NetWellness Dental and Oral Health Center

Tooth Pulled, Piece of Silver Point Remains

Melissa Drum DDS, MS — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 02:11:00 EST

Question: I had a root canal with silver point filling done about 30 years ago, had no problems until the tooth was extracted 5 yrs ago due to internal resorbtion. Panoramic xray 3 years ago showed what looks like a piece of metal deep in my lower jaw, shaped like tip of the filling and now causes intermitten . . .

Answer: It is very unlikely that you would be having symptoms of nausea secondary to root canal filling material in your jaw. If you would feel more comfortable, you can seek a consult by an oral surgeon.

Please see similar previously answered questions:

Ask an Expert: John Kalmar DMD, PhD, Dental and Oral Health Center

Mouth Blood Blister

Michele Carr RDH, MA — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:12:00 EST

Question: I experienced a trauma to my upper lip and now on the inside of my lip is a large blood blister. How do I treat it and how long will it take to go away? Thanks

Answer: Typically there is no treatment necessary. It will go away by itself within 7-10 days. You should see it get smaller each day.

Ask an Expert: Michele Carr RDH, MA, Dental and Oral Health Center

Implants vs. Root Canals

Lisa Lang DDS, MS — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:09:00 EST

Question: I had a root canal when I was eight years old, and it failed at age 36. I needed a second root canal and two crowns to keep the tooth that long. After it came out I had an implant. To my surprise, the implant procedure was a breeze; much easier than the root canals or extraction. If I end up needing . . .

Answer:

Dental implants offer an important option for people to maintain the best oral health. When you had your root canal at age 8, dental implants were in very early stages of being introduced to the professional dental community and were not in widespread use. Even if they had been available, the tre . . .

Ask an Expert: Lisa Lang DDS, MS, Dental and Oral Health Center

Pain with New Crown

Ned Robertson DMD, MS — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:09:00 EST

Question: I just got a crown on one of my teeth. My tooth still hurts, and seems to be getting worse, especially when I chew. My dentist said it was important to come in and check in case I might need a root canal.

Answer: It is not uncommon to need a root canal on a crowed tooth. The reason is not necessarily that a crown was placed, but rather, because of the many reasons for needing the crown originally, including a broken tooth, multiple large fillings or extensive decay. However, a very common reason for a newly . . .

Ask an Expert: Ned Robertson DMD, MS, Dental and Oral Health Center

Keeping gums healthy

Stuart Sears DDS — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:09:00 EST

Question: I have always had good teeth and never had many cavities. My dentist told me that I have gum problems that I need to fix and is sending me to a periodontist. Once I am back to normal how can I be sure that I keep my gums healthy?

Answer: This is an excellent question. Here are some very general guidelines. Most important is proper oral hygiene at home, basically, brushing and flossing, then, continued maintenance with in-office cleanings on a regular basis. Every six months is generally appropriate, but depending on the periodontist . . .

Ask an Expert: Stuart Sears DDS, Dental and Oral Health Center

Pregnancy and Preventing Gum Disease

Yiping Han PhD — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:09:00 EST

Question: I am pregnant with my first child. Someone told me that you need to take better care gums. What do I need to do to be sure my baby is ok.

Answer: You are asking a wonderful question! We have learned so much in the past few years from our research about how important it is to have healthy gums to help protect your baby. Infected gums can lead to babies being born too early because the bacteria causing the infection are transferred from mother . . .

Ask an Expert: Yiping Han PhD, Dental and Oral Health Center

Difference Between Dental Sealants & Fluoride

Gerald Ferretti DDS, MS, MPH — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:09:00 EST

Question: My four year old just went to the dentist and had a fluoride varnish put on his teeth. My daughter is in the second grade and got something called a dental sealant a few months ago at school. Are they actually the same thing or are they different?

Answer:

Fluoride varnish and dental sealants are different substances that both protect children's teeth from decay (dental caries) at different stages of life. Fluoride varnish protects your child's first teeth, called primary teeth. It is applied twice per year from age one to age six or seven when the . . .

Ask an Expert: Gerald Ferretti DDS, MS, MPH, Dental and Oral Health Center

Criteria for Removing Multiple Rotting Teeth

D Sharples DDS — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:09:00 EST

Question: I would like to know the criteria dentist utilize to determine if a patient needs all of his teeth removed from rotting teeth. My husband has multiple rotting teeth and the dentist chose to only remove his wisdom teeth not the rotting teeth as well. He is afraid of the dentist and requested when he . . .

Answer: There are several criteria to determine if a patient should have all of his teeth removed. Your description of your husband's oral condition does not include near enough information to determine what his situation is.

Have him make an appointment with his dentist to discuss what hi . . .

Ask an Expert: D Sharples DDS, Dental and Oral Health Center