Monthly Archives: December 2016

Emergency Dentist

Will An Emergency Dentist Treat a Painful Canker Sore?

I’m wondering if I need to schedule my husband an appointment with an emergency dentist. He has been in agony over a canker sore for the past several days. He’s not one to complain, but when he didn’t eat dinner last night I started to worry and I asked to look. The spot looks really angry and is about the size of a kernel of corn. It’s red and raised with white on the top. Also, this isn’t the first one he’s had. He had another one a couple months back, but it was nowhere near this bad.  Would an emergency dentist help him with this, do we need to see a regular doctor, or should we give it more time to see what it does?

Thanks,

Marie – Michigan

Dear Marie,

There may be no need to see an emergency dentist just yet, especially if you haven’t tried any treatments at home. Most of the time, these spots clear up in 10-14 days on their own. It’s just a matter of managing it until you get to that point.

There are several products you can try to see if they give him some relief. An oral anesthetic from the dental aisle of just about any grocery or drug store is a good place to start. You’ll also find products aimed at covering it and protecting it. These tend to come in either a tube or as little gel-like pads that adhere to the tissue. Covers are difficult to keep on, but they can add temporary protection from temperature changes and maybe long enough to eat a meal if he’s careful. If it’s looking like it might be becoming infected, a topical antiseptic should also be applied. Some of the patches and gels already have an antiseptic in them. You can also buy a product made especially for killing germs or do a rinse with a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and water. Listerine is also a good choice. Although it’s not intended to treat canker sores, some people report pain relief from using it as well.

Covers are difficult to keep on, but they can add temporary protection from temperature changes and maybe long enough to eat a meal if he’s careful. If it’s looking like it might be becoming infected, a topical antiseptic should also be applied. Some of the patches and gels already have an antiseptic in them. You can also buy a product made especially for killing germs or do a rinse with a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and water. Listerine is also a good choice. Although it’s not intended to treat canker sores, some people report pain relief from using it as well.

True canker sores can be caused by a lot of things, such as biting one’s cheek, friction from a dental appliance, injury, stress, and even allergies. Plus, there are other things that masquerade as if they were canker sores, such as oral cancer or viruses. If your husband has a lot of them, he may want to see a physician or dentist to have an evaluation done. It’s also a good idea to schedule a checkup if this doesn’t clear up within two weeks of the onset or if the pain gets worse, but it doesn’t have to be with the emergency dentist unless the pain is bad.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Kevin Peck.

Pediatric Dentistry

Must I Stop Seeing a Pediatric Dentist When I Turn 18?

I love my pediatric dentist. I’ve been seeing her since I was five years old. I love her. The office is great. The staff is nice. Everything is good there. She has seen me through a lot. We talk about everything. I also have some anxiety issues and she has always been good with me about it. The problem is, I’m turning 18 in a few months.  Are they going to kick me out of the office and make me see a regular dentist? If they let me stay, should I feel weird about it?

Jessi – Georgia

Dear Jessi,

Typically, they do see kids, but they also take care of adults who have special needs and those who can be better served by the fun and relaxed atmosphere only a pediatric dentist can provide. However, every pediatric dentist has his or her own guidelines, but many of them are glad to continue seeing people until they’re ready to move on, even after they are officially a legal adult.

At this stage, you probably still have another year of high school anyway, so it makes sense to keep with what you have going for the time being, especially because you’ve got such a good relationship with her.

The only real concern is if you need to have serious dental work done. If you wind up needing a root canal, crowns, periodontal care, or something along those lines, your dentist may not be able to do them. It wouldn’t be because she “can’t.” She has the same training and schooling as any other dentist, but with additional training in working with kids. However,  kids don’t often need those kinds of services, and so she might not be set up to perform them or she might perform them so infrequently that she’d refer you to someone else.

This may not even be a concern that you have to face, though, as long as your oral health remains good for your remaining years with her.

In all likelihood, they’ll be glad to see you for quite some time, but you may want to call ahead and see what their policy is just to be sure. No, you shouldn’t feel weird about it at all. You’ve found a great dentist that you’re comfortable with and it sounds like she treats you well. That’s worth hanging onto and she’d probably be glad to know how much she’s touched your life.

You may also tell her how you’re feeling. She may know who the perfect dentist will be for you when you’re ready.  It will be much easier to see a new dentist before there’s a serious issue than after.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Kevin Peck.