Tag Archives: tooth pain

Root Canal Treatment

Pregnant with a Horrible Toothache

I am twenty-two weeks pregnant. My OBGYN suggested that I go to see my dentist for a check up during my second trimester because healthy teeth and gums are important for a healthy baby during pregnancy. I’m not exactly a fan of dentists but did what my doc said in order to protect my baby. At the appointment, my dentist found a couple of cavities and filled them right there. That was a few weeks ago and I am now in excruciating pain. Nothing helps it except Tylenol, which I am trying to avoid because I am pregnant. Why am I having all this pain? I didn’t have any before the visit. Is there anything I can do about it while I am pregnant?

Marla

Dear Marla,

Pregnant woman at the dentist

Congratulations on your baby!! I can tell you are going to be a good mother because you are already doing things that scare you for the sake of your baby.

It is not uncommon for a tooth to ache after getting filled. However, you are describing significantly more pain than I would have expected. There are a couple of possibilities that spring to mind.

First, it could be that your filling is sitting too high. If that is the case, your dentist can adjust it in order to make it more comfortable.

A second possibility is the depth of the cavity. I don’t know if your dentist mentioned that you had a deep cavity. If that is the case, then it would be close to a nerve. She may have put a buffer there in the hope that you would not need a root canal treatment.

My suggestion is you get a follow up visit including an x-ray to get this looked at. If you are worried about the x-ray, be assured that most dentists use digital x-rays these days. This gives you no more radiation than you are exposed to just going outside. Even with the low radiation, they will provide you with a special lead lined robe as an additional precaution.

Your dentist is correct that healthy teeth and gums are important for your baby. Gum disease has been linked to low birth weight in children, which puts them at a greater risk of illness. Infections can be passed on to the baby as well, so treatment is recommended.

You’re at the perfect stage of your pregnancy for any dental work needed and your dentist should be well-versed in what is safe for the baby. You don’t want to put this off and have it blow up into a dental emergency. If you are concerned, you can get some extra advice from your OBGYN about medications.

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Pediatric Dentistry

Tooth Infection and Fevers

I called our pediatric dentist’s office to schedule an emergency appointment because my daughter has a fever and has been saying her tooth hurts. They said that a tooth infection will not be the cause of her fever and they don’t think she’ll need an emergency appointment. I tried to ask some more questions but they didn’t seem to want to answer them. Am I confused? I thought any infection could cause a fever.

Yoon

Dear Yoon,

happy girl in a dental chair

I hope there is just some miscommunication here. Yes, you are correct, any infection can cause a fever. That includes tooth infections. While most do not, it would be foolish to write it off. Any time a tooth hurts it is a good idea to check it out.

The bigger issue I have here is the way they blew off the questions you had. A good pediatric dentist is willing to talk to parents and make sure they are comfortable and understand the need or lack of need for a treatment.

If they’re blowing you off and acting too rushed, they may have too many patients to adequately serve your daughter well. If this continues, I recommend looking into another pediatric dentist who has more time for their patients.

I don’t know the age of your daughter, but cutting teeth can also cause a fever and tooth discomfort. If you’re concerned, I suggest you call them again and tell them you really want her seen. If they don’t agree, there are general dentists who work with children that also do emergency dental appointments. They can probably schedule her in more quickly.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.

Pediatric Dentistry

Should my child be seen for a painful loose tooth?

My elementary-aged son seems to be getting ready to lose his first tooth. He recently had his dental check-up with her pediatric dentist and we were told everything appeared good and normal. However, lately he has been complaining that it feels like one of his front two teeth is getting bigger. Then, he recently bit down on a carrot and immediately started to cry. There was blood and the tooth appeared to be out of place. I thought this might all be due to the tooth preparing to fall out, but am starting to second-guess myself. Is this normal? Should I have her seen?

Thank you,
Bethany

Dear Bethany,

Each tooth that is lost fights of small battle in the process which leads to it falling out. First, the permanent, adult tooth pushes the baby tooth up. This may be what is causing him to feel like his tooth is increasing in size. Next, the ligaments, which help the tooth stay in place, start to expand and strain, like small rubber bands. At times, they tighten back to their original state, white other times, they stay stretched and snap. It is quite possible the tooth was in fact loose and the ligaments were already stretched. Then, when he bit into the carrot, the bite forced the tooth out of alignment and caused some of the ligaments to snap. In this situation, popsicles are great, as well as avoiding hard foods. The tissue around the tooth was likely traumatized, but it’s unlikely any long-term issues or serious damage were caused to the adult tooth coming in. If your son is not in any pain now, and the area seems to be healing on its own, it’s not crucial that he be seen. However, if you are not certain, or will feel better doing so, seeing a pediatric dentist would be a good idea. In a rare situation, additional damage could be causes, which could require dental intervention. But, it sounds like stocking up on soft foods and popsicles is a good idea…and prepare for a visit from the Tooth Fairy!

This post is sponsored by the office of Phoenix pediatric dentist, Dr. Hillary Peck.

Affordable Dentist

An affordable dentist experimented on my tooth

I am embarrassed to admit that I answered an ad for an affordable dentist for a crown procedure at a reduced rate. The dentist claimed he recently got a machine that would make the crowns in-house. He wanted some patients with whom he could try out his machine. I’ve been in need of a crown procedure for quite some time, but couldn’t afford the cost I’d been quoted from other dentists. The low cost appealed to me and I answered the ad. During the five hours I was in his office the dentist had several issues with his machine, not to mention the crowns would not fit right. After he made some adjustments with my tooth, and the machine, the crown finally fit.

This procedure took place two days ago and my entire mouth is in pain, in particular, my tooth. Is it possible that the dentist caused permanent damage? If so, will I have to eat the cost, since he disclosed that this was a learning procedure up front?

Thank you,
Jason

Dear Jason,

You’ve had quite the experience. Regardless, you should be sure the dentist knows you are in pain. When teeth are manipulated as much as yours were, they experience irritation. If it’s just a basic irritation, the pain should subside in a few days. An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, like ibuprofen, should help you with the pain.

If the pain does not subside and improve on its own, it could mean the decay grew, in which case you would need a root canal as soon as possible. This could also be the case if your tooth experienced trauma during the procedure.

Regardless of the dentist claiming to be an affordable dentist, or saying that he was using the procedure to learn, he is responsible. If he is an ethical dental professional, he will want to be aware of the problems you are experiencing and fix them. If he refuses to fix the situation, you will need to see another dental professional about the issues you are having.

For future dental procedures, you may want to seek out dentists who provide quality care, and then look for financing options that fit into your budget, like spreading out treatment costs, utilizing insurance benefits, or financing treatment.

Good luck to you!

This blog post is provided by Phoenix affordable dentist, Dr. Hillary Peck.

Emergency Dentist

$700 aspirin- fed up

I was in a ton of pain and my dentist wouldn’t see me after hours. I went to the emergency room. They didn’t do anything with the tooth, gave me some aspirin, and charged me $700. I’m still in tremendous pain. What do I do?

Drew- Baltimore

Drew,

I’m sorry for your experience. There are few things worse than tooth pain. Generally, hospitals won’t treat dental problems.  Though, they could have at least given you something a little stronger than an aspirin…and you’re right, the cost was ridiculous.

Your dentist should have had some emergency protocol. Surely he could have recommended a colleague that he refers after hours cases to–at the least.

You’re going to need to see an emergency dentist. If your dentist isn’t willing to recommend one, you can do a google search to find one.

I’ll be honest. If your dentist isn’t willing to help in any fashion while you’re in so much pain, you’d be better served with a different denist.

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

Affordable Dentist

I want a free dentist

Is there free dentists for poor people? I can’t afford to go and I have a tooth ache.

Devon O. – Baltimore

Devon,

Each city generally has free dental service clinics, but they’re not permanent, instead they are once a year or so.  However, if you are having tooth pain now, it needs to be dealt with. That pain probably indicates a tooth infection. When left untreated, they can become quite serious.

Plus, it is more affordable to deal with things early. If not, you could end up having to replace a tooth, which can cost a great deal.  I understand you’re in a difficult financial situation. In that case, I would do an internet search for an affordable dentist in your area.

When you talk to them, be up front about your financial circumstances. They’ll likely work with you.

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