dental implant Archives - Kentucky Dental Group

30 Years in Dentures

Posted on March 15, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have been wearing dentures for a bit over 30 years and have never liked my smile. My teeth have always looked fake. Is there a way to get a pretty smile with dental implants or is it too late for me?

Karen

Dear Karen,

The overall answer to this question, is yes, you can get a beautiful smile with dental implants even after 30 years of wearing dentures. In that amount of time, you will have lost quite a bit of the bond structure in your jaw. This is because your body began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere as soon as your teeth were removed. In that amount of time you have been with dentures, I expect you are having a difficult time keeping them in place.

Because of this, you will need an additional procedure, known as bone grafting, in order to have enough bone structure to securely retain dental implants. Once that is done and you have had time to heal, you can get the implants placed. While some dentists do both the surgery and implant crown, others will send you to an oral surgeon. If you are going to an oral surgeon, it is imperative you see the dentist first and that the dentist is the one who plans the implant placement, not the other way around.

When you are talking about replacing all your teeth, it is too cost prohibitive to place a dental implant for each missing tooth. Instead, you will place between four to eight dental implants per arch and anchor dentures to them. These are called implant supported dentures. You mentioned your current dentures look fake. It doesn’t have to be that way. You simply need to find an artistic cosmetic dentist who uses quality materials that will not wear down quickly.

The image directly above, with a man and a woman, shows how lovely and natural dentures can look. The gentleman wanted a more subdued, natural looking smile, while the woman wanted a bright, white, young looking smile. Both have implant supported dentures.

Be certain to research the artistic skills of whatever dentist you are thinking to have do this. Look at their smile gallery to see the before and after images of actual cases they have done.

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

Can an Infected Tooth Spread to a Salivary Gland?

Posted on July 3, 2020 by writeradmin.

My daughter has had two salivary gland infections right above where she had two root canal treatments on the same tooth. Could this be spreading to infect her salivary gland? The doctor can’t seem to figure out what is leading to the infections and this is the only thing I could think of that makes any sense. Do tooth infections spread out of the teeth?

Margie

Dear Margie,

A tooth infection can spread outside of the tooth. This is one of the reasons they are considered dental emergencies. Your jaw is very close to your heart, lungs, and brain so a dental infection can turn life-threatening if left untreated. That being said, yes, it is possible an infection has spread to your daughter’s salivary glands. However, that would only be possible if her root canal treatment had failed.

You mentioned this is the second root canal treatment on this tooth. That means she’s already had one failed root canal treatment. The chances of a successful treatment go down with each successive re-treatment. My advice to you is to see an endodontist, also known as root canal specialists, to have an x-ray done. The x-ray should show you if there is an infection present.

If the Tooth Can’t be Saved

If there is an infection, the root canal specialist will have a much better chance of giving you a successful treatment. It is also possible that this tooth cannot be saved. In that case, all that would be left is a tooth extraction. When a tooth is extracted, it needs to be replaced otherwise the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the space, completely throwing off her bite.

The best tooth replacement option is a dental implant. However, if your daughter is a teenager, her jaw isn’t developed enough for that treatment yet. In that case, I would get her a dental flipper, which is an inexpensive temporary tooth replacement. You can use that until she is old enough for the dental implant.

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

Why Is My Holistic Dentist Suggesting a Root Canal Treatment?

Posted on August 30, 2019 by writeradmin.

I specifically choose a holistic dentist because I wanted to do things naturally. Yet, when I got a toothache, he is suggesting a root canal treatment. Can’t I just treat the infection with oils?

Brianna

Dear Brianna,

woman holding a loose aloe vera plant with dirt

A holistic dentist factors in the health of your whole body.

It’s great that you try to do things in a natural and healthy way for your body. Believe it or not, that’s what your holistic dentist is trying to do as well. Dental infections are a little different from other types of infections. Oils won’t work. Antibiotics won’t even work. The infection has to be physically removed by a dentist, hence the root canal treatment.

This is because the infection causes the pulp of the tooth to die. When that happens, there is no blood flow left which doesn’t allow any medication to reach the infection. That is why the dentist has to remove the infection with a root canal treatment. This completely removes the infection while enabling you to save your tooth.

Alternative to a Root Canal Treatment

The only real alternative to a root canal treatment, once a tooth is infected, is to extract the tooth. This will require you to also get the tooth replaced. Even if the tooth isn’t visible when you smile, you’ll need to replace it. If you don’t, the other teeth will drift and tip into the empty space. This causes bite problems which can lead to more serious issues, such as TMJ Disorder.

If you decide to go this route, you’ll want a good tooth replacement option. The top two options are a dental implant or a dental bridge. Both of these are invasive. The implant requires surgery. The bridge requires you to grind down the two adjacent teeth in order for them to have dental crowns.

Never Put Off Treatment for a Tooth Infection

I don’t want you to put off treatment. I know it’s tempting when you are facing a treatment you aren’t keen on. But, tooth infections are dental emergencies. The infection will continue to spread. Some spread rapidly and become life-threatening.

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