dentures Archives - Parma Ridge Family Dental

Sinus Perforation After a Tooth Infection

Posted on March 20, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had all my top teeth removed and the dentist apparently did not tell me that one of the teeth perforated my sinus cavity. I only found out because the area became infected. Is this normal? What do I do now?

Missy

Dear Missy,

While I would not say this is normal, it does happen in during tooth extractions. Some patients have roots very close to their sinus cavity and it can lead to complications during the extraction process. That being said, your dentist violated common procedure by not telling you that this happened right away. There are protocols he needed to inform you about in order to give the best outcome and help the area heal.

My suggestion at this point is you see an ENT and have them look at the area to see what will facilitate healing the best. I also feel your dentist should pay the cost for this. If he would have addressed the issue with you right away, this may have been preventable. Now you’re stuck with a dental emergency.

If he has not already, ask him to put you on an antibiotic to stop any infection from spreading while you get the treatment you need.

One other quick point I’d like to make. You did not mention whether you are planning to replace your upper teeth with removable dentures or dentures anchored with dental implants. If you are just getting straight dentures, then your dentist should be adequate. However, if you are planning on getting implant-supported dentures, I’d look for a different dentist to do that procedure. It’s fairly advanced with much more potentially serious complications than you are currently facing. I’d feel more at ease if you had a better dentist in that case.

This blog is brought to you by Parma Ridge Dentist Dr. Rebecca Gecovich.

Two Teeth Fell Out

Posted on September 28, 2020 by writeradmin.

My mother is 87 years old and recently just had two teeth fall out. I want to help her get this fixed. We’re thinking about getting her a dental bridge but I’m not sure about the health of her teeth. What are some other options if this doesn’t work out?

Beverly

Dear Beverly,

If your mother is just having teeth fall out than she is in very advanced stages of periodontal disease. It is extremely likely she is going to be losing more teeth in the very near future. If she were younger I would say you need to treat this gum disease aggressively then get bone grafting and dental implants.

This is because the longer someone is in dentures, the more their jawbone shrinks, leading to facial collapse. However, that is not going to be an issue for your mother as she is advanced in years.

That being said, a dental bridge will not work for her. These have to anchor to strong, stable teeth, which I am in serious doubt that she is in possession of at the moment.

My suggestion would be to evaluate the health of her teeth and gums. If they are in as bad a shape as I suspect, then I would extract them and get her dentures.

You will still want to treat her gum disease because the health of her gums affects her general health as well. People with gum disease are much more likely to develop heart problems.

This blog is brought to you by Parma Ridge Dentist Dr. Rebecca Gecovich.

Putting My Teeth in with Crazy Glue

Posted on February 29, 2020 by writeradmin.

I haven’t been to the dentist in a while. I don’t like them. But now my teeth are starting to fall out. I’ve been putting them back in with crazy glue when I have to leave the house. It’s too embarrassing to go out without teeth. The fumes make me sick though. Is there anything to save my teeth at this point?

Violet

Dear Violet,

I am very sorry you are facing this. Your gum disease must be extraordinarily advanced for this to happen. Your roots have to have been exposed and practically hanging out of your mouth. You’ll need to stop with the crazy glue. It is going to cause tissue pain because of the chemicals in it and you have enough pain at this point.

Normally, when people have gum disease, I suggest they get it dealt with right away. However, I think your situation is beyond repair and you won’t be able to save any teeth. In that case, your next step is to find the best tooth replacement option for you.

This would be implant-supported dentures. They use between four to six dental implants. After both healing and osseointegration, dentures are then anchored to the implants. This will be the closest thing to having healthy natural teeth. Unfortunately, with the severity of your gum disease, there will be no way for you to retain your dental implants. You’ll have to have removable dentures for now.

I still recommend you get your gum disease treated and then get the implants, though. Your jawbone will continue to shrink until you no longer have enough to keep even your dentures in. This is known as facial collapse.

This blog is brought to you by Parma Dentist Dr. Rebecca Gecovich.