Archives for April 2021

Thumb Sucking

Posted on April 29, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve sucked my thumb my entire childhood and now that I’m an adult, I’m embarrassed by how much my teeth stick out. Is there something I can do as an adult to fix this?

Emily

Dear Emily,

It is normal for children to suck their thumbs and up until the age of around seven there is no permanent harm. It is when the habit continues after that where you end up needing some intervention to get the teeth back in the correct position.

I am surprised your pediatric dentist never addressed this. Though, it may be that your parents did not have you under the care of a dentist in your childhood.

I would start by speaking to a dentist who offers Invisalign. This will allow you to straighten your teeth without anyone knowing. There is no metal involved in the procedure at all. Instead, it uses clear aligners in order to guide your teeth back into their healthy, natural position.

Invisalign has another side benefit in that the aligners are able to double as teeth whitening trays. This gives you a mini smile makeover, enabling you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time, at a fraction of the cost.

For the benefit of those parents reading this. If you have a thumbsucker, often if you do not make a big deal out of this it will resolve itself. This often happens around school age when they don’t want to appear like a “baby” in front of their friends.

If your child is having trouble kicking the habit, there is a product, called Thum that allows you to place a non-toxic, bitter-tasting liquid on their thumbs, which is usually enough to help them kick the habit if that is what they want.

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

Did Crest Whitestrips Cause her to Need a Root Canal Treatment?

Posted on April 21, 2021 by writeradmin.

My left incisor was pushed back in my mouth quite a few years ago thanks to an accident. An oral surgeon put it back in place but it has always been discolored and had a slightly receded gum. Recently, I’d asked my dentist about getting some teeth whitening done and he suggested Crest Whitestrips. I tried them. After about a week, the darkened tooth started to ache. I stopped using them a week ago, the but tooth still hurts. In addition, it is sensitive to both hot and cold. It is not pressure-sensitive. I went in to see my dentist and he thinks the tooth now needs a root canal treatment. Do you think he’s right? Did the Whitestrips cause this?

Carly

Dear Carly,

First, you should know that teeth whitening was not the right solution for you. The graying of this tooth was due to the injury and not from staining. Right off the bat, I feel like your dentist has a fundamental gap in some very basic cosmetic dentistry procedures. In reality, had you stuck with the teeth whitening, this would have made the graying tooth look worse because the rest of the teeth would have whitened but not this one.

Your situation is interesting. Under normal circumstances, I would not have considered someone at risk using Crest Whitestrips. The whitening gel is simply too weak. However, there are a few things that make me think your situation was different. First, the tooth was traumatized and you mention the gum had receded. This exposes some things that would not otherwise had been exposed, which makes the tooth more vulnerable.

Combine that with your symptoms and I would say, yes, you do need a root canal treatment. The sensitivity to cold indicated the tooth is irritated. You knew that. The sensitivity to heat indicates it will not heal on its own. I would get the root canal treatment.

To fix the color on the tooth will require some more advanced cosmetic dentistry. I do not feel your dentist is qualified. You will want to go somewhere else and get a consultation on this. Be certain to check out their smile gallery, though, to make sure they do beautiful cosmetic work.

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

Do I Have the Right to a Refund on this Denture?

Posted on April 12, 2021 by writeradmin.

I am moving to a new state and needed to replace my denture for my snap-on. I have four mini implants that they snap onto. I asked my dentist how long it would take to make a new set of dentures and he told me three weeks. I was leaving in ten and thought that would be plenty of time. Eight and a half weeks later they FINALLY came in. When they did, they did not fit properly. The dentures had to be forced onto the implants. My mouth ached so much. I thought it was just from the rough nature of the procedure. Yet, two days later even eating bread is absolutely excruciating. There is absolutely no time to get these re-done. Is there a way I am entitled to a refund so I can get these fixed in my new state?

Elijah

Dear Elijah,

traditional implant next o a mini implant

Side by side full sized dental implant next to a mini dental implant

You are absolutely entitled to a refund in this situation. You had a legal agreement with this dentist about when your dentures would be ready and he did not hold his end of the bargain. More than that, he missed it not by a little, but by almost triple the time he promised. Then, they didn’t even fit properly.

I would start by simply asking him for a refund explaining there is no time to get this corrected. However, some dentists are less cooperative than others when it comes time to give back the money. If that happens to you, there is some leverage you can use to pressure him.

First, tell him that you will leave a negative review explaining what happened to you. Research from Infinity Dental Web shows that between 60% – 65% of prospective new patients check online reviews before making their final decision. It will affect his business. If that doesn’t work, the next step is to tell him you will go to the dental board. That should sober him up.

I am sorry this happened to you and want to make sure when you get to your next state, you look for a dentist experienced and well trained in dental implants. This will give you the greatest chance of having a good outcome the second time around.

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