I had to go to an emergency dentist because of a pimple on my gums that was causing me massive pain. The emergency dentist did a root canal treatment and gave me a crown. I was still in quite a bit of pain. Now, a few weeks later, I realize the tooth next to it is gray. He killed my tooth. What do I do? Should he treat it for free?
Louis.
I brush twice every day and floss every night. I’m not a huge fan of the dentist so don’t really go, but I never thought it necessary because of my good habits. However, lately, I’ve been getting a toothache. Why would that happen if I do everything I’m supposed to?
Bruce
I go to this club regularly. It’s always been fine. There’s music, dancing, and drinking. Lots of fun. I don’t know what happened but a fight broke out two days ago. I wasn’t involved, but someone clocked me in the mouth with their elbow. It was significant enough where there was blood involved but my mom always said the mouth bleeds easily. This morning, though, one of my teeth is gray looking. Is this a dental emergency? Do I have to pay it or can the dentist bill the guy who clocked me? I know who he is.
Devon H.
I suffered from a bit of dental anxiety. And by a bit I mean a lot. I need a filling. I’m hoping to get a white filling, but I’m having trouble scheduling an appointment. Would it be okay for me to drink some wine before I go to the dentist? It should relax me.
Breeanne P. – San Diego
Breeanne,
I’m glad you’re taking steps to go forward with a needed treatment, even though you’re fearful. Wine is one way of dealing with anxiety. However, it may keep the dentist from any necessary work. Don’t let that discourage you, though. There is a great solution.
There are dentists who specialize in helping patients with dental anxiety. You can usually find them with a simple internet search. Look for a “sedation dentist” or a “cater to cowards” dentist. They can give you something which will relax you much better than wine.
Just be sure you keep moving forward. Your cavity will likely be a simple fix, but if you let it go too long, it could blow up into something more extensive, like needing a root canal treatment and dental crown.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.
I don’t know what to do. I went to an emergency dentist because of tooth pain. He decided I needed a root canal, which I agreed to. However, it’s a month later and it still hurts. I went back to see him. He did an x-ray and said nothing is wrong. I insisted I was in pain and he suggested I see a neurologist. Can you believe that?
Abbey – Baltimore
Abbey,
It might not be that the emergency dentist thinks you’re crazy, though certainly his chairside manner needs some work.
It might be that he thinks you have some nerve damage. A neurologist could help determine that. However, before you do that I’d take two other steps.
First, get a second opinion. It may be that this dentist missed something. It’s common for a root canal treatment to need more than one go. Have your regular dentist take a look to make sure the emergency dentist didn’t miss anything.
The next thing I would do before seeing a neurologist is to see your primary care physician. Your sinuses are very close to the roots of your teeth. It’s possible you have sinusitis and the pain is referring to your teeth.
If neither of those reveal anything then a neurologist might be your next visit.
Hope this puts your mind at ease.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.
I had a root canal treatment a few months ago and it was horrible. The numbing medicine didn’t work. I just found out I need another one and I am absolutely terrified. Is there some way to get me numb?
Penny D.- Texas
Penny,
Anxiety can sometimes keep you from getting numb with a local anesthetic. Generally, a root canal treatment isn’t so bad, so I don’t want you frightened about your next one. There is something you can do about the numbing problem.
The first thing is to get some nitrous oxide before you get the novocaine shot. The nitrous oxide is a mild relaxant and will take the edge off your anxiety. If however, you want something deeper, you can go to a sedation dentist and they can do oral conscious sedation. Then you will be completely relaxed during your appointment. Some patients don’t even remember the procedure.
This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.
My son is supposed to have to teeth extracted tomorrow. I am little concerned because he’s had an infection. He’s been on antibiotics for three days, but there is still some swelling in his jaw. Is it dangerous to do the extraction?
Debbie from Colorado
Debbie,
I can’t speak to the particulars of your son’s case without examining him and seeing the x-rays. However, I can give some general guidelines. First, it is important to understand that you can never treat a tooth infection with antibiotics alone. The tooth itself will have to be treated. You can do that either by a root canal treatment or by extracting the tooth.
That is why even with three days of antibiotics, your son is still dealing with the effects of a tooth infection. However, the point of the antibiotics is to get the infection under control so there is no danger of spreading the infection during the extraction.
This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.
