I have been having a lot of dental work done. I recently had two root canals done. One of them has never felt quite right. I have a wisdom tooth that is infected and my dentist wants to remove it. I’m all for that. However, I also want to remove the tooth that had the root canal treatment. He won’t do it. I’m waiting until I can get both done. Is there anything I can say to convince him to take that tooth out?
Stacey
Dear Stacey,
While I am sure you can find a dentist who would be willing to take out the extra tooth that you would like removed, I’m not sure you want to do that. If your dentist thought the tooth was infected, he would certainly take it out. After all, he would make more money taking out an extra tooth. So why is he saying no? The only reason I can think of is he has integrity and is not willing to take your money unnecessarily. In all honesty, I think that is something to be grateful for.
Please don’t put off getting that infected wisdom tooth removed. A tooth infection is serious and will spread. If you think about how close your jaw is to your heart, you do not want the infection reaching there. You are putting yourself in serious risk by holding out to try to convince him to do this other tooth.
If you still want to insist on having both removed, as I said earlier, I am sure you can find a dentist willing to take your money.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
I had to have some dental work done. Three crowns in all. It was a horrible experience. He did give me nitrous oxide, but that did not really help. At some point, the dentist splashed some type of chemical in my eye, which burned like crazy. Then, his drill slipped and cut my tongue. Both he and the assistant gasped when it happened. And, I yelled because, obviously, that hurt a LOT. It’s been a couple of days and my tongue still hurts. I called to ask for a discount because of all the accidents he had. He just acted like none of it ever happened and said I probably bit my tongue because patients do that when they’re numb. Don’t I deserve an apology and a discount?
Steph
Dear Steph,
While you certainly deserve an apology and recognition of what happened, it appears your dentist is in defensive mode and is pretending what you said did not happen. That means you won’t get the apology or the discount unless you push it. There is not enough damage to warrant a lawsuit, but you could tell him you are going to write a negative review if he does not own up and take responsibility. That does have an impact on his business. Short of that, your only other option is to move on and find a different dentist.
If you do go with another dentist, I am going to suggest you find someone who offers dental sedation. You mentioned that the nitrous oxide didn’t help. Plus, with the number of accidents you had, I wonder if you weren’t wiggly. That’s not excusing what happened but would explain some of it. Both of those things together tell me that you have some dental anxiety. Plus, given this latest experience, you’ll have greater anxiety next time.
A dentist who offers sedation will have oral conscious sedation. This is a pill that you will take before your appointment. It is much stronger than nitrous oxide. In fact, you’ll probably find that you sleep through your entire appointment.
I want to whiten my teeth but I’ve been avoiding going anywhere with the surge of covid cases. I just feel like I need something to cheer me up. Looking online, one kit I see that has some positive reviews is Premium Home Whitening. How does this rank with what I’d get from my dentist? Will it actually whiten my teeth?
Gina
Dear Gina,
Professional teeth whitening trays
I’ll start with the positive about this kit. The teeth whitening ingredient is valid and will whiten your teeth. So, if you decide to use this product and really stick with it, you could get some good results. That being said, I have some concerns.
Disadvantages to Premium Home Whitening
This first one I would not call a disadvantage as much as a red flag. The light they provide does nothing. It is simply a marketing ploy. Why not just sell the kit without it and lower the price. To me, that calls into question the integrity of the company and I’d wonder if the rest of what they list is true. For instance, is the whitening ingredient really the percentage they say it is?
The second is the whitening trays. These are not custom fit the way you would get with your dentist. Instead, you DIY them at home. This causes two problems with the whitening gel. Your saliva can get into the tray, which will weaken the strength of the gel. Now it will take more kits to do the same amount of work. In addition to that, your gel can leak from the tray. Not only does this further weaken the gel, but it puts your gums at risk of irritation. There have been cases where patients needed a root canal treatment as a result of an over-the-counter whitening kit because of this type of leakage.
My Recommendation
I would get your teeth whitening done with your dentist. In the long run, you should save money and it is safer. You mentioned concerns about COVID for not wanting to go in. Dentists are all taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of their patients, especially at this time. Something you could request is to ask to come at a time when they have fewer patients, that way you are not surrounded by as many people. Also, some patients have even requested they wait in their car and the receptionist just texts them when it is time to go back.
I hope this helped.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
I have some sensitivities to metals and other dental materials. When I needed a root canal treatment and dental crown, I specifically asked my dentist to provide me with a gold alloy crown so I would have less to worry about. The root canal treatment turned out fine, but I’ve been having some swelling around the tooth. I asked to see the dental certificate and my dentist told me the lab did not send one. I requested him to get one and it turned out the materials were not what I requested. There was only 2% Gold. The rest was 35% Palladium, 30% Indium, 30% Silver, and 3% Zinc. I suspect this is why I am having some swelling, though my dentist insists there are never allergies to these materials. Am I wrong for being upset about this? I’m beginning not to trust him as the cost for the crown was in line with a gold alloy but I received something quite different. Where do I go from here?
Benjamin
Dear Benjamin,
I’m going to say up front that I do not believe your dentist did not receive the certificate. By law, the labs are required to send them and the dentist is supposed to place that in the patient’s chart. It appears he wanted to increase his profits by giving you a cheap substitute believing that you wouldn’t have a reaction. I have learned not to say there are NO allergies to something. Each human body is remarkably unique and there is always the possibility that someone will have an allergy to something, even if very rare.
For a dental crown to be considered a gold alloy, it has to meet two qualifications. First, it must be made of at least 60% of a combination of gold, platinum, palladium, and silver. Yours was above that number and meets the first qualification. Second, it must be at least 40% Gold. Yours was only 2%, which is well below the qualification.
I’m going to suggest you ask him to re-do the dental crown with the materials you requested. If he refuses, tell him you will report him to the dental board. He violated the standard of care in two ways. One by misrepresenting what he provided you and two by not having the certificate (or pretending not to). Then, I want you to find a different dentist. One you can trust.
My husband had an accident that caused some damage to his chin and teeth, as well as gave him a concussion. We took him to the ER, then the dentist the next morning. The dentist said everything needed some time to calm down. When it did, one of his teeth started turning dark. Fortunately, he wasn’t in pain. Our dentist said she didn’t see anything and only felt dried blood. From there, she gave him a dental crown. Fast forward a couple of months and he was in severe pain. Our dentist then gave him an emergency root canal treatment. She prescribed him 5 days worth of antibiotics then finished up his root canal treatment a week later. Even after the root canal treatment, the pain continued. The dentist provided him with no pain relief medication. After another week she decided to root canal the tooth next to the one she previously treated. That also did nothing. My husband is in absolute agony and I feel like her lack of caring is border line torture. What should we do to get him the help he needs?
Lisa
Dear Lisa,
Your husband has been through so much and I can tell how much you care about him. Your dentist has made a couple of big mistakes here. First, when the tooth first started to discolor, it needed a root canal treatment right then. I don’t know why your dentist didn’t do one. It makes no sense to me. The dried blood should have been a giant hint that the tooth was dead, even if the discoloration didn’t tell her that.
Next is the way she handled the root canal treatment itself. The way she provided only five days of antibiotics, but waited seven days to close the root canal tells me that she doesn’t understand how these infections work at all. By allowing the antibiotics to run out, she also allowed the infection to flair back up, then she closed the tooth. No wonder your husband was in pain. She never got rid of the infection and closed it up inside the tooth. Then, she did a useless treatment on the adjacent tooth.
Your husband is not being served well by this dentist. I highly recommend that you call an endodontist first thing in the morning. They are root canal specialists and can get this treated correctly. When you call, let them know what has happened so they can get him some antibiotics and pain relief while they get his appointment ready. I’m certain they’ll schedule him an emergency appointment.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
I am really confused and wondering if one dentist is incompetent or maybe one is just taking me for a ride? I went to the dentist and he told me I had a small cavity. He told me it would only need a small filling. We did the filling and then a few days later the tooth was very sensitive, especially to cold. I went back in and now he is telling me I need a root canal treatment. How can it go from small filling to root canal in such a short time? Is this tooth really infected or am I being taken for a ride?
Connie
Dear Connie,
I am suspicious of this and think you need a second opinion from someone who can examine you. If there is a tooth infection, an x-ray should show that pretty clearly. Sensitivity to cold could also be the result of a poorly done dental filling. I’m assuming you had a composite filling done. These can sometimes be tricky. If a dentist is used to placing silver fillings, he may not yet have the skills to place a composite filling yet.
One thing to notice is the senstivity. If it starts to happen even when you don’t have anything cold, that would be a concerning sign. In that case, I would get the root canal treatment. It is better to nip these things in the bud before an infection can spread.
If it is just the filling, just having that re-done by someone who understands the procedure for composites will solve the issue.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
I haven’t been to the dentist is seven years because of anxiety. I finally plucked up the courage because I was tired of being embarrassed by my yellow smile. I told him I wanted to clean them, make sure they’re healthy, and improve how they look. After the exam, which was discouragingly painful, he told me I have 5 cavities. In order to treat the cavities and improve my smile he wants to crown all my teeth. I feel weird about that because not only are the other teeth healthy, but this is quite an expense he is recommending. I don’t have much experience with dentistry. Is this my only option?
Cal
Dear Cal,
The short answer is no, this is not your only option. You are wise to be concerned. The first thing I want to do is address your anxiety and then we’ll talk about your options. It took a great deal of courage for you to go to the dentist. After such a long period, it would be easy to just find excuses not to go. You are certainly not alone in your dental anxiety.
There is dental sedation available for patients in your situation. They can give you a pill that will completely relax you. In fact, some people call it sleep dentistry because patients almost always just sleep through their procedure. This will not only give you pain-free appointments, but it will also allow you to catch up on your dental work much quicker.
As for crowning every tooth, while I have not examined you, nothing you mentioned indicates the need for such a drastic treatment. You have five cavities and you want whiter teeth, is the way I understood what you wrote. If that is the case, all you need to do is have fillings placed on the teeth with the five cavities. Make sure your dentist gives you mercury-free composite fillings, and then get your teeth whitened.
That is faster, cheaper, and much more conservative with your tooth structure.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
I am so upset right now I am shaking. I had my daughter in for a checkup and he told me there is a cavity on a back tooth and he’ll need to do a pulpotomy. I had some questions. First, what is a pulpotomy? Second, why can’t we just do a filling? Third, if it is a baby tooth, why can’t we just extract it and let the adult one come in? Rather than answer ANY of my questions he said, “Do you ever get tired of questioning experts all the time? Maybe you should trust I am the dentist and know what I’m doing.” I don’t think my questions were unreasonable. AND this is MY child. Not his. Would you mind answering the questions for me so I can decide what to do?
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
I am sorry that you were treated this way. I will be happy to answer your questions. Before I do, I am going to suggest you find another dentist for your daughter. You need someone who is on your side and willing to answer every single question and concern you have. It does not have to be a pediatric dentist. There are family dentists who treat both adults and children. Now for your questions.
A pulpotomy is a child’s version of a root canal treatment. They are less involved than the adult versions. It is typically reserved for back teeth and is a last resort at saving the tooth that is infected. This leads to your second question.
If it is a matter of a simple cavity, then a filling will be all she needs. I recommend mercury-free composite fillings as the safest option. Once the cavity spreads to about 30% of the tooth, then a filling will not be enough and you would have to get her a dental crown.
Only if the tooth is infected would you do a pulpotomy. You did not mention that your daughter had an infection in the tooth, just a cavity, so that makes me wonder. It may be in her best interest to get a second opinion.
Your final question was a good one as well. In some cases, it is fine to just extract a baby tooth and wait for the adult tooth to make its appearance. Back molars are different. They have to last until your child is around twelve years of age. Otherwise, that space is left open for too long waiting on the adult molars. The adjacent teeth drift or tip into the spot. When the adult teeth finally do arrive, there is not enough room for them, which leads to crowding and the need for orthodontics.
If a back tooth does have to be extracted, her dentist would need to put a space maintainer there in order to keep the rest of the teeth in place until her adult tooth arises.
I needed a dental crown and my dentist was going to charge $1000. I found another dentist about twenty minutes away who only charges half of that, which was much more affordable for me. Initially, that was great news, but it has fallen off six times since I got it, two months ago. Each time, the dentist puts it on again free of charge, but I still lose a minimum of two to four hours at work, depending on how long I am there. I get paid hourly, so this is cutting into my income quite a bit. Plus, my boss is not too pleased. Now, the stupid thing has broken and we have to start over. He said, I would only have to pay half price since I haven’t had it that long, but still, that is another $250 on top of MORE time lost at work. Is this normal?
Kelly
Dear Kelly,
I’m sorry, let me understand something. He’s offering you a half-price crown because it didn’t last that long? Really? I believe you said you have had this crown a little over two MONTHS, right? A dentist crown at a MINIMUM should last five YEARS! Most go much longer than that. Do not pay him any more money or go back to this dentist. Instead, I want you to get a refund on the original crown. He does not know what he is doing.
Aside from the crown breaking years before it should even begin to show signs of wear, there is the issue of the bonding failing over and over again. Most dentists go their entire careers without a dental crown falling out. This dentist can’t seem to go much more than a week, and that is just with one patient. I probably sound harsh, but you are getting poor quality care and I don’t want you to go through any more with this dentist.
Cheap Versus Affordable Dental Care
There is a huge difference between a cheap and an affordable dentist. Let’s say, for argument’s sake that you go ahead and have the crown redone at half price. Now you are up to $750 not including lost income and time away from work. This time, the crown lasts two years before you need another one. That’s another $500. Now you’re up to $1250. The next crown lasts a generous 5 years (woohoo!). That’s another $500 and you’re up to $1750. If you’d gotten the original crown for $1000, you could have had a hassle-free crown that lasted up between 10-15 years, assuming your current dentist does good, standard work. As you can see the “cheap dentist” was much more expensive.
While there are good affordable dentists, you won’t usually see their prices so dramatically lower than everyone else. When a dentist is that much lower it is usually a red flag. Often that happens for one of two reasons. Either they are terrible at their job and have to keep their prices low enough to constantly draw in new patients, because he has no patient retention. Another possibility is they are new dentists and need to get patients. That’s fine. We all start somewhere. For a price that low, they’d have to cut corners to keep profits reasonable enough to stay in business. Those cut corners could negatively impact your outcome.
I would go back to your dentist, tell him your financial situation and ask if he or she would be willing to allow you to make payments toward your new crown.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
We offer dental sedation.
I need some advice. I don’t know if the problem is the dentist or the lab, but my dentist cannot get my dental crown white enough to match my teeth. I’m new to the state and am using a different dentist than I normally would. However, this is my first dental crown so I don’t really know what to expect. I only came to him because of a dental emergency and he was available. I was in a car accident and had serious damage to a canine tooth as a result. He says he is using the whitest shade possible. I do whiten my teeth, but they don’t look unnaturally white. Just whiter than what he’s offering. It’s a noticeable difference though. Is it worth it for me to drive to my old state to get this to match or am I asking for the impossible?
Brooke
Dear Brooke,
I don’t think you’ll have to do anything as drastic as going to another state. I think I know what the problem may be here. Understand that this is mostly guess work, but I feel fairly confident with it. This dentist is probably a great bread and butter general dentist. He knows how to fix teeth and he does it well. However, he is more interested in the engineering factor than cosmetic work. He probably doesn’t really do any cosmetic work. This is the problem.
Old Vita Shade Guide
General dentists use a shade guide to help them match the crown they are making to your current shade of teeth (see above). He is probably using the same shade guide he’s always used. The problem with that is the popularity teeth whitening gained in the 90s. Teeth whitening does not just remove stains. It can also make your teeth whiter than even their original shade. That means the old shade guides were no longer as useful. Dental supply companies realized this and soon came out with an updated guide that included shades for whiter teeth (see below).
New Vita Shade Guide
I would ask this dentist for a refund and then go to a dentist who does more cosmetic work. They will have the updated guide and can match your teeth.
This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
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