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Archives for June 2019

Worried My Son is Going to Lose His Teeth in Karate

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My son spars every week in Karate. He’s been kicked in the mouth a few times. We’ve been fortunate so far. The youth who’ve done the kicking had self-control, but I’m not so sure this is going to happen at some of his upcoming tournaments. He does have a mouthguard that his dojo sells, but it is uncomfortable and I have trouble getting him to wear it. Is there a way a dentist could make this more comfortable so he’d actually wear it? Also, what would happen if a tooth was knocked loose?

Mary

Dear Mary,

Hockey player with missing tooth wearing his gear

If you play contact sports you need to see your dentist about a mouthguard

There is a way to help your son feel more comfortable wearing a mouthguard. The problem with his current one is it is probably a one size fits all piece of equipment. Everyone’s mouth is different, which is leading to your son’s discomfort. One thing I’m going to suggest is to see a dentist who offers custom-fitted mouthguards.

You’ll want to make sure it is the right type of mouthpiece for his sport. For instance, Dr. Krutchick offers two types of custom mouth guards using the Under Armour Performance Mouthwear. One is for non-contact sports the other designed specifically for athletes who will take trauma to the mouth.

The fitting doesn’t take long and your son will be much more comfortable and willing to wear his mouthguard while sparring. It has the additional benefit of protecting his TMJ joint because it is properly fit by a dentist.

If He Has Trauma to a Tooth

Let’s say your son has some trauma to a tooth. You’ll want to get him in to see your dentist as soon as possible. If you tell them what happened, they should be more than willing to schedule an emergency appointment with him the following day. Make sure your son doesn’t mess with or wiggle the tooth in the meantime so he doesn’t risk damaging the ligaments further.

They’ll do x-rays to ensure there isn’t any internal damage to the tooth. If there is they’ll come up with a treatment plan from there depending on the severity of the damage to the root and pulp. If all that happened is the ligaments were stretched, they’ll temporarily splint the tooth to give the ligaments time to heal.

If the Tooth is Knocked Out

This is time sensitive. You only have about 30 minutes to get to the dentist in order to have the best chance of saving his tooth. Call the dentist right away and let him know what happened and that you’re on your way. This way the office can be ready for you when you arrive.

Next, secure the tooth. Only hold it from the crown (the visible part when you smile). Never touch the root. The root will need to be kept moist. If you have a glass of milk available, gently place it there for transportation. If not, it can always be kept between your cheek and gums.

Best of luck and I hope your son does well in his tournaments.
This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Warren Krutchick.

Should I Get a Second Opinion or is this an Emergency?

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Please help me. One of my back teeth has been hurting for a couple of weeks. I couldn’t see anything wrong with it, but my mother suggested I see a dentist. I’m away at college and am completely across the country from my parents. When I saw this dentist, he took some x-rays and said there is a cavity under a current filling. He said it is so massive he doesn’t think he’ll be able to save the tooth, though he’ll try. If he can’t, he’ll want to do a dental implant. I am absolutely terrified of every procedure he’s suggesting. When I told him I’d like to get a second opinion he got a little curt with me and said that it is an emergency and I shouldn’t wait too long. What do I do?

Mandy

Dear Mandy,

A woman holding her jaw in need of an emergency dentist

Please bear in mind I haven’t examined you and am just going off of what you mentioned. There are three things which make me skeptical of this:

1. If this has only been hurting for as long as you mentioned, it is a fairly new infection. What he is describing would have been hurting you for months.

2. Decay as extensive as he’s hinting to you would be very obvious. In fact, the filling likely would have already fallen out. At the very least it would have been so obvious he wouldn’t have needed an x-ray.

3. He’s pressuring you to make a decision hinting it’s a dental emergency. This is a scare tactic and I don’t like it. I’m going to suggest you get a second opinion.

Tips for Getting an Accurate Second Opinion

First, you have the right to the x-rays the dentist took. This will save you on diagnostic costs. While you are giving the second dentist a copy of the x-rays, please don’t tell him the name of the dentist you saw. Don’t give him the diagnosis either. There are two very good reasons for this.

First, you don’t want the previous diagnosis to sway the dentist. You want his fresh opinion. Second, if he is friends with this dentist, he may not want to contradict his peer.

Dealing with Dental Anxiety

Given your dental anxiety, if you do need some dental work that petrifies you, I have a solution. I’d like you to see a dentist who uses dental sedation. This can be something as light as nitrous oxide for patients with mild anxiety. If you have severe anxiety or a difficult procedure, you might feel more comfortable with oral conscious sedation.

Oral conscious sedation is very strong, though. You will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you throughout the remainder of the day until you are lucid and steady on your feet again. Start thinking about who you trust enough to do that for you.

Best of luck to you. It’s hard when you are new to adulthood. Some less ethical people will take advantage of that.

This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Warren Krutchick.