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Archives for August 2020

Metal-Free Crowns

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I am someone who prefers natural medicine. I particularly try to avoid both metal and lithium because of thyroid issues I struggle with. At the moment, I need a dental crown but my dentist said the all-porcelain ones aren’t strong enough for my back teeth. I’m having trouble finding information on other options and he seems to think I’m a bit of a Kook for being worried about how my dental work will affect my thyroid. Do you have any advice for me? There has to be something. I’m not the only person with thyroid problems.

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

3 metal free dental implants

There is a growting availability of metal free dental care.

The first thing I am going to say is that you are not with the right dentist for your desired type of dental and health care. You will be better served with a natural or holistic dentist. This isn’t a specialty. Rather, it is a philosophy of treatment where the dentist considers the patient’s whole body and not just their teeth. They are much more willing to work with patients in your situation.

Getting a Metal Free Crown

While your dentist is correct that all-porcelain crowns aren’t strong enough for the biting forces we deal with on our back teeth, the good news is you do have an alternative. Given your particular desires, I recommend you get a zirconia crown. Zirconia is so strong, it has been dubbed ceramic steel. It will hold up on your back teeth.

If your crown were on your front teeth, ether an all-porcelain crown or a zirconia crown will work. Another difference with front teeth is the need to whiten your teeth first. The color on the crown is permanent once it is made. If you are pleased with the color of your teeth and don’t plan on changing it, then you are good to go. However, if you are even considering teeth whitening, then it is more affordable to get it done before you have your crown made. If you wait, which is totally up to you, it will mean redoing the crown after you whiten your teeth. Whitening before means your crown can be made the permanent color you want.

The key here is for you to find a dentist who shares your philosophy. This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Antibiotics for a Tooth Infection

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I saw a dentist two weeks ago for a tooth that was infected. He has me on two antibiotics. I was getting better and then three days ago, it started to get worse again. Now I am swollen up to my eye. Am I on the wrong antibiotic?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

woman holding her jaw in need of an emergency dentist

I am hoping there was a miscommunication between you and your dentist. Antibiotics alone will not treat a tooth infection. Their purpose is two-fold. First, they are used to get an infection under more control until the actual treatment is done. Second, they can hold off the infection for a short time while you wait for your appointment. Is it possible your dentist said you needed to schedule a follow-up appointment and you forgot about that part? If not, your dentist has a fundamental lack of understanding about tooth infections. So fundamental, it makes me question how he graduated.

Treating a Tooth Infection

The way to treat a tooth infection is for the dentist to physically remove the infected tissue. There are two ways of accomplishing this. The first is with a root canal treatment. This is the ideal solution because it saves your tooth, especially the root which is extremely important.

The second option is to extract the tooth. I only recommend this when the tooth cannot be saved. Once a tooth is extracted, it needs to be replaced. Otherwise, the other teeth will shift and tip into its place, which can throw off your bite leading to a lifetime of jaw pain from TMJ Disorder.

You should be aware that infected teeth are considered a dental emergency. This is because the infection will spread until proper treatment is completed. I am especially concerned by the fact that you are swollen up to your eye. You do not want a tooth infection to reach your brain, heart, or lungs. If it does it will become life-threatening rather quickly. Believe it or not, people still die from tooth infections.

If Your Tooth Can’t Be Saved

Hopefully, a simple root canal treatment is all you need. If it is too late to save your tooth, you have two good options for a tooth replacement. The ideal replacement is to get a dental implant. If that is not possible or if one of your adjacent teeth happens to need a dental crown, then getting a dental bridge is another good option for you.

Please don’t put off getting this dealt with. Call the dentist who you originally saw and tell him you need a root canal treatment right away.

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