DENTISTSECRETS - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

q_a Thankyou to everyone that has asked us about their dental care. We do apologise that we are unable to answer your questions personally, and we apologise if your questions have not been answered in this Q&A. Please keep reading future editions as we aim to answer all of the important dental queries that you send to us in due course.

(Please note that your questions will be rewritten, not only for brevity in these issues, but to make some questions more easy to understand for other readers ).

Dentistsecrets guarantees strict confidentially for all information received.

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Q. I have been to my dentist regularly for the last 10years. I saw his new hygienist last time who says I have really bad gum disease. I need to see a specialist and have lots of expensive treatment to put this right. I was only seen 6 months ago and the dentist cleaned my teeth – as usual – but I was told that all was fine.

Do you get gum disease that quickly?

They are saying that I might even have to have teeth out – is there anything else I can do?

A. Almost all adults actually have some degree of gum disease, so it is not unusual for an adult to be told by their dentist that they have gum disease.

But……

Gum disease ranges from gingivitis (really mild inflammation of the gums) which can show as some bleeding when the teeth are brushed - to advanced periodontitis (which is what it is called in its later stages). By this time, patients have lost attachment of their teeth and they may now be loose and/or painful.

Untreated – gum disease does end up with teeth being lost. They are usually taken out after patients have had painful abscesses, so, YES unfortunately it could be true that you do need to have teeth out and that these teeth are beyond any other treatment to save them. If you don’t want the pain of an abscess you may have no choice but to extract teeth now.

But…….

In answer to your first question :

Advanced gum disease takes a long time to develop – much longer than 6months in a healthy adult, who has not dramatically altered their tooth brushing habits during this time.

You say that it has been normal for you to have a professional clean when you have seen your dentist – did they also explain:

· why you always needed this

· areas that you were not cleaning well enough that were at risk of developing gum disease

· any warning symptoms of gum disease that you should have been looking for

· that you had developed the early stages of gum disease, probably some time ago.

If not, this dentist did not help you much by only repeatedly doing the same treatment and not giving you the chance to help yourself or take action to prevent developing gum disease in the early stages when it is much easier to treat, and much easier to prevent on your own.

(The topic of gum disease - its symptoms, prevention and treatment is covered much more in detail in the Stop Paying For Dental Treatment issue)

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Is gum disease contagious?

The term “gum disease” is generally used to describe the slow, progressive damage to the attachment of the teeth in the jaw bone that is caused by plaque being left around the teeth and gums. It is the result of not cleaning the teeth thoroughly enough or regularly enough.

And NO - It is not contagious.

There are, however, some more acute “gum” infections that can affect the mouth and these can be contagious.

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If you have a tooth out, do you have to fill the gap?

A. Not immediately - No.

If teeth are lost, they can be replaced by :

· dentures (which you can take out)

· bridges – several different types (the false teeth are fixed to other teeth and you can’t take them out)

· implants – new replacements are placed directly into the jaw bone.

Lost teeth are replaced in order to:

· improve appearance

· improve the ability to chew

· prevent neighbouring teeth from drifting into the space

· prevent teeth opposite from over-erupting (they keep growing down because they have nothing to bite on.)

These last two reasons don’t happen overnight.

So……

If you can still chew well and the look of the gap does not bother you, then there is no reason to rush in to replacing the tooth. Regular check-ups with your dentist will ensure that if other teeth begin to drift out of position, you will be warned and be able to make a decision at that time about whether you choose to replace the lost tooth/teeth.

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Q. I had a temporary crown fitted and was supposed to go back for the real crown. The temporary tooth looks great, why do I need to go and get another tooth fitted?

A. A temporary crown is usually made in the surgery when a tooth is prepared for a crown.

It improves the look of the prepared tooth and stops any sensitivity. It is usually plastic and not strong enough to stand normal chewing for any length of time.

A temporary crown is only a rough fit too, so although it is fine for the time it takes

to get a proper crown made, the fit around the edges of your tooth is not good and

will allow plaque to get underneath where you can’t clean and will put the tooth at

risk of decay.

You DO need to go back and get the actual crown fitted.

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Q. I had a front tooth filled and now it has changed colour. My dentist says

it will cost more money to put the tooth right

Isn’t it their fault? Why should I pay?

A. Hard to answer without knowing what exactly you have had done, But,

1. If you have had a tooth root filled and it has discoloured, that is a

common and normal thing to happen. Sometimes it can take years

to happen, sometimes it is pretty immediate, but NO it is not the

dentist’s fault, although they should have warned you of the

possibility.

2. If you have had a really big filling done on a very heavily decayed

tooth, the tooth may not have survived the treatment and has died.

If this is the case, you will need to root treat the tooth or take it

out to avoid an abscess forming. Again, this is not the Dentist’s

fault although, again, they should have warned you of the possible

bad outcome and discussed future treatment options when placing

the filling.

3. If you have had a white filling that just doesn’t match the tooth

colour, this IS the Dentist’s fault and if you are not happy with the

work, you need to discuss it with them. You should not have to

pay for bad work.

4. As it is a front tooth, I doubt that you have had an amalgam filling

placed,(but we have seen this done). These can also alter the tooth

colour, and you would need to discuss replacement with a white

material with your dentist.

But, it is a shame that you have not been able to discuss this with your own dentist. If your dentist did not understand that you were unhappy and their only comment about this situation was, in fact, that it would cost more money, perhaps you would be better finding a more understanding and caring dentist who makes the effort to make sure that you are aware of what any treatment involves, it’s possible complications and alternative options.

Then you can make a more informed decision about what treatments you accept, with realistic expectations of results.

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Is chewing gum really good for your teeth?

A. Yes.

Chewing SUGAR-FREE chewing gum increases the amount of saliva (spit) you make. Your spit is your mouth’s protection. After you have eaten food containing sugar, you get an acid attack on the teeth, your spit reduces this acidity and so protects your teeth. If you chew sugar-free gum after eating a meal, there is more saliva and so more protection.

Read the label though – make sure the gum IS sugar-free.

Q. WHY DO COLD DRINKS MAKE MY TEETH HURT?

A IF THIS IS IN MORE THAN ONE TOOTH, YOU MAY HAVE WHAT IS

KNOWN AS “SENSITIVITY”.

This has a few causes. Some are:

1. You may over-brush your teeth. If you have worn away the protective enamel outer coat, the inside of the tooth (dentine) is alive and has feeling and will react to temperature change.

2. You may have a lot of wear on the biting surfaces and again have exposed the live inside of the teeth

But…………..

1. You may have decay in one or more teeth

2. You may have gum disease and the roots of the teeth are being uncovered by the damage

You need to see a dentist to find the cause and if need be, treat it – even if that treatment simply means altering the way you brush your teeth.

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AND FINALLY, DID YOU KNOW?
One of the first recognized “dentists” was a Frenchman called Fauchard. He worked in the early 1700’s. He recommended the use of mouthwash to his patients to protect the gums and prevent tooth decay – the mouthwash he recommended was urine!!

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