Bethany from Toronto

Bethany,

It depends on what you mean by normal. If by normal you mean common, then probably not. But, there are people who have two and sometimes even three sets of wisdom teeth. When this happens, the additional wisdom teeth are usually not fully erupted. Generally, it is not a problem to have extra wisdom teeth. You may want to have both sets extracted to prevent overcrowding.

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Janet S. – Portland, OR

Janet,

It is possible, but there are some things to consider. In most people the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth in front. Adding something onto your  front lower front teeth will cause you to bite directly on the Snap-On Smile appliance. This would open your bite and could cause problems for your jaw. It could even cause your back teeth to drift. In most cases, if we were to make an appliance for your lower teeth, we would want to make it for the entire lower arch, not just the front teeth. Of course, these restrictions vary from case to case.

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Marian – Ghana

Marian,

I haven’t examined you, so I can’t be positive, but it sounds to me like your tooth has become re-infected. You really need to see a dentist to get this treated, or it can get even more complicated and painful. Your dentist put a temporary filling in after your root canal treatment in order to seal off the root canal filling material from your saliva. Without going back to get it permanently sealed your saliva will begin to contaminate the root canal area, causing the tooth to become re-infected. It is also possible to have additional decay inside the tooth. Hopefully this hasn’t progressed too far and your tooth can still be saved. I’d see a dentist as soon as you can.

Good Luck! I was pleasantly surprised that someone from so far away came across this site.

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Carolyn M.- Las Vegas

Carolyn,

The surgery for dentures is not a complicated one. Many dentists can handle it. I suggest calling some dentists in your area and asking them their procedure for dentures and see if it is what you’re comfortable with. To be honest, dentists can give you a more comfortable fit placing your dentures than a surgeon can.

I would also like to suggest, out of deference to your fear of dentists, that you look for someone who also does some type of sedation dentistry such as nitrous oxide. This will help relax you throughout the procedure. It also has the added benefit of allowing you to tolerate more dental work per appointment. You haven’t been in a while, so it will make it easier on you while you get the work done.

Enjoy your new smile. I’m glad you’re taking steps to make you more comfortable when you smile.

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Thanks,

Lacey-San Diego, CA

Lacey,

Yes, almost any general dentist should be able to loosen the clasp on your partial denture.  Many partial dentures are a little uncomfortable feeling to begin with, but are adjusted to fairly quickly. If you’ve had this partial for more than a month, it is a good idea for you to contact your dentist right away and let him know of your concern.  If the clasp is too tight and is left that way, it will do damage to the tooth it is attached to.

If after this is dealt with, you are still finding it difficult to deal with dentures, you may consider getting dental implants.

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Mike B.- Minnesotta

Mike,

When your teeth start turning black after an injury, it generally means you’ve killed the nerve tissue, and are in need of a root canal. You didn’t mention if the teeth are still in their correct places. It is possible to surgically reposition teeth, but that needs to be done quickly after the injury, and before the bone has healed itself. When you have an injury that affects your teeth, you will want to see an emergency dentist as soon as is reasonably possible. They can help you know right away what kind of damage has been done, and what type of treatments you need to seek, if any.

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Carrie H.- Michigan

Carrie,

Baby molars need to stay in place until the child is about 10-12 years old. Because of that it is important to deal with the infection. To do that, you have two options:

1. You can have the tooth removed and then put in a space maintainer. It is important to place the maintainer, so that the permanent teeth don’t come in all jumbled.
2. You can have a pulpotomy done. A pulpotomy is a little like a baby tooth root canal. It’s designed to kill an infection in baby teeth. In this treatment, most of the pulp of the baby tooth is removed, and the tissue inside the roots is daubed with a disinfectant like formocresol. Afterwards, the tooth is then sealed and usually covered with a stainless steel crown.

You’ll want to have this procedure done by a pediatric dentist, or a general dentist who is familiar and comfortable treating children.

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Phyllis- Florida

Phyllis,

Dry Socket is a common complication of wisdom teeth extractions. Generally it happens two or three days after surgery. It is frequently accompanied by intense pain. Dry socket occurs because of a breakdown in the bone of a socket. It more often occurs with difficult extractions of the lower wisdom teeth, if a dentist has to put a lot of pressure on the tooth to get it out. Your dentist can lower the chances of this by putting a clindamycin dressing in the socket right after the extraction. 

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Jeffery O.- Baton Rouge

Jeffery,

Unless you’ve had repeated dinners with acidic food, I don’t think your meal was the cause of the decalcification. It would take repeated use to cause that type of problem. The Fluoride gel will help. In fact, as long as you are careful to spit out all the gel, you can use it several times. That is a prescription strength of fluoride, so I’m sure your dentist explained the importance of not ingesting it.

You may also be interested in learning about Lumineers.

This blog is brought to you by Chicago Dentist, Dr. Charles Olono.

Karen S.- Florida

Karen,

What you’ve described is regularly done and is quite safe.  During wisdom tooth extractions, if the root tip is close to the main nerve that goes through your lower jaw, the standard practice is to just leave it there rather than risk damaging that nerve if part of it breaks off during the extraction. There is very little chance the remaining tooth structure will cause any damage.

This blog is brought to you by Chicago Dentist Dr. Charlie Olono.