tooth extraction Archives - 5 Star Dental Group

Must a Surgeon Remove a Tooth Root Fragment Broke During an Extraction?

Posted on April 11, 2024 by AllSmiles.

My dentist had trouble extracting my top left first molar, so part of the root broke. She referred me to an oral surgeon, and I am scheduled to remove the rest of the root in late June. Is this necessary, or can I leave the root fragment as is? Will it hurt anything? Thanks. Korey

Korey,

If a tooth isn’t easy to remove, a tooth root may break during an extraction. Your dentist realized she left the root fragment and responsibly referred you to an oral surgeon. Hopefully, in the future, your dentist will anticipate the challenges for an extraction patient and determine when it’s best to refer them to an oral surgeon for tooth removal.

If a root fragment is too long, bone can grow around it, making it more challenging to remove. Follow-up care should be in a few days.

The roots of the upper first molars are close to the sinus wall and can perforate the wall. The surgery requires adeptness to avoid additional complications. Allowing extended healing will increase the risk of perforation.

We recommend getting a second opinion from another oral surgeon about the timing of the root fragment removal. Another oral surgeon may recommend leaving a small fragment that’s close to the sinus wall. Otherwise, they will likely remove it as quickly as possible.

If you are considering a dental implant to replace your first molar, discuss it with the oral surgeon to determine whether you need bone grafting first.

San Antonio dentists Dr. Gilberto Tostado and Dr. Karina Acuña sponsor this post. Read how they strive to provide patients with some of the best dental care in San Antonio.

What Can I Do for a Tooth Infection If I Don’t Have Insurance?

Posted on January 28, 2024 by AllSmiles.

The left side of my face has been swollen for over a month. I have three cavities in my teeth on that side of my mouth. While eating something chewier than usual two days ago, I felt the discomfort increase in my teeth, and today it hurts. Unfortunately, I’ve been job searching for the past eight months and don’t have dental insurance. I’ve had several promising interviews, and I should hear back in a few weeks. I am still looking for work, but my unemployment income is not enough to pay my rent and utility bills and find a dentist. I’m unable to get credit because I don’t have a job. Can I do anything at home to manage the infection until I see a dentist? Thanks. Rachida

Rachida,

Ignoring a toothache and facial swelling caused by a dental infection is risky. Studies show that five to ten people lose their lives to dental infections yearly. Dead pulp tissue inside a tooth is usually the source of a tooth infection. Although antibiotics may seem like a quick fix, they only treat the symptoms, not the source. Antibiotics can’t reach inside a tooth, so taking them can lead to resistant bacteria and a potentially life-threatening infection.

Even small communities often offer free dental care if you don’t have dental insurance. Search the Internet for a dental clinic, a non-profit healthcare center, or a university dental school within driving distance.

Dental implant

Dentists often go above and beyond to help. Many dedicate time to charity clinics, especially in areas with limited access to care. In larger cities with dental schools, the students need volunteers for dental cleanings, exams, or extractions. While more complex procedures like root canals might not be available at every location, these clinics can offer temporary or permanent fillings, extractions, and other crucial treatments.

Getting treatment quickly can prevent the tooth infection from affecting your overall health, losing the tooth, and needing a dental implant or bridge.

San Antonio dentists Dr. Gilberto Tostado and Dr. Karina Acuña sponsor this post. If you don’t have dental insurance, call to ask about financing or payment plans.

Antibiotics for an Infected Tooth

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Annmarie Worthington.

I need some advice. I went to my dentist with a nasty toothache. I’ve been on antibiotics that he provided for me. I was getting better, but now everything has swelled up again and I’m hurting. Do I just need a refill of these antibiotics or should I ask for a different kind? I guess you need to know what type I’ve been on. He gave me something called clindamycin.

Greg

Dear Greg,

Man holding his jaw in pain

I am a little concerned there has been a breakdown in communication here. Antibiotics alone are not enough to rid you of a tooth infection. Dental infections are different than other infections because once the pulp inside dies, there is no longer blood flow that can get the medicine to the infected tissue. The only way to truly rid yourself of a tooth infection is by having a dentist remove the infected pulp.

There are two ways to do that. Ideally, you would want to save your tooth, which can be done with a root canal treatment. If that is not possible, then the tooth has to be extracted and then replaced.

It sounds like the antibiotic started to hold off your infection and then flared back up when you ran out. This is why your dentist should have scheduled you for a follow-up treatment. You now have a dental emergency and need to be seen as soon as possible. I would call your dentist in the morning and have him fit you in. As for the antibiotic, that was the right one to use leading up to your appointment, they just didn’t communicate that you’d need to come in before you finished your prescription.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Prosthodontist Dr. Tostado.

Dental Tourism Horror Story from Mexico

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Annmarie Worthington.

I had a broken tooth that needed a crown. I tried to save money by going to Mexico for the dental work, but this has ended up a disaster. When I got there, they told me I needed four dental crowns. I believed them and went forward with the work. Less than a week later, one of the crowns fell off. I went back and they told me it was because I need a root canal treatment. I did ask why they didn’t tell me about the root canal to begin with and they said because they don’t always work and they were trying to save me money and see if it would work itself out. So, I agreed to the root canal treatment. Fast forward less than another week and my tooth is seriously sensitive to hot, cold, and touch. I called their office and they said I’d need to come in. At this point, I’ve done two trips to Mexico and have ended up worse, so I called a local dentist who does free second opinions. He says the tooth is cracked and I need to extract it and get a dental implant. My question is this. Seeing as the dentist in Mexico misdiagnosed this, should he do the extraction and implant and credit me for the work already done?

Drew

Dear Drew,

Dental Tourism is Risky

You certainly have had a rough go of it. I’m going to file this in one of my many dental tourism horror stories. Every once in a while we hear of a good experience from someone who traveled to Mexico to get their work done at a lower cost, but most of the time something goes wrong.

Here are the things I am concerned about with the dentist from Mexico:

How do you know you actually needed four dental crowns? Did you have decay? A tooth infection? It doesn’t sound like it so I think you were taken advantage of there.
A crown doesn’t fall off because you need a root canal treatment. A crown falls off because the dentist did it wrong.
Did you really need the root canal treatment? If the tooth was infected, yes. But then, they’d have needed to do it the first time.
The root canal treatment wasn’t done properly. The root canal is intended to remove all the infected pulp in your tooth so you would have no feeling in that tooth afterward. The fact that you were having pain tells me they did not do the root canal properly.

As to this local dentist. Even if the tooth is cracked that does not automatically mean it has to be extracted. I would want to get another opinion on that before moving forward.

Let’s say you do need the dental implant. That is a much more advanced procedure than any your dentist from Mexico has done thus far, and these easier procedures have been a disaster. Please, don’t go to them for a dental implant, which requires surgery. You need to bite the bullet and see an experienced dentist here in the states.

As to whether you can recoup your money from the original dentist, that depends entirely on the laws in Mexico. You could first ask for a refund and see what happens.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Dentist Dr. Tostado.

Her Dentist is Missing it on This Infection

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Annmarie Worthington.

I had a root canal treatment a few years back. Last month my cheek started to ache near the spot that I had the root canal treatment. I called my dentist and he did some x-rays. It seems that the spot has re-infected. He did another root canal treatment and gave me some Penicillin. Ten days later, and I actually felt worse. He suggested that I give it some more time because some people take longer than others to heal. It’s been another week and I feel my cheek swelling up. How long should I expect it to take before I start to feel better? Is it reasonable to ask for a different antibiotic? I don’t think this one was working.

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

Woman holding her cheek in pain and in need of an emergency dentist

Your dentist is making two mistakes here. the first thing I want you to do is to call a root canal specialist. You have a dental emergency on your hands here. Let’s start with the antibiotic. Penicillin is not the best choice for a dental infection. These types of infections really need a stronger antibiotic in order to give your body the backup to heal. I would have suggested he provide you with Clyndimyacin. When you call the specialist, tell him or her what is going on and ask them to prescribe a more appropriate antibiotic.

The second mistake is not paying attention to your symptoms. When a root canal treatment is done, they can fail even when the dentist does everything right. That leads to a re-treatment. The problem is the chances of success go down significantly with each proceeding treatment. If it failed the first time, there is a greater chance it will fail the second time and even a larger chance of the third time. You have all the indications of the second treatment failing and he just wasn’t putting two and two together.

My hope is that your tooth can be saved by getting to a root canal specialist quickly. If it can’t, the next step is a tooth extraction. When that happens, you need to give serious thought to your tooth replacement. You don’t want to leave the space open. The adjacent teeth will begin to shift or tip into the empty space. This will throw off your bite and could lead to more serious issues such as TMJ disorder. The way to prevent this is to replace the tooth as soon as possible. If you’re looking for the best tooth replacement, I would recommend a dental implant. There are other options though which your dentist can go over with you should that become necessary.

First step, call that specialist right away.

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