Broken tooth – Charlotte Dentist | Cosmetic, Laser, Family Dentistry

Doc, My Toe Fell Off – But I Didn’t Do Anything Since It Didn’t Hurt

I'd like to start off this post with a short story written by my friend and colleague, Dr. Alan Mead, on his blog Mead Family Dental. I have a friend who told me about something that happened to him recently. “So I was jogging the other day and one of my toes fell off. It was weird. I wasn’t even jogging on gravel or anything. Smooth blacktop. Anyway, I’m jogging along and then BOOM, my big toe falls off.” I said, “my gosh, that’s terrible! What did the doctor say?” “I didn’t go to the doctor. It didn’t really hurt much. Only when I walked on it just the right way. I just avoided walking on it.” At this point, you're probably thinking, "No way would I ever do that! If my toe fell off, I'd be at the doctor's office so fast, your head would spin!" But you know what? We dentists hear this story almost every day, except substitute the word "tooth" for "toe," and we hear, "Well, since it didn't hurt, I didn't do anything about it." Just Because a Broken Tooth Doesn't Hurt, Doesn't Mean It's Not a Problem I'll be honest - even after almost 15 years of doing dentistry, I don't "get" why people think broken teeth aren't anything to worry about. Maybe someone can explain it to me, but I just don't get it! If any other part of your body broke in half, even if it didn't hurt right away, you'd be worried, wouldn't you? Imagine your arm suddenly breaking and hanging there, even if it didn't hurt, wouldn't you be worried that something bad could be going on? [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:34:45-04:00 February 13th, 2013|Broken tooth, Emergency dental visit|0 Comments

What does Heartburn have to do with Teeth?

It's not uncommon for me to ask a new patient at our Charlotte dental office, "Do you have any issues with acid reflux/heartburn?" It's also not uncommon for that new patient to ask in response, "Why do you ask?" The answer is simple and easy to understand once you think about it, but most people never stop to think about it, so here's why I ask. Compare the Acidity of Popular Sodas & Sports Drinks with Stomach Acid Take a look at the graph below (click on it to see a larger version), provided courtesy of GC America, maker of MI Paste & MI Paste Plus for remineralizing teeth, and look how far down the list stomach acid is. Right above battery acid! Now.......just imagine what happens if a little bit of that stomach acid gets back into your mouth. Hmmmmm???? After all, everyone knows that sodas are bad for your teeth, but stomach acid is even worse. Whether it is from heartburn, regular vomiting, bulimia, it doesn't matter, the acidity will literally eat away the enamel of your teeth by "sucking" the minerals out. Heartburn & Pregnancy I can't begin to count the number of women who have told me, "I had perfect teeth until after my second baby!" After viewing the chart, that statement actually starts to make sense, doesn't it? After all, babies put a lot of pressure on the stomach, hormones create morning sickness, and what you end up with is an extended period of time when the teeth are being frequently exposed to stomach acid. For many women, multiple pregnancies really do make it worse, and it is not uncommon to see a sudden increase in cavities during or shortly [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:35:43-04:00 January 6th, 2011|Broken tooth, Bulimia|0 Comments

Do You Need a Dental Root Canal?

Of all dental procedures, a root canal is probably one more dreaded by patients than any other, because practically everyone has heard some nightmare story about them. Remarkably, though, with proper diagnosis and management, the need for root canals can largely be avoided, and in cases where they are needed, they are virtually never painful, either during or after the procedure! There is so much misinformation out there, though, that it seems appropriate to provide some answers to those Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Toothaches & Root Canals: What is a Root Canal, and Why Might You Need One? There are several possible reasons you might need a root canal, including: A large cavity that reaches the nerve, resulting in pulpal infection Part of the tooth breaks due to trauma The tooth cracks due to grinding or clenching your teeth Tooth resorption Essentially, what happens during a root canal is that we remove the infected, painful nerve tissue from inside the tooth, clean the area with several disinfecting solutions, which also help remove debris, then seal the inside of the roots with a cement and a special form of rubber called gutta percha. There are several variations on the technique and sealers, but they all do the same basic thing. Does a Root Canal Hurt? In the large majority of cases, once the tooth is numbed, the answer is NO, you should NOT experience pain during the procedure. If you do, please signal your dentist that you are still feeling the procedure. Sometimes, a tooth is so badly infected that your face may swell up. In these cases, the infection is severe enough that it will decrease the numbing's effectiveness, and you may just need [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:35:46-04:00 December 13th, 2010|Broken tooth, Bruxism & Parafunction, Cavities|0 Comments

NPR and Dan Ariely on Dentistry

First off, let me say that I have been an NPR supporter (yes, including financial support) for many years, so please do not misunderstand my post and think I am bashing NPR itself. HOWEVER.........I have an axe to grind with Mr. Robert Siegel of All Things Considered, the evening news program that used to be one of my favorite programs for the drive home from work. And it all has to do with the particular intervew with Professor Dan Ariely, of Duke's Fuqua School of Business in Durham, NC, about dentistry, which was aired on Tuesday, October 5th. Please take a moment to read the transcript: [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:43:03-04:00 October 11th, 2010|Broken tooth, Bulimia, Cavities|0 Comments

Dr. Oz talks about Periodontal (Gum) Disease and Total Health

I guess it's because I don't watch a lot of TV, but I confess that - until quite recently - I had absolutely no idea who this guy Dr. Oz is. A friend recently told me that Dr. Oz has some really good material about dental health that can be shared, and since it's sometimes easier to use someone else's material instead of having to write it all from scratch myself :-) , I figured I'd check it out, and WOW! I'm impressed! It's sad to say, but many physicians really have no idea about how the health of the mouth is connected to the rest of the body, and how valuable their dental colleagues can be in diagnosing a number of medical conditions. Dr. Oz is definitely not one of them! I'll kick things off here with one of his articles. I have added some bold italics for emphasis (all mine). [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:43:20-04:00 July 13th, 2010|Broken tooth, Bruxism & Parafunction, Bulimia, Cavities, Migraine headaches, Periodontal (Gum) Disease, Sleep Apnea & Snoring, Snoring|0 Comments

Gold Fillings, Crowns, Onlays for Teeth – still the Gold Standard!

When asked what filling or crown material will last the longest, there is a very simple answer that has held true for over a century now, and it is still true today: Gold crowns, onlays, and dental bridges. Plain and simple, as much as I love doing cosmetic/esthetic dentistry with the ceramic materials available today, I still feel confident that NOTHING will last as long as a gold tooth restoration. To tell the truth, I haven't always felt that way, but I've come to that conclusion based on 11 years of seeing dental work that works over the long-term. For many years after graduating dental school, I never did gold restorations except in extreme situations where it was the only realistic material. But I have seen too many gold crowns, gold onlays, gold inlays, and even gold bridges that are 30-, 40-, or even 50+ years old! While very few dental materials have been in use longer than 30 years, of those, none have had the longevity of gold. So what are the advantages of gold? It requires minimal drilling of a tooth to have sufficient thickness to be strong - only 0.5mm (trust me, that's SMALL!) It has the ability to deform slightly over time to match changes in adjacent teeth It can be burnished, or "massaged" hard to the tooth edge to create an amazing seal against bacteria, sugar, acid, etc. Only in the last few years have porcelains reached equivalent seals, and even then the porcelains require absolutely exquisite bonding technique or they're doomed to early failure. So here is today's example of a tooth with a failing silver/amalgam filling (decay around the edges and deep cracks that could have led to [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:44:38-04:00 July 14th, 2009|Broken tooth|0 Comments

Does dentistry last forever?

How long will my dental work last? "It depends." This is a question that we get a lot, and it's a very understandable one, especially if you're about to invest your hard-earned money into your mouth, right? Just like a car, your teeth and gums require regular care to ensure that they are working properly. Sure, you can go 10-20,000 miles between oil changes given how improved cars are nowadays, but do you really want to take the risk? Same thing with teeth..........some people go for 5-10 years with no dental check-ups and are fortunate when they come in to find no problems, such as cavities or gum disease. But not many people are so lucky! I always remember a quote from some lecturer at a dental conference years ago telling us his response to this question, and it's really the most honest, best answer that can be given, "Clearly the teeth that God gave you haven't lasted your entire life, and since I'm not nearly as talented as God, my work won't last forever either." What Can Cause Dental Work to Fail? Grinding your teeth -- when the human jaw clenches, it can create an amazing amount of force, and over time, enough clenching will cause teeth to crack and break. Acidity -- anything that increases the acidity in your mouth is good for the bacteria that cause cavities, including Acid Reflux, Sodas, Power drinks (Monster, Red Bull, etc), Sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade, etc). A very sugary diet -- the bacteria that cause cavities love sugar. High sugar content means the bacteria feed like crazy, produce acid, and the acid is what eats away the teeth to cause cavities. A weak immune system -- [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:44:44-04:00 June 30th, 2009|Broken tooth, Bruxism & Parafunction, Bulimia, Cavities, Cosmetic dentistry, Dental Philosophy of Care|0 Comments

Just how outrageous is dental "insurance?" Check this out!

As a practicing dentist for almost 11 years now, in a practice that does accept assignment of dental insurance benefits, I have seen almost every conceivable attempt by dental insurance companies to hold up payment, deny payment, or anything they can do to keep the money that should rightfully help pay for your dental care. But this one took the cake for me, and I have to share. Which insurance company? Metlife. Seriously........they said there was not enough missing tooth structure due to decay or fracture on these teeth, and therefore they don't need crowns. Are they CRAZY!!!!!?!?!?!?!? [...]