Pain with Teeth Whitening
I’ve been whitening my teeth and I’ve started having some pain. It only lasts a few seconds, but it does hurt. It’s always around where I had a chipped tooth repaired. I’ve stopped whitening for now. Do you know if teeth whitening could weaken the bonding around the tooth repair. If so, how do I handle this?
Paula
Dear Paula,
There hasn’t been a case where teeth whitening damaged the bonding on a tooth repair. I’m assuming that you had dental bonding repairing the chip. Something that can damage bonding is alcohol, so you definitely do not want to allow alcohol to sit on your teeth. Also, be aware that if you use mouthwash, make sure you use one that is alcohol free. There are some out there.
In your case, it sounds more like something has damaged your tooth repair which left a little open spot. With that exposed, even a little bit, it would be easy for you to have that pain. My suggestion is that you continue to pause the teeth whitening until you see your dentist. Have him repair your tooth. Hopefully, you are having your teeth whitening done through a dentist. They can fix the spot that was damaged and then you’ll be able to continue with your whitening.
If you’re not doing this under the care of a dentist, then I think it is important you find one. Not only will your dentist be able to prevent a host of other problems that can pop up. Plus, your dentist can provide you with a lot stronger of a whitening gel which will allow you to whiten your teeth a whole lot faster than anything you can get over the counter.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel, a metal-free dentist.
Bone Grafting Did Not Work
My dentist has done hundreds of dental implants with great success, but for some reason mine was a bust. He did all these pre-diagnostics, which cost a fortune, then told me I needed some bone grafting done. He’d been training on that, so I went ahead and did that, too, with him. More money. After the required healing period, he went in to do the implant surgery but did not place the dental implant because he said there still wasn’t enough bone. He’s now offering to give me a dental bridge. Here are my questions. First, was he just milking me for surgeries? Second, should I get the dental bridge or go somewhere else to get the implant? Does the bone thing matter?
David
Dear David,
I’m going to start with your last question. Yes, the bone thing does matter. The only way for the dental implant to remain securely in your mouth is for there to be enough bone available to integrate with the implant. This bone is important even for your natural teeth. One of the reasons that people with untreated gum disease end up losing their teeth is because the disease eats the bone that supports their teeth.
As for whether he was just milking you for money, I sincerely doubt it. It sounds more to me like you have a fantastic dentist for two reasons. First, he’s trying to keep up with the developments in his field and learn them in order to serve his patients in the best way possible. You’d mentioned he’d been training on that. All people, no matter what the field, when they are learning a new skill will have failures. That’s what learning is like for everyone. But, he’s learning. That will only end up better for you in the long run.
Second, he has integrity. If he were trying to just take your money, he would have just placed the implant knowing the bone grafting did not work. Eventually, your implant would have failed, but it would likely take a year or more and have been impossible to prove that he was at fault.
As to whether you should get the dental bridge, that is a fine alternative to a dental implant. This is especially true if one of the adjacent teeth already needs a dental crown. Then, you’d be knocking off two procedures at once. You can certainly still get the dental implant if that is the replacement you really want. However, you’ll need to go to a different surgeon to have at least the bone grafting part done.
I know you’re frustrated, and I understand, but it does sound like your dentist was trying his best with a procedure that was new to him and was up front with you when things went awry.
This blog s brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
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