Archives for May 2023

Implant Bridge Does Not Line Up with My Bite

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I recently had two dental implants placed that a dental bridge was attached to on the right side of my bite. The problem I am having is that when I bite down, my right side matches up but my left side does not. Is this a problem in the long run? It is uncomfortable. I talked to my dentist about it and he said it is the surgeon’s problem and fault because he did the work first. Of course he did! How else could the dentist put the restoration on? The surgeon of course says it is the dentist’s fault because he placed the restoration. I don’t know what to do.

Rose

Dear Rose,

A woman grabbing her jaw in pain.

This does need to be fixed. When your bite does not come together properly then it can lead to TMJ Disorder. This can leave you in pain for the rest of your life. I’m a little unclear as to who determined the placement of your dental implants. Whenever you have a dentist and an oral surgeon working on the implant procedure together, it is always the dentist who determines the placement.

If the oral surgeon insisted on determining the placement himself, then he is definitely at fault. It is standard procedure for the dentist to determine the placement, if he violated that he’s to blame. However, if he followed the dentist’s instructions in placement, then it is the dentist who is responsible.

Either way, this needs to be redone. The good news is you definitely deserve a full refund here plus the cost of bone grafting, which we’ll get into in a moment. Once you get that secured, you’ve got to get a different dentist to do this. Unfortunately, you will need bone grafting done first because you will lose bone when they remove the implants. Once the grafting is completed, then you can have the implants done again.

Make sure the person you have do the procedures has a significant amount of post-doctoral training in dental implants. What is taught in dental school is not enough.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Antibiotics for a Tooth Infection

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I need some advice on what to do about my tooth. I went to the dentist last week because my tooth was infected. The swelling went all the way up to my eye. He gave me some pretty strong antibiotics, which I’ve taken religiously. Everything started to get better. However, since the medicine ran out things have gotten bad again, including the swelling. Do I call to get a refill or does this mean that I was on the wrong antibiotic?

Andy

Dear Andy,

Man grabbing his cheek in pain

I am hoping that there has been some miscommunication between you and your dentist. Otherwise, it means your dentist has a profound misunderstanding of how tooth infections work. That is not a good quality to have in your dentist. Antibiotics alone will not cure a tooth infection. The infected pulp has to be physically removed by the dentist. This is typically done by either a root canal treatment or a tooth extraction. A root canal treatment is preferable because it saves the root of your tooth. However, sometimes the tooth is not saveable. In that case, an extraction is necessary. You would also need to replace the tooth so you don’t end up with tipping or shifting that throws off your bite. Leaving it open could lead to painful TMJ Disorder. 

In your case, he probably prescribed the antibiotics in order to get your infection under control. That would not have been the treatment. Instead, they would schedule an additional appointment for you to have the root canal treatment. Hopefully, it is not too late and your tooth can still be saved.

In your place, I suggest that you call your dentist and schedule an emergency visit. If he just gives you more antibiotics, make sure that the appointment to treat the tooth is on the books for BEFORE your medication runs out. If they don’t do that, it means you need a new dentist. 

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.