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Our Reviews

Archives for January 2019

Dentist Won’t See Me Until the Afternoon

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I’m so angry I don’t know what to do. I had a temporary crown on my front tooth and it just fell off. I called my dentist first thing and he said he can’t see me until this afternoon. What the heck? I have a nub for a tooth. Why can’t he see me first thing? Isn’t this a dental emergency?

Sunny

Dear Sunny,

An image of a crown being placed on a tooth

First, take a deep breath. I know you are frustrated and what you have going on is important. That is why your dentist is fitting you in the same day. It isn’t uncommon for a temporary crown to have a problem. They’re meant to be easily removable. However, one falling off isn’t considered a dental emergency.

Your dentist was smart to get you in that day instead of waiting for the next regular appointment or until your permanent porcelain crown was ready. If he’d left it a few days, your adjacent teeth could have shifted in the empty space. Then when he tried to put the crown in, it would no longer fit.

Your dentist is looking out for you by seeing you the same day. I know it is a cosmetic inconvenience and I’m sure it makes it even more awkward being a front tooth.

If you absolutely can’t wait, you could try to call around to some other local dentists to see if they’re having a slow day. They may be able to bond it back on for you. Otherwise, you may have to just wait for the afternoon. Look at it as a chance to hide out at home and catch up on a show you’ve been meaning to watch or maybe read a good book.

Before you know it, you’ll be back to smiling with your temporary crown back firmly in place. Be easy on it until the permanent one comes in.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Getting a Lot of Work Done at Once with a Dentist

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My mouth is in bad shape. I need to get a lot of work done. I need about 4 root canal treatments, two crowns, and a filling. However, I’d also like to improve the appearance of my teeth by whitening them. How much of this can be done in one appointment?

Ben

Dear Ben,

Woman asleep from dental sedation

Sedation dentistry is sometimes called sleep dentistry…for a reason.

Each dentist has a different threshold for how much they’ll do in one appointment. However, you will find that sedation dentists are more likely to agree to longer appointments. That is because it is easier for the patient to have extensive work done while under sedation.

If you use a strong sedation, such as oral conscious sedation, it allows you to sleep through the appointment. You’ll be completely relaxed while the dentist goes about the business of doing your procedures.

The one thing you will want to split up is the teeth whitening. So, this is the tricky bit. It’s a matter of convenience over cost. While natural teeth whiten, dental work does not. That boils down to whatever color your dental crowns are when they’re made is permanent.

That means you can whiten your teeth before getting your crowns so they can be made to match the new color. Or, you can get the work done, then whiten your teeth. However, that means you’ll have to replace the crowns if you want them to match. Of course, that’s only necessary with crowns which are visible when you smile.

My suggestion, in that case, is to have your root canals and any fillings done. Then, whiten your teeth. After the tooth bleaching is completed, your dental crowns can be made to match the new color.

Your Best Bet is In-Office Whitening

Because you are in a hurry to get all this work done, I’m going to recommend you use an in-office teeth whitening, such as Zoom Whitening.

With Zoom Whitening, your teeth will get as white as possible in just one appointment. You will want to wait about a week afterward to allow the color to settle a bit, but that is still faster than take home whitening which can take several weeks to get to the level of brightness you want.

Best of luck to you.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington Dentist Dr. John Weaver.