Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaExisting Patients Call (843) 342-6900
Request An AppointmentRead Reviews

Dentist or Oral Surgeon for Dentures

Posted on by .

I am 68 years old and always had a terrible fear of the dentist because of a traumatic experience in my teen years. Because of that, my teeth are an absolute mess and need to come out. I’m not sure I know how to approach this. If you need dentures, do you go to a dentist or an oral surgeon to remove the remaining teeth?

Fred

Dear Fred,

Hilton Head Affordable Dentures

I would look for a dentist who can do both the surgical removal of your teeth as well as the dentures. This will give you the best outcome. I’m going to also suggest, though it is completely up to you, that you look into snap-on dentures. This gives you two dental implants that can anchor your dentures a little bit to your jaw. This way you won’t have to worry about them slipping around. Obviously, the more dental implants the better and more secure they are, but two is enough to keep them in.

Because of the dental anxiety you mentioned, I think when you look for the dentist to do this, you find one who offers oral conscious sedation. This is will give you a pain-free and anxiety-free procedure. It is administered by a pill but is quite strong. In fact, some people have dubbed it sleep dentistry because you can sleep through the entire procedure. I honestly wish someone had told you about sedation dentistry earlier because it could have helped you with your fear of the dentist and saved your teeth. Either way, at least you can go to the dentist this time knowing it will not be the horrible traumatic experience you had in the past.

One last thing to check before committing. You are still young and I want you to have a smile you are proud of. Ask to see some of their “after” pictures of dentures they’ve done. You want a dentist who can create a beautiful smile for you. These days, dentures can look natural and beautiful so don’t settle for someone who is going to make you fake looking teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

She Needs a Second Opinion

Posted on by .

I had a toothache for about a week. I know I should have gone sooner, but just to be honest, the dentist makes me quite nervous. When I arrived, he did an x-ray and discovered a tooth that already had a filling had become re-infected. He said only 10% of the tooth is viable and wants to extract it and replace it with a dental implant. I have to admit this idea terrifies me. Is there no way to just do another filling?

Kellie

Dear Kellie,

person hiding behind chair in fear

How would you like to never fear the dentist again?

There are a couple of things going on here that concern me. To answer your question, if your tooth were really that far gone, then an extraction would be the only avenue left to you. Replacing a lost tooth with a dental implant is the best option in that case. However, and this is a big however, I don’t think that is your case. If your tooth were truly that far degraded, he would not have needed an x-ray to determine it. Such a substantial amount of decay would have been visible with the naked eye. In addition to that, the filling you currently had would have fallen out and there would be a gaping hole there. In all honesty, I think you need a second opinion before moving forward.

Let’s say that by some crazy set of circumstances your dentist ends up being right. I doubt it, but let’s just roll with it. Then, you would need the tooth extracted. Leaving it in, turn a dental emergency into a life-threatening one as the infection spread throughout your body.

Dealing wiht Dental Anxiety

It distresses me to see patients in your situation. You want dental care, yet that anxiety keeps you from getting it. The good news is there is a solution, which will enable you to get past that anxiety, caught up on your dental care, and even look forward to going to the dentist.

When you get that second opinion, look for a sedation dentist. This isn’t a specialty, but rather a dentist who offers at least two levels of dental sedation. For a check-up and cleaning, using nitrous oxide is usually enough to relax you. If you need a more extensive treatment, such as a root canal treatment or tooth extraction, you can request oral conscious sedation. This is so powerful, you will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment. You will be so completely relaxed that you could sleep through your appointment if you wanted to.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

How Long Will My Wife Need Dental Sedation?

Posted on by .

I’m not trying to be insensitive, but every time my wife needs anything at the dentist, even a simple filling she won’t go in without dental sedation. That requires me to take time off work AND we have to pay for it out of pocket because insurance won’t cover it. I know her childhood dentist was pretty rough, but now that she’s had positive experiences, shouldn’t she be ready to transition to regular dental care?

Ben

Dear Ben,

It sounds like your wife has been through a lot. I know it’s a hardship for you to take time off work too, so I’m not ignoring the sacrifices you’re giving. But there’s no definitive time in which trauma takes a backseat.

While some patients can ease into dental care without sedation in just a few appointments with good experiences, others may take a lifetime. It all depends on the severity of the trauma in their mind and what the triggers are.

For her, it may be the dental chair itself. Without the sedation, she may end up hyperventilating. Many dentists have had patients panic in the dental chair.

Sedation Dentistry is Probably Saving You Money

You mentioned your wife won’t go without dental sedation. That would mean a definite decline of her oral health. We’ve seen this before with patients who suffer from severe dental anxiety. The only thing which brings them in is a dental emergency. They tend to wait until the pain is so unbearable they have no choice.

By then, there is usually no way to save their tooth. Now instead of paying for dental sedation, they’re paying for a tooth extraction and the expense of surgery replacing the missing teeth with dental implants.

Regular, preventative care, is always more cost-effective than putting off care.

I realize it is an inconvenience for you to take off work every time. Is there a way a family member or friend can share the burden? I’m sure they’d be compassionate and understanding given her childhood history. Truthfully, most dental anxieties start in childhood.

I don’t know if you guys are parents yet, but that fact alone should tell you how important it is to choose a pediatric dentist carefully.

Give your wife some time. Let her tell you when she’s ready to try it without dental sedation. If, however, you find her anxiety starts bleeding into other aspects of her life, it might be time to get to the source of things with a therapist. But, believe me, that will cost a lot more than dental sedation.

This blog is brought to you by Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Do CEREC Crowns Typically Break?

Posted on by .

I had a CEREC crown made. I’ve had crowns before, but this is my first CEREC crown. It’s also a new dentist for me as I’m new to this town. The crown broke in half within a week. I was eating, but nothing really tough. The dentist has offered to replace it. I’m leaning toward letting him, but I wanted to double check about the cause. Is this a common thing with CEREC crowns? Should I ask for a traditional crown?

Gary

Dear Gary,

image of porcelain block for CEREC Crown restoration

First, I will tell you that a CEREC Crown is as durable as a traditional crown. They’re essentially made out of the same material. The biggest differences are one is milled by machine out of a single block of porcelain during the appointment and the traditional crowns are milled by hand sometimes using several different blocks and require more than one appointment. Neither of those affects the strength.

What happened to you is extremely rare. I’m tending to lean toward this happened to be defective material. However, there are a couple of other reasons this could have happened.

Reasons CEREC Crowns Can Break

The Crown is Seated too High
Because you’ve had crowns before, I think you’d have noticed something wasn’t quite right. However, just in case. if a crown is seated too high, it absorbs the full force of your bite. Normally, that force is spread over a group of teeth. When just has to handle it themselves, it is more likely to break. One sign of this would be pain with biting.

You’re a Tooth Grinder
Many people don’t even realize they’re grinding their teeth because they do it at night. However, your dentist should have noticed that and informed you because your teeth would be wearing down. Using a simple mouthguard is an easy way to protect your teeth (and crowns) in this situation. Again, the CEREC wouldn’t be more likely to break than your natural teeth or a traditional crown, so I don’t think this was your issue.

If you’re asking my opinion, I’d say let this dentist replace your crown. It sounds like he just happened to have some defective material. If you decide to not allow him and use a different dentist just don’t wait too long. Your tooth is exposed and is at risk of sustaining significant damage. Then, instead of replacing a crown, you’ll be replacing a tooth.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

©2006-2024 Bonnie J. Rothwell, DMD, AAACD. • All Rights Reserved

Website Design and SEO by Infinity Dental Web

Privacy Policy