My current dentist who is supposeably biological found tooth decay in a bridge I had back in April.
He took the bridge out and found decay so bad on the back tooth he referred me out to get the tooth extracted which means I will be missing 3 teeth on one side.
On the same side, a tooth had to have a root canaled because it also had decay because of a bad bridge.
He also said I had two cavities which I had filled a week ago. One of them continues to hurt.
He is now telling me because the cavity was so deep it might need a root canal. At first he said crown.
I no longer have any trust for this dentist.
I have met with Oral Surgeons and two prosthodontist thus far for the tooth that needs to be pulled and will put dental implants on that side.
The prosthodontists I met with wouldn't work. One I didn't trust,(just a gut feeling), the other one said titanium isn't a problem which I didn't trust that answer.
I don't want metal in my mouth.
Last year I had to extract another tooth on a different side and asked my current dentist about implants.
I have TMJ and he said he wanted my TMJ to become more stable? Wouldn't it be more unstable if the tooth wasn't replaced?
I'm at such a loss as to where to go to get non titanium implants and what dentist could do the restoration. It is a huge job and I want it done right.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
If you are concerned about dental materials, I would go to a good allergist or dermatologist and do patch testing for the dental panel and metals.
I was allergic to SEVERAL items that the biological dentist used in my mouth. It was worse for me than some metals.
I got some of my worst dental care from biological dentists.
I eventually found an older dentist who had just seen A LOT. She believed in dental allergies and worked with me to find substances I'm not allergic to.
Gold can actually be good if you aren't allergic. It's antibacterial.
Find someone you trust. Dental care IS expensive and you want to get the best if you can afford it.
I'd also do a post about seeking a dentist.
"I have TMJ and he said he wanted my TMJ to become more stable? Wouldn't it be more unstable if the tooth wasn't replaced?"
It also depends on what's causing the TMJ. Is it muscular, is it from your bite, is it from posture?
That's a whole other thing to get evaluated for and there are myofascial dentists in the US that can tell you where the pain is coming from.
For me, it was muscular, but the dental pain didn't help either.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
The first thing I would do is ask around about dentists. You must have one who does the right thing... not the right thing for his wallet.
Then.... research the heck out of it.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
stay away from teaching hospitals and clinics. my sil had all her teeth pulled due to "emphysema". first set didnt fit, now second set is bad. she can't eat and is on liquids. plus she's spent thousands.
husband's friend went to BAylor dental teaching and has had a ton of problems.
go to a certified dentist and get plenty og opinions.
Posted by hopingandpraying (Member # 9256) on :
I don't know where you are located.
Look into getting zirconium implants instead of titanium ones.
I would also get the "Clifford Test" (a blood test) done to determine which materials you are compatible with.
Here are some websites for you to find a good biological dentist:
Dormer and Allergeaze makes dental patches for testing. Insurance should pay for tests.
I found a dentist on www.iaomt.org who put materials I was allergic to in my mouth.
"He also said I had two cavities which I had filled a week ago. One of them continues to hurt."
That's what happened to me. Do a consult with another dentist and get a 2nd or 3rd opinion before you get more work done.
If it still hurts, I wouldn't go back there.
The tooth surface may be uneven and the filling is bumping part of it causing pain. That and the materials is what put me in dental hell for a couple fillings.
I agree. Don't go to a teaching place. I went once and they said I needed 4 fillings and to come back for the work. I didn't go back and consulted a regular dentist. I DID NOT need work for at least another 10 years.
I feel like the school just wanted to use me to teach the students.
Also, ask EVERYONE you know if they like their dentist, oral surgeon, etc... That's how I eventually found a good one that would make it right.
I went through 5-6 dentists until I found one that I trusted who didn't make the problem worse. Word of mouth was the way to go.
Internet reviews led me in the wrong direction. I think a lot of them were fake for some of the dentists I saw.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Regarding the filling that is still hurting you, I agree with what your dentist said.
If the filling was deep, then it is possible that it got too close to the nerve in the tooth. Give it time. If it stops hurting, you saved yourself a root canal and crown.
However, if it continues to hurt, then it will have to be a root canal and crown.
So, the dentist did right to try a filling first. Some fillings are in a "gray" area, meaning that it may bother the patient or it may not. Only time will tell. The nerve can eventually recover from the drilling/filling and life can go on.
Go to another dentist if you think there is something wrong with the filling. But, otherwise, if there isn't, then what he told you is what my dentist has told me in the past.
Sometimes it stops hurting, and sometimes it has to become a root canal and crown. Give it some time.
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
I was also told my filling was deep that's why it hurt. That could be a factor.
It turns out for me the filling wasn't deep when I got another opinion. The dentist was just trying to give a reason why it hurt.
I was being urged to get a crown or root canal. This just didn't seem right. I didn't have pain on the tooth before the filling.
One dentist put in a glass ionomer temporary filling. This IMMEDIATELY gave me some relief. The dentist said he use to do crowns when this happened, but then discovered if he gave the tooth time to settle with a gentler substance like this, he didn't have to.
It was cheap to do this and a good diagnostic.
I then got the biological material put in at another dentist. All year I was in horrible pain.
I had moved and saw a new dentist (this one too was urging me to get a root canal or crown too).
I insisted she put a temporary in since that's what gave me relief the other time. It turns out the biological filling was completely cracked under the surface. No wonder it hurt. (also found out from my allergist I was allergic to some of the ingredients).
This dentist put stuff in my mouth I was allergic to too saying there isn't "much" so it shouldn't cause a problem. Boy, was she wrong. I couldn't do much, she had already put it in my mouth.
6 replacement fillings later along with patch testing and I finally have relief without having to get a crown/root canal.
I hope no one has to go through what I went through.
Posted by lymenotlite (Member # 33166) on :
Tooth decay can be healed. I have experienced this. I brush with hydrogen peroxide (some need diluted to half distilled water and half h. p.) Then I floss and use dental appliances to clean between the teeth and around the gums so that the h. peroxide can reach it.
Anyhow, after brushing with the peroxide, and using dental appliances to make sure everything is clean so that the hp can reach it, I brush with toothpaste in the morning and baking soda at night.
Do a search for previous posts if you are interested.
Posted by cbb (Member # 788) on :
So sorry you have this to deal with!!
I've found Lyme and dental problems to be about the most confusing and frustrating thing about this disease. Also, the least information about what to do.
I've had LD since the late 1970s. Excellent teeth till about 1988, but then, one by one, a number of my teeth started to break off. Had several root canals by 1991 before diagnosis in 1992.
Later, the root and part of one tooth were sent to a Florida lab and came back positive for Lyme. I believe that over a number of years, the bacteria and possibly Babs and Bart have caused my teeth to deteriorate.
I've been told Lyme patients should not have root canals. It gives the bacteria a nice place to live. But what are the alternatives?
Last year, I had implants that were highly recommended by my dentist and periodontist and also because it seemed like the best way to go. I had problems, possibly because I was not on antibiotics at the time the work was done. The worst, and most serious, was a large cyst under my chin that looked like one "mump." I was told later that I should not have had the implants. So what are you supposed to do?
Considering what I dealt with and the fact I got over it, my LLMD in NYC said I evidently have a good immune system. At my advanced age and as long as I've had TBDs, that was good news to me!!
A dear friend with LD has had what looks like "black plaque" develop on some of her teeth. It can be cleaned off, but it's a tedious process. Last year, it was the right side. This year, it's the left side. We haven't been able to find any info that would explain it. We feel it's connected to Lyme, Babesiosis, and/or Bartonella, but have nothing to back it up. Her dentist and LLMD in NYC have no answers.
For your situation, all I can recommend is that you research as much as you can and if you decide to have the implants, you may want to consider good antibiotic treatment before and during the work.
Good luck, and if you learn something worth sharing, please let us know!!
By the way, some good did come out of my ordeal. It gave me the opportunity to educate the Periodontist and the Oral Surgeon about LD. First visit with the Oral Surgeon, I explained about the Lyme and offered to bring him information. He told me it just takes some antibiotics to cure the Lyme and he already had information about it. With my nerves already on edge, I admit I kinda snapped at him and said "Well, I hope it's not information from the Infectious Disease Society of America." He and the nurse just looked at me.
I took information to him anyway, and by the time we struggled through weeks of dealing with the drain under my chin and triple antibiotics (NYC LLMD advising), his attitude had changed.
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