Archives for October 2018

Dentist Says I’m Paranoid

Posted on October 26, 2018 by writeradmin.

I am addicted to reading medical articles. So many of them talk about the dangers of metal and mercury in dental work. I spoke to my dentist and he blew me off. He also said I’m reading the wrong articles and quoted the ADA saying it was all perfectly safe. I don’t want to be a paranoid patient, but I don’t want to naively put myself in danger. Do you have a recommendation?

Lucinda

Dear Lucinda,

I don’t like it when doctors make patients feel foolish. It’s not fair to them and more often than not has the effect of making them afraid to ask questions about their health. I know someone who had cancer. Anything suspicious after that she’d run to her doctor. Once she apologized saying, “I feel like I’m paranoid.” Her understanding doctor said, “In your situation, it’s the paranoid ones who survive.”

There is a lot of controversy in dentistry about both the mercury in fillings and metal in dental care. Everyone has an “authoritative” opinion which sadly often contradicts the next “authoritative” opinion. That understandably leaves patients in a bit of a confused quandary.

My philosophy is without definitive proof, do what makes you feel most at peace. If you’re worried about mercury in fillings, get mercury-free fillings. If you’re worried about metal in your dental work, get metal-free dental work. If your dentist balks at that, get a different dentist; one who works for his patients and not his convenience.

Mercury and Metal-Free Dentistry

It may be just a matter of your dentist not being up-to-date on how to place composite fillings or knowing the new technology. Amalgam and composite fillings have two distinctly different bonding techniques. You don’t want to press your dentist into doing something he’s unfamiliar with. It will mean you’ll get subpar work. There are plenty of mercury-free dentists that are skilled at placing white fillings.

Procedures have upgraded too. Now you can not only get all-porcelain dental crowns, but there are even metal-free dental implants. Zirconia, nicknamed ceramic steel, does a fantastic job of replacing your teeth roots. It’s just as strong as their titanium counterparts.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Do Affordable Dentists Do Full Mouth Reconstructions?

Posted on October 17, 2018 by writeradmin.

I never went to the dentist growing up. I have a couple of missing teeth, two chipped teeth, and what I assume is some decay. I decided to bite the bullet and see what I’m looking at to give me smile a decent chance. I went to see a dentist. He said the easiest thing to do is crown all the teeth I have and get bridges put in where there aren’t. He called it a full mouth reconstruction. I liked the idea, but it would cost a small fortune. Is there an affordable way to deal with this?

Carly

Dear Carly,

A woman giving a thumbs up in a dental chair

You don’t have to sacrifice quality for affordable dental care.

While this dentist may think a full-mouth reconstruction is the easiest thing, it is certainly not something I would jump into lightly. This isn’t something taught in dental school and it requires a serious amount of post-doctoral instruction in both reconstructive and aesthetic dentistry, requiring dental crowns being placed on every tooth. If it’s not done properly, you can completely throw off your bite, even leading to serious TMJ problems.

It’s also not something I’d price shop for. There is a huge difference between cheap and affordable dentists. An affordable dentist will work with you on options and payments. A cheap dentist will cut corners that end up costing you a fortune with infections and faulty work.

However, this dentist jumped right to what most dentists would consider a last resort. I doubt it’s the right course of treatment for you based strictly off what you mentioned above.

Before You Get a Full-Mouth Reconstruction

I’d like you to get a second opinion. I find it hard to believe all of your teeth need to be crowned. You would have been in massive pain. The first thing I’d check for is the health of your gums. If you have gum disease, that is priority number one. Leaving it untreated will cause you to lose more teeth as well as bone.

While you’re dealing with that, you can also have any teeth filled that need to be. In most cases, you’ll only need a crown after a root canal treatment or if your decay is over a 1/3 of your tooth. Decay less than that can usually just be filled. I always recommend white composite fillings over silver amalgam ones. They are mercury-free and strengthen your teeth, the amalgam fillings are the opposite in both cases.

To make this more affordable for you, have whatever dentist you settle on make a list of all the work you need, using the most conservative methods possible, starting with the most urgent. This way you can phase your treatment in more do-able installments.

It’s great that you’re trying to get your oral health in hand. Don’t let this one dentist who jumps to the most expensive solution right away discourage you. Get that second opinion. Some dentists even do free second opinions.

Replacing Missing Teeth

You mentioned some missing teeth, which I’m sure you’ll want to replace eventually. The ideal tooth replacements are dental implants. However, if the adjacent teeth need crowns, then a dental bridge would make more sense. Your dentist can go over all the options with you as well as his recommendations for your particular situation.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Dental Care During Cancer Treatment

Posted on October 8, 2018 by writeradmin.

I’m in the middle of chemotherapy. Everything in my body hurts. I know I’m supposed to make sure I go to the dentist during treatment because they say the treatment is bad for my teeth, but the idea is terrifying. I’m already hurting so much. Is there anything which could make this easier?

Marilyn

Dear Marilyn,

A dentist shouldn’t make you want to hide!

You are so brave. I know how hard it is to deal with cancer treatments. The fact that you’re even trying to find a way to care for your teeth is incredible. It’s worth the effort, though. Your doctors are correct. The treatment you’re undergoing will wreak havoc on your oral health. You may even develop sores in your mouth which will make your treatment even more challenging.

For people in your situation, I always recommend finding a dentist who will cater to your situation. You’ll ideally want to have some form of dental sedation. At the beginning of your treatment, nitrous oxide and a gentle dentist will be enough. As treatment progresses, you may need a full-fledged sedation dentist.

Finding a Dentist Who Will Give Gentle Care

The first thing I’d do is an internet search using one of the following three terms:

Gentle Dentist
Sedation Dentist
Cater to Cowards Dentist

Once you’ve found a few in your area, check out their reviews on places such as Yelp! or Google Reviews to see who really lives up to what they advertise. Then, call those who are left to and let them know your situation. Make sure they offer oral conscious sedation. This will be for the times you’re in the most pain and need work. It’s a simple pill you’ll take before your appointment. Most patients will sleep through the entire procedure. The only downside is you’ll need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you until you’re lucid again.

The benefit is you can get a lot of work done without any pain whatsoever.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.