Dr. Annoni is fantastic - made me feel at ease from our first meeting. She's incredibly knowledgable and has gentle hands (a definite must for someone who treats me!) She broke down all of my dental issues in a way that was easy to understand and offered several solutions for me. Will definitely keep coming back and will recommend her to everyone I know!
Hello, More likely than not, it would be possible to give you a more permanent solution with dental implants. The main considerations would be whether or not you have sufficient bone to support the implants and if the implant can be placed to avoid the metal plate. If your jaw does not have enough bone, you can have a bone graft procedure done to increase the volume and density of support available. In order to properly diagnose and treat, however, some 3D imaging, such as a CT scan, would be beneficial. This would help in avoiding the plate during placement of the implant.
I'm sorry to hear about your situation! I would recommend seeing your dentist as soon as possible. If it was just the crown/ that fell off, the fix may be as simple as re-cementing it. However, if it truly was the abutment that broke off, there may have been a defect in it. Hopefully the dentist/lab honors their work and replaces it for you. If the implant body is still integrated into your bone and remains stable, there should be no need to replace the implant itself- just the abutment. The process of replacing the abutment (and crown) should take no longer than 2 weeks, but it could likely be rush delivered (by the lab) in a week's time. In the meantime, save the piece(s) that fell off and bring them with you when you see your dentist. Best of luck!
I cab see what you mean with your temporary crowns- they are most definitely not even. However, hopefully they do not reflect the size and shape of your permanent crowns. Although it may be frustrating to have temporary crowns that don't match your natural teeth, they will be coming off soon and hopefully be replaced with an aesthetic result.As far as the PFM crowns go, I, personally, don't recommend them for the anterior. Zirconia (a ceramic material) is quite strong, even used for heavy bruxers/grinders. It is metal-free, so it won't produce a dark halo near the gumline. The only downside is that sometimes these can look a bit opaque compared to natural teeth... but in the end I still think it looks more natural than PFM. Although the most aesthetic option is Emax, sometimes a practitioner may choose against it if a stronger material is needed. If you are not happy with the look of the crowns, do not go ahead with the cementation. These are your front teeth- it doesn't matter if your doctor says they're "good enough"... if it really doesn't look or feel right, say something. Your color may be difficult to match, but if that is the case, you can go to the lab for a custom color match. Only go through with it when you are happy with the look and feel.I hope you end up with a nice result!
Hi Amanda,I agree with Dr. Mahooti's recommendation of using sensodyne. I, myself, have very sensitive teeth- the sensodyne helps quite a bit. Use it as your everyday toothpaste (2x a day) when you're bleaching, and don't rinse out your mouth- just spit the toothpaste out. This will increase its effectiveness, as the potassium nitrate in the toothpaste will have more time to penetrate into the teeth. For immediate help, you can also take ibuprofen (advil/motrin) if you have no allergies or contraindications.Additionally, for the future, make sure you note the duration of time the strip should be left in the mouth (some are only recommended for 15 minutes, whereas others are recommended for up to 6-8 hours depending on the bleaching agent used)... If you know you have severe sensitivity when using whitening products, only use them for half of the recommended time and see if that helps. Over-the-counter white strips can be quite harsh, as they usually do not have any desensitizing agents in them. If you are looking for great results with minimal sensitivity, I would suggest asking your dentist about in-office whitening options, as they more often than not have desensitizing agents in them and give much better results in much less time. Lastly, if you are doing at-home whitening, make sure you don't get any of the bleaching solution on your gums, as this can cause bleach burns, gum sensitivity, and gum discoloration.
I am sorry to hear you're having some pain. Although the nerve has been removed from the tooth, and you should no longer be feeling sensitivity or pain directly associated with the tooth/nerve, it is not uncommon to have the kind of pain you're describing. After a root canal procedure, it is best to take the tooth out of occlusion, meaning that it should be ground down by your dentist so that you're not biting on it. The reason for this is that the root canal therapy often causes swelling or inflammation of the tissues and ligament surrounding the tooth due to the manipulation of the tissues during the procedure. When you chew or clench or bite, any forces applied on the affected tooth will only aggravate the area. I would suggest going back to your dentist and having him/her check to see if you're applying too much pressure on the tooth when you bite.Another possibility is that you may have something lodged in the gum space. Either way, I would have your dentist check it out. The crown should be fine to put on the tooth if it is properly adjusted so that you're not biting with too much force on it. Good luck!
