Tag Archives: dental crown

Emergency Dentist

Why Is My Tooth Gray After Dental Visit?

I went to see a dentist because of some tooth pain. He did an x-ray but said he didn’t see anything wrong. He decided to cap the tooth because he said the symptoms reminded him of of a cracked tooth. The tooth pain went away, but now I noticed the tooth next to it is gray. Did the dentist do something to it?

Carla

Dear Carla,

Woman holding her jaw in pain from TMJ

When you have a dental emergency, all you care about is getting out of pain. I haven’t seen your x-rays so I’m having to just draw some possibilities.

First, there could have been a misdiagnosis. The only way to tell this with certainty is to have another dentist look at your x-rays and tell you if the true problem was obvious. If it was, then you have a right to a full refund from the original dentist.

Another option is that you did have a cracked tooth which needed a dental crown, then later, the adjacent tooth was injured by something else. Let’s be honest, this is very unlikely. But, as it is a possibility I mention it.

The third option is much more likely. Both teeth could have experienced trauma at the same time but it took the second tooth a while to show it’s injury.

Is a Gray Tooth a Dental Emergency?

When a tooth is gray it means it is either dead or dying. When that happens it needs a root canal treatment. It’s not a dental emergency yet, but if you don’t get it taken care of can turn into one quickly.

You didn’t seem to feel too confident in the dentist who gave you a dental crown, so you may want to let whichever dentist you go to for your second opinion do your root canal treatment.

This blog is brought to you by Salem Dentist Dr. Randall Burba.

TMJ

Does TMJ Require Surgery?

I’ve been having jaw pain. I did some research to find out what it could be and all the online articles point to TMJ. They also say it can require surgery to fix. I’m only 25 but am completely on my own financially. I don’t think there is any way I can afford surgery. Are there other options? Can they give you a med that allows you time to save up for surgery?

Melissa

Dear Melissa,

Chart of TMJ and Neuromuscular Dentistry

We’re jumping the gun here a bit. The first thing you’d want to do is see a dentist to see if you are suffering from TMJ Disorder. Even if you are, surgery isn’t generally the first go to. Your TMJ Dentist will look for the cause of the TMJ pain first, before outlining any treatment plan.

As you can see from the chart above, there are many reasons why you could be in pain. Sometimes it is something other than the joint itself. For instance, your bite could be out of alignment and starting to wear down the temporomandibular joint.

If that’s the case, your dentist will decide if you need a temporary orthotic to shift your bite and align it into proper positioning, or if you need some additional dental work like a dental implant or porcelain crown.

Only in very rare cases is anything like a full-mouth reconstruction or surgery necessary.

The Key to Proper TMJ Treatment

To ensure you get the proper treatment, you need to make sure you are going to an experienced TMJ Dentist. There isn’t a recognized TMJ Specialty, so it is up to the patient to find out what type of qualifications their dentist has to give them the right treatment.

Don’t hesitate to ask your dentist what type of TMJ training they have. Dental school isn’t enough. It must be post-doctoral work. I’m going to suggest you click here to look at Dr. Burba’s TMJ Dentist page in order to know what type of training you should look for.

Bear in mind, a good dentist will recommend the least invasive treatment for this type of situation first.

This blog is brought to you by Salem Dentist Dr. Randall Burba.

Emergency Dentist

Will an Emergency Dentist Charge the Cause of the Accident?

I was at a stag party. We were at a pub when one of the group got a little too drunk. He started trouble which ended up causing a fight. The result of which was my front tooth lost a piece and is now loose. I’m assuming I need an emergency dentist, but I’m broke. Will the dentist charge the fee to the moron who started all this?

Casey C.

Dear Casey,

A chipped tooth in need of an emergency dentist
Tooth trauma requires an emergency dental visit

I’m very sorry this happened to you. It’s hard when you’re trying to be responsible and the people around you cause problems. You’re right that this needs an emergency dentist. Your loose tooth needs to be splinted to stabilize it. There are several ways a dentist can do this. What method he or she uses will depend on what other issues your tooth is facing.

He’ll also want to examine it for trauma to the nerves or pulp. Internal damage could mean a root canal treatment and possible crown.

Once the tooth is secure, if there’s no other damage you can fix the broken piece with dental bonding. You don’t have to have the piece that broke. A skilled cosmetic dentist can sculpt a composite resin onto your tooth which will look just like your natural tooth structure and blend in perfectly.

Who Pays for Emergency Dental Care?

Unless the person responsible comes and agrees to pay for treatment, the dentist can’t bill him. He can only bill the person receiving the services or their legal guardian without prior approval. However, you can ask for a detailed bill of the damage and send the bill to the offender. If he has integrity he may just pay. If he doesn’t, you may have to take him to small claims court.

Just be aware, many dentists are willing to work with patients financially, especially those in emergency situations. Just talk to the dentist ahead of time. If he’s not willing to work with you, try Care Credit, though most dentists offer that in-office. It’s a medical credit card that has low and even no-interest payments.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Randall Burba.