emergency dentist Archives - Drake & Wallace Dentistry

A Porcelain Veneer Turning Dark

Posted on February 15, 2025 by writeradmin.

I have six porcelain veneers. They’ve been fine and I like how they look. However, recently one of them has started changing. It’s getting a blue tinge. Aside from it looking bad, am I in danger of this falling off? If so, is there a way to fix it before it does? Or, if not, is there a way to make it look better?

Sandy

Dear Sandy,

These are temporary porcelain veneers that are starting to leak. Notice the bluish tinge.

I haven’t seen a picture of your porcelain veneers or examined you, but if the blue tinge is working it’s way down your porcelain veneer, then it is likely you are looking at a leaky porcelain veneer. This means the bond between your veneer and the tooth is failing and things are getting between your tooth and the veneer. Eventually, this is likely to fail.

If it does, then don’t be tempted to glue it back on. Instead, take it to your cosmetic dentist and have them do it properly. If it doesn’t fall off and becomes unsightly, then I suggest that you have it ground off and replaced. Your dentist should not have a problem doing this.

If the problem is just at the edge of the veneers, especially toward the gums, then you could either have some bonding cement trapped up there or you have open margins.

If it is the trapped cement, that is an easy fix. If it is open margins that is more serious. Not only will that one need to be fixed, but I would also have the others checked because that makes me wonder about your dentist’s skill in placing veneers. You don’t want food or other debris getting trapped there, which could lead to gum disease or decay.

Gum disease when left untreated can lead to tooth loss. Decay in that area can easily turn into a tooth infection.

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

Will I Really Need Dentures Because of Sodas?

Posted on December 26, 2024 by writeradmin.

I went to see my dentist when my gums started bleeding. He told me that if I am not careful that I am going to end up in dentures. He also asked me a bunch of questions on my daily habits. He’s blaming the state of my teeth and gums on the fact that I don’t go to the dentist unless there is an emergency and that I drink a lot of energy drinks. I sort of get the whole thing about me not going to the dentist all that much. I mean, that is his livelihood. What I don’t get is the drink thing. Would that really damage my teeth and gums?

Stan

Dear Stan,

The bleeding of your gums is a sign of periodontal (gum) disease. Without treatment for this, you will end up losing your teeth. Then, yes, you could end up needing dentures. Your first priority will be to get the periodontal disease under control.

As for the energy drinks, while those, along with other sugary drinks, can lead to tooth decay, much of that depends on how you are drinking them. There was a study done on a group of people on an island in the south seas. These people consumed very sugary drinks but hardly had any tooth decay. This is because they gulped it down and did not allow the drinks to sit long on their teeth. This is when you get into trouble.

If you are going to drink sugary drinks, don’t leave them in your mouth. Additionally, it is helpful if you brush soon afterward. However, you will want to rinse out your mouth before brushing. This way you don’t grind the sugar or the citric acid into the enamel of your teeth.

I have often found that patients who only go to the dentist when there are dental emergencies have some dental anxiety. If that is you, I would like to recommend that you see a sedation dentist. Then can provide you with a medication which will completely relax you, enabling you to get caught up on your oral health care without anxiety. This will be especially important as you move forward and get your gum disease under control.

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

Cyst or Just an Abscess?

Posted on November 25, 2024 by writeradmin.

I have a tender growth on top of a molar. It’s been there for a couple of years and I keep asking about it. My dentist said he isn’t sure if it is a cyst or just an abscess. He said he could take it out or leave it, and that a chronic abscess is not that big a deal. He sent me to a specialist and he said he could do a root canal treatment, but he can’t guarantee it isn’t a cyst. They also mentioned they could cut the gum, peel it back, and go into the bone to trim the tip of the root, removing whatever is under there if the root canal doesn’t do the job. What do you think? I just want this gone. It scares me.

Felicia

Dear Felicia,

While dentists are taught a lot about cysts in dental school, cysts are actually quite rare. While there is a chance that it could be a cyst, it is not likely.

I would go ahead and get the root canal treatment. I’m not too thrilled with the idea of your dentist leaving a chronic abscess in your mouth for so long. I’m also not crazy about him saying “just an abscess.” While this was left in place, your abscess, which is an infection, has been spilling bacteria into your body all this time. In some cases, these can spread dangerously and become a dental emergency.

The good news is that once your infection has been dealt with, you’re going to find that you suddenly feel just a little bit better overall. This is because dental infections affect your general health as well.

As for the gum procedure. I do not recommend that you do it. This is an apicoectomy. In this case, I think it is a bit of an overtreatment.

Schedule that root canal.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.
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Dental Tourism to Mexico Horror Story

Posted on September 22, 2023 by writeradmin.

I had a tooth that needed a dental crown. A friend knew I was short of funds and suggested I go to Mexico to have the treatment done. I did the math and even with the exhorbitant cost of gasoline, I would save a significant amount of money driving to Mexico for the treatment. I’d even get a day of touring, so it seemed like a win-win at the time. Unfortunately, it has not turned out that way.

I drove down there, spent one day touring and then had the dental crown placed the next day. Two days later it fell off. I called their office and they said I had to come back in. So, I schlepped myself down there again. When I got there they said it feel off because I needed a root canal treatment. That puzzled me because I’d had no pain, plus why didn’t they do that the first time. When I asked why the didn’t do the root canal originally, they said that it is not only required and it saves me money to wait and see if it is necessary. I went ahead and had the root canal treatment despite my reservations.

Within just a few days of doing the root canal treatment and replacing the crown, I started having pain in the tooth with sensitivity to hot and cold. I called their office again and they wanted me to come down for a third trip. Instead, I called around to a local dentist. I just told him I had tooth pain on a recent root canal treatment and asked his advice. He said that the tooth was fractured and needed to be extracted and replaced.

Here’s what I’m thinking. Shouldn’t the dentist in Mexico do the extraction and tooth replacement and then deduct the cost of my root canal treatment and crown from the cost as they ended up being useless?

Tina

Dear Tina,

This is another unfortunate example of the horrors of dental tourism. Your scepticism about the root canal treatment was justified. If you’d had no pain whatsoever then it is unlikely that was needed. Your dentist probably said that to deflect from the fact that he made a mistake.

Next, when he did the root canal treatment, he didn’t do it properly because you ended up in pain. In fact, the pain you are experiencing is due to now needing a root canal treatment.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure that this second dentist is going to be the best dentist for you etiher. Instead, I am going to recommend you get another opinion. Even some fractured teeth can be saved so and he did not recommend trying that. Nor, did he even mention the failed root canal treatment. That has my warning flags up.

Let’s say this tooth did need an extraction and replacement, I would not want you to use the dentist in Mexico again, even though it will be cheaper. He cannot do a simple dental crown or root canal treatment, there is no way he can do a dental implant which is significantly more advanced than anything you’ve had done before. There are serious consequences to a dentist not doing it correctly, including losing part of your jaw. This you will want done by an expert.

Just make sure you get that second opinion before moving forward on anything. That being said, you do need this infection taken care of. There are dentists who will see patients in dental emergencies, such as yours and they can at least get you out of pain while you figure out your next step.

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

Are There Things an Emergency Dentist Cannot Do?

Posted on February 28, 2023 by writeradmin.

I live in two states. One I live in eight months of the year and the other four months of the year. Normally, I only see a dentist in state one, where I spend most of my time. However, this past winter, while I was in the other state, I ended up with a dental emergency. I looked up emergency dentists and called their office. They got me in the same day and got me out of pain, then followed up a week later and finished out the treatment I needed. Overall, it was a great experience, especially considering how much pain I was in. I wondered if emergency dentists can do other things. Like, could I go to both dentists just as dentists or do emergency dentists only work on emergencies?

Andrew

Dear Andrew,

That is a great question. In reality, emergency dentists are actually just general dentists who arrange their hours so that if a patient, or even a non-established patient, has a dental emergency, they can work them in for treatment. Often, these are dentists who understand that many people have a dental phobia and end up in dental emergency situations, or who are away from home when things blow up. They want them to have options for treatment.

I am glad it was such a great experience for you. As to whether this dentist can do everything your one in the other state can, it would depend on the type of services offered. All general dentists will do your basic bread and butter dentistry, such as cleanings, fillings, and crowns. However, other dentists offer things such as sedation dentistry, teeth whitening, or even more advanced procedures such as dental implants and porcelain veneers.

I would speak to the dentist, who worked on your emergency situation about what services you generally need and see if he offers them.

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

Ten Year Old Daughter Damaged Teeth

Posted on December 24, 2021 by writeradmin.

I need some advice from you. My ten year old daughter took a nasty fall. One of her teeth is chipped and it looks like there is a horizontal crack on the other. I called my dentist and he can’t see her for a month. I really want to get this looked at before then. When I mentioned going somewhere else, he told me the roots have to settle down anyway. Is that true or is he just trying to get me to stay with him?

Nancy

Dear Nancy,

I have no idea why he told you to wait. You certainly do not need to. In fact, I think he should have made room for her in an emergency dental appointment just to do some x-rays and make sure there is no damage to the pulp of her teeth. I would get her seen somewhere else.

The solution to the chipped tooth is dental bonding. However, not every dentist can do this. Even if you find one that does, make sure you look at some before and after pictures of dental bonding cases they have actually done. This is to make sure they can make the tooth blend and look natural. It is not an easy repair and you want your daughter’s tooth to look as natural as possible.

I hesitate to mention a solution to the other tooth without knowing more about it. I will just reiterate, don’t wait. This dentist can’t or won’t see your daughter, look for another pediatric dentist who will.

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

Why Doesn’t Novocaine Work for Me?

Posted on July 18, 2021 by writeradmin.

I need some advice. I have found that the Novocaine dentists give does not work for me. It really doesn’t matter how many shots they give me. I had one dentist try as many as seven. It’s not an allergic reaction. The medicine is simply ineffective. As you can imagine. This has made my dental care an agonizing experience. I am curious if this is unique to me or if you’ve seen other patients with a similar issue. If the latter, did you find a solution for them or do they just have to suck it up. While I do have a high pain tolerance, I do tend to avoid the dentist as a result of this and only see the dentist on an emergency basis.

Katherine

Dear Katherine,

Wow! I will say up front that you are brave. I love how you are plugging through trying to find solutions when dental work causes you so much pain. I have good news for you. I believe I know not only what you are dealing with but how to fix it as well. There has been some data connecting dental anxiety with the inability for local anesthetics, such as Novocaine, to work on patients. Given your experiences, I am not surprised if you have not just some dental anxiety, but massive anxiety. This is only natural.

The key to solving this is a medication you can take before your dental work. You will need to find what is sometimes called a sedation dentist. They don’t really “knock you out” as you would get with anesthesia in the hospital. Instead, they provide some type of dental medicine such as nitrous oxide or oral conscious sedation. In your case, at least in the beginning, I am going to suggest oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill. It is one strong pill, though. You will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you for a few hours afterward until you are lucid and steady on your feet again.

The pill completely relaxes you, hence the need to have someone help you around. In fact, patients using oral conscious sedation are usually so relaxed they end up sleeping through their entire appointment. Because of that, your body is able to process the Novocain properly and you end up with a relaxing, pain-free dental experience.

The side benefit of this is you will be able to get more work done in each appointment. This will allow you to catch up on your work more quickly. Plus, you will likely not be dealing with emergency dental care anymore!

Once you’ve had a few good experiences under your belt, you may not even need a sedation dentist anymore and just some simple nitrous oxide will be enough. With that, you won’t need a driver or babysitter.

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

Tooth Infections and Fever

Posted on February 14, 2020 by writeradmin.

I am worried about something but my daughter’s dentist is blowing me off. She’s been yanking at her jaw and has a fever. I called in trying to get an emergency appointment with her dentist because of the fever and they told me to call her doctor because a tooth problem wouldn’t have a fever. Don’t any type of infections have fevers?

Misty

Dear Misty,

I hope your daughter’s dental staff misunderstood your question. If not, you have a better understanding of physiology than they do. You may need to find a different pediatric dentist.

I don’t like it when a children’s dentist doesn’t do a good job of communicating with parents. You are treating their children—the most important thing in their lives. A good pediatric dentist would be willing to answer as many questions as possible and make sure the parents are completely comfortable.

As to a fever, while not all dental infections will have one, some will. If your daughter is complaining about her jaw, that could indicate something is going on. You didn’t mention how old she is. Pulling at their jaw at a young age can simply mean she’s teething.

If she is old enough that she has her teeth, it could also mean an infection. These are considered a dental emergency. It was wise of you to try and get an appointment. If you have regular check-ups for her, they should be doing x-rays and would normally have noticed something before it blew up into an infection.

Either way, they don’t seem to be working with you. In your case, I recommend following your maternal instincts. If you are concerned, find a dentist who works with children who is willing to check her out.

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

Holistic Dentists and Root Canals

Posted on September 11, 2019 by writeradmin.

I was told that holistic dentists will not do root canal treatments, but when I saw the one natural dentist in my area he says I need one. What’s going on? Isn’t there a natural remedy?

Perry

Dear Perry,

While there are some holistic dentists who will avoid root canal treatments, the thought process behind it isn’t valid. Their thought is the root canal treatment can leave some bacteria in your mouth. The truth is, there is always bacteria in our bodies. Without that, our bodies would have no way of developing an immune system. The first time you had a bacteria introduced, your body would be overwhelmed and it could kill you. A little bacteria is a good thing.

Those who don’t do root canals, will generally suggest you have the tooth extracted. I would only recommend that as an absolute last resort. When a tooth is removed, you need to replace that tooth with something like a dental implant. If you don’t, the adjacent teeth will drift and tip into the empty space which will lead to your bite being disrupted. A problem bite is one of the causes of TMJ Disorder.

Why a Holistic Dentist WILL Do a Root Canal Treatment

As for natural remedies, while they may temporarily help to hold an infection at bay, they will not heal one. Once the infection gets to the pulp of the tooth, the tooth often dies, this means there is no longer any blood flow to the tooth and no medication will reach it, whether that be a natural remedy or a traditional antibiotic.

The only way to get rid of the infection at that point is for the dentist to get in there and physically remove the infected pulp. This is what a root canal treatment does and why your dentist recommended it. I would follow his treatment protocol. Whatever you do, don’t ignore the infection. These are considered dental emergencies and people still die from them. Think about how close your jaw is to both your heart and lungs. Without timely treatment, a dental emergency can quickly turn into a life-threatening emergency.

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

Root Canal Versus Extraction

Posted on August 26, 2019 by writeradmin.

I have an upper right molar in a lot of pain. My dentist wants to do a root canal with a post and crown. That seems like a lot. What is the reason for doing that over a simple extraction?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

A toothache often means an infected tooth. Based on what suggestion your dentist gave, yours is definitely infected.

When you are dealing with a tooth infection, as you are, there are two ways to deal with it. One is a root canal treatment, as your dentist suggested. The other is an extraction. Antibiotics will only work temporarily. The infection has to be physically removed. I am going to very strongly encourage you to save your tooth and get the recommended root canal treatment.

If you extract the tooth without replacing it, the tooth behind it will tip into the empty space; the tooth in front of it will drift, and after a period of time the bottom opposing molar will start to grow upward in an attempt to touch the upper molar. The only way to prevent that would be to replace it with a dental implant. Then you are talking about a surgical procedure and a dental crown.

Believe me, the root canal treatment is much less invasive and more affordable.

Never Put Off Treatment

People underestimate tooth infections. They are considered dental emergencies for a reason. Not only can they spread quickly and turn life-threating. I have a friend going through this very thing right now. She planned on getting a toothache looked at, but put it off. Before she knew what was going on, she was in extreme pain and couldn’t open her jaw.

Today an oral surgeon had to pry open her jaw. Then she had to do facial surgery to open her cheek to remove the infection which had spread far. She almost died.

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