Ask a Dentist
August 7th, 2009 | 
Author: Lets face it. Dentist are busy people. But, at times we may have a general or specific question about dentistry that you would like to Ask a Dentist without the obligation of making a consultation appointment. That’s what Ask Dr. Chai is all about.
Over the years Dr. Chai has expanded his knowledge base in his pursuit for dental excellence. He has taken a special interest in
- Orthodontics
- Cosmetic Dentistry
- Implants
- Headaches and TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorders) or Jaw joint disorder treatment
- Snoring and Sleep Apnea
and has logged over 2000 hours in continuing education beyond his formal training and busy practice schedule.
If you don’t find the information you need in our website sitemap, you can Ask a Dentist right here in our Dental Question & Answer forum, and Dr. Chai will try to answer your question.
Posted in Dentistry Q&A
7 Responses to “Ask a Dentist”
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I am seriously considering removable dentures. Every dentist that I have ever visited have told me not to remove teeth as I should get braces. I have gum disease and often get toothaches, headaches and carries. I have numerous procedures done including wisdom teeth extraction, fillings and rootcanals. My teeth are extremely overcrowded and get cavities like its nothing. My teeth are soft and this seems to run in the family. My grandmother had to have dentures at the age of 18, and my father at the age of 20. I really am looking into having this done, but don’t know if I am eligible as I have no missing teeth. Look forward to hearing from you, Cassandra
Without seeing your teeth, its hard to comment on your exact situation. However, in general, if your teeth are savable you should do everything in your power to save them. Wearing dentures is not fun at all. They are very hard to adapt to. Most people in dentures wish they didn’t have to wear them, and many opt for implants later in life to help stabilize the dentures so they don’t move. This can cost you in the $10,000 plus range depending on the situation… in some cases much more than this depending on what you are getting done.
If you have overcrowding, you should definitely consider orthodontics. Long term it will likely be cheaper for you to straighten your teeth so they are easier to maintain, and adopt a protocol for brushing and flossing. If you are prone to cavities you might want to look into cavity reducing programs, such as “Caries-Free” which neutralizes the pH in your mouth, which in effect makes the bacteria less virulent.
Your headaches, may have to do with your jaw joints, and removing your teeth will likely make this worse.
Again, without seeing your teeth, it’s hard to comment. But saving your teeth in general is usually a better long-term solution and often more cost-effective as well.
Hope that helps.
Dr. Chai
Hi. I have recently had a crown procedure completed and it’s been an interesting ordeal.
1. My tooth cracked and a crown was recommended due to the position of the crack in order to maintain the integrity of the tooth. Impressions of my tooth and after it was prepared for the crown were taken for the lab.
2. I had braces in the past and due to a smaller mouth, had some teeth removed to make room for a straight smile. Although my teeth are not in standard placements, they always fit together well.
3. I had the temporary put on and had 3 weeks of extreme sensitivity and pain. It was determined that my nerve was exposed due to the temp crown not fully covering the tooth.
4. When the permanent went on, the sensitivity went away for the most part except for when I have something very cold to drink.
5. The problem lies with the bite. It is off. The day that the crown was placed it was ground down but still remained high. I was told to try that and see if my mouth adjusted.
6. After a week, I went back because I was only hitting that tooth and it hurt to chew, talk etc, and my jaw felt fatigued. It was ground down some more.
7. A week later it was checked and I still had the same problem. Hurt to eat, talk, jaw felt like it was open too long, and I felt I was only hitting that tooth. The other side never touches.
8. It was ground down again but the dentist does not feel comfortable adjusting it any further. The problem? My other side still doesn’t touch (and if fact it seems like now I hit teeth towards the front that I never did before.
Question: Shouldn’t the finished product from the lab be close to my original tooth make-up? Is it normal to have to alter the bite so much and still not get it right?
Will my mouth adjust or should I request the lab remake the crown based on my impressions? And if so, how easy is it to replace a cemented crown?
Any insight or suggestions you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I don’t wish to be a difficult patient, I just want to be comfortable.
Thanks for your time.
JO
Hi Dr Chai. I have been to numerous doctors and dentists for my TMJ pain. I have a grinding in my right jaw and can only open about half as much as I used to. This has been going on for three years now. I have spent so much time and money on different therapies, laser treatments, and chiropractic care. Nobody seems to know how to make it better. I recently visited a dentist in Barrie, at downtown Barrie dental, and her told me that it would be ten thousand dollars to treat me and he couldn’t guarantee a cure. He was so cold and unfriendly, and I left in tears. I don’t know where to go, or who to turn to, or what the right answer for my problem is. Wearing a mouth piece all day is not very practical for my line of work as I deal with the public. I am so confused as to what I need to do. Please help me!!!
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Without seeing you I can’t really make a diagnosis or prescribed any course of treatment. That being said, it sounds likely there is a TMJ component if the Chiropractor cannot help you. Chiropractors are great at what they do, but the one thing they cannot do to alleviate TMJ pain is to change your bite which will in turn change the way your jaw joint functions.
The dentist in Barrie may have very well diagnosed you correctly and precribed you the best course of treatment. I cannot comment either way as far as treatment or cost since I have not seen you or any records, but for severe TMJ cases requiring orthodontic and orthopedic treatment, a fee of $10,000 is not unreasonable given the skill level and knowledge level required to treat that severe of a condition non-surgically.
Again without seeing you there is no way I can confirm what treatment if any is required.
Dr. Chai
Hi Jo,
Wow, that seems like quite the ordeal. Unfortunately everyone is a critic when something goes bad. Since I did not see any of what happen, I really don’t know what went wrong. It is possible that your bite might have changed due to a pre-existing jaw issue which caused your jaw to dislocate… this is more common than you might think. It is also possible that the crown was made incorrectly too.
Crowns are not the easiest things to get off… they are build to last so typically need to be drilled off and start all over again, so it is a little bit of a nuisance, but it may very well have to be done.
Dr. Chai
It is also possible that you need a root canal. It’s hard to say.
Usually labs do a good job. I mean, one scenerio is you need to get a new crown, possibly a root canal. It is also possible that the crack was worse than anyone could tell and that the tooth is fractured beyond repair. It is equally possble that more adjusting would alleviate the problem…. Without seeing it I really don’t know. However if you came in after a procedure, those would be some of the scenerios that are possible given the information you provided.
The 10th Good Reason to be a client of Dr Chai’s:
How awesome is that sign erected on the main street that states FREE dental work May 27, 2011 ?? That is the essence of giving back to the community… straight from the heart!
~~~~Happy 9th Anniversary~~~
Sheila C