New Patients: (833) 357-7578
Phone: (818) 248-1991
3730 Foothill Blvd, La Crescenta, CA 91214

ROBERT THEIN,
DDS, ABOI, ICOI

Archives for November 2018

Did Dentist Misdiagnose My Husband?

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I tend to do dental care on an emergency basis. The last two times I went I ended up needing a root canal treatment and dental crown. Last week my husband went in with a toothache to the same dentist I use for emergencies and he only received a crown, no root canal. What gives? Was he misdiagnosed? Will he end up needing more treatment later?

Caroline

Dear Caroline,

Man holding jaw in need of an emergency dentist

There are several reasons for tooth pain. When you needed a root canal, it was likely because you had tooth infections from decay that went undetected and spread. However, that doesn’t mean your husband had the same issue.

His pain could have been for a cracked tooth. It would hurt when he bit down, but wouldn’t need a root canal treatment. The crown would be to protect the damaged tooth and hopefully protect it from further damage.

I’m a tad concerned that the dentist you see for emergencies didn’t explain to either of you why he chose the treatments he did. It’s important you go to a dentist who thoroughly explains not just your diagnosis but all your options for treatment.

Avoiding Dental Emergencies

While you’re not alone in your desire to avoid the dentist. I’m afraid your method of waiting on emergencies is dangerous and don’t want to see you end up in a life-threatening situation. While you’ve caught all infections in time to be solved by a root canal treatment, these type of things can blow up quickly.

One day, you may end up with a tooth which can’t be saved. Either you’ll have to extract the tooth and get an expensive replacement, such as a dental implant, or worse, the infection could spread too quickly to contain.

If you think about how close your heart and brain are to your jaw, the infection could easily spread there and put you at serious risk. People still die from tooth infections. Even this year, several people have died in the United States, including a young father of three young children.

Dental Care Without Fear

Most people avoid the dentist because of the fear of pain. What if I told you there is a way for you to have stress-free, pain-free dental appointments? I recommend you try sleep dentistry. This allows you to sleep through your appointments, getting a healthy smile without any fear. Patients with dental anxiety have found this to be a life changer.

This blog is brought to you by Glendale Dentist Dr. Robert Thein.

Can Dentures Look Natural?

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I’ve just been told I’m going to lose my teeth. Here’s the thing, I’m young. It’s embarrassing enough knowing my gum disease is costing me my teeth and I’m going to need dentures, but the idea of looking like my grandmother is disastrous. I’m hoping there have been advancements enough where dentures can look natural and even attractive these days. Please tell me it’s so. Pretty please?

Karyn

Dear Karyn,

side by side comparison of dentures and dental implants

There are a few things going on here which can help you. The first and foremost is don’t give up on your teeth yet. Even if you have advanced gum disease, with aggressive treatments it’s possible to repair your gums and save your teeth. You may have to see a periodontist to do it, but it’s well worth the effort.

The Beauty Depends on the Dentist, Not the Procedure

You asked if your dentures could be made to look natural and beautiful. The answer is yes…IF you use the right dentist. The beauty of a procedure depends on the skill of the dentist. You could have a total smile makeover done, but if it’s not done by a skilled cosmetic dentist it won’t look natural or attractive.

On the other hand, you could have a pair of dentures made, but if they’re done by an excellent cosmetic dentist they will look stunning.

Finding that skilled dentist isn’t always easy. There isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry so patients have to research a dentist’s post-doctoral training as well as their artistry to ensure they’ll get a beautiful result.

Fortunately, there’s a site that’s done the work for you. I recommend looking on the mynewsmile.com website. They’ve completely vetted cosmetic dentists who want to be listed on their site. You will get a gorgeous smile by any dentist on their “Find a cosmetic dentist” link.

However, before you make a decision on your procedure, it’s important you know about the danger of dentures.

The Danger of Dentures

Before and after facial collapse

Facial collapse ages you.

You mentioned you’re young. You should be aware dentures at your age put you at a high risk for facial collapse. Once your teeth are removed (or lost), your body notices and thinks you no longer need your jawbone to support your teeth and their roots. As a result, it slowly resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere causing it to shrink.

This is known as facial collapse. As you can see from the image directly above it ages your appearance significantly. However, there’s a much bigger problem that develops than just appearances. You’ll no longer have enough bone left to support your dentures, leaving you no way to eat solid food.

Alternative to Dentures

There is a solution. When you asked if there were enough advancements in dentistry to make dentures look natural, there are. Even better, though, are the advancements which allow us to replace them altogether. Dental implants are an amazing solution and the closest thing to having your own healthy, natural teeth back.

An implant dentist will surgically place the prosthetic roots, called dental implants. After a period of healing, he will then fix your dentures to the implants securing them in place, all while your body recognizes the implants as teeth roots, therefore, preserving your jawbone.

It’s a beautiful solution. Obviously, the more implants, the more secure the dentures, but you can get implant supported dentures with as few as four or six implants.

Best of luck to you and please try to save your teeth first.

This blog is brought to you by La Crescenta Dentist Dr. Robert Thein.