knows, you may find the dentist you see to be so good at his or her job you find a regular dentist for yourself. Best of luck to you and please don’t put this off. Not only do you risk the infection spreading but you may be too late to save your tooth at all. Then you’re stuck with expensive tooth replacement options.

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

Dentist Insisting on a Procedure I Can’t Afford

Posted on January 24, 2018 by iowasmiles.

What do I do if my dentist is insisting on a procedure I can’t afford. I have lost two teeth. I was hoping to do a dental bridge, especially because one of the teeth adjacent to the lost teeth is cracked and needs a crown anyway. But, my dentist said it’s more important I get dental implants on the missing teeth. I’m not sure I can afford that. What do I do if I can’t afford the procedure I need?

Louis

Louis,

Cheap Dentistry isn’t Affordable Dentistry

Wouldn’t it be great if money really did hatch out of an egg like the picture above? I have to tell you I think your dentist is being remarkably unfair. If I can’t afford a mansion, does that mean I should be homeless? Of course not! Maybe I can’t afford a mansion, but I can live in a gorgeous ranch house. That’s better than being on the street. Dental work can be the same way.

Sure, dental implants are the mansions of tooth replacements. But rather than have no teeth you could have that dental bridge you mentioned. Actually, in your case, it would make sense because you mentioned one of the adjacent teeth needs to be crowned anyway.

What If Your Dentist Insists on a Procedure?

If your dentist is unwilling to give you a bridge instead of implants, there are plenty of dentists out there who will work with you. You wouldn’t necessarily need to look for someone who advertises as an affordable dentist, but they’d certainly be willing to work with you. Honestly, I think more dentist would be willing to work with you than wouldn’t.

You should never feel pressured into a procedure you can’t afford. There are almost always alternatives. Your dentist is actually ethically obligated to give you all your options. If he’s not, he’s not doing his job. Also, there are sometimes temporary solutions for times when you can’t afford even the lowest tier of treatment. For instance, sometimes a patient can’t even afford a removable partial denture but they can afford a dental flipper.

Those are only meant to be temporary, so they can have something while they save up. Though, often, Dr. Bolt is willing to allow patients to get the permanent solution and pay it out gradually. This way they’re not having to pay for two treatments.

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

Affordable Dentist Disaster

Posted on November 21, 2017 by iowasmiles.

I’m at a loss at how to rectify a situation I got myself into by trying to save money. I had a toothache. Normally, I’d go to my dentist but he’s kind of high end and I was low on funds. I thought just this once I’d save some cash and go to an affordable dentist who treats dental emergencies. I will never do this again. Now I have to explain to my good dentist why I am now missing a tooth. When I went in, he said I needed a root canal treatment. He spent well over two hours doing it. I was in pretty bad pain because my jaw was open the whole time and he’d jerk my head back and forth as he muttered under his breath. As if that unpleasantness wasn’t enough, there was a giant cracking sound. The dentist cursed and then left the room. Another employee came in and told me my tooth broke and would need to be extracted. At that point, I was just trying to get everything over with so I agreed to the extraction. Now I’m without a tooth. As if to add salt to the would, I received the bill today and he charged me for both the root canal and the extraction. This “affordable” appointment has cost me a lot more than money. What do I do?

Ceanne W.

Dear Ceanne,

As you’ve unfortunately discovered, there is a big difference between affordable dentistry and cheap dentistry. This appointment would likely have been less expensive, both in terms of finances and teeth, had you gone to your regular dentist. Of course, you know that now and are in need of where to go from here.

The first thing I’d do is contest the bill. At the very least it was bad form for him to bill you for both procedures. We’ll never know if the need for the extraction was his fault or not, but most dentists would just charge for either the root canal treatment or the extraction, regardless.

The next thing is to discuss with your actual dentist your tooth replacement options. Ideally, you’d want a dental implant. These are the best replacements and will feel and function like having a permanent, healthy tooth in place.

I’m sure given the circumstances your dentist would work with you on payment options. If he doesn’t do in-house payment plans, ask about Care Credit. It’s a medical “credit card” that allows you to set your terms of repayment.

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