Tag: general dentist

How easy is it to detect a cracked tooth when reading an x-ray?

How easy is it to see a cracked tooth from an x-ray? After having two full mouth x-rays from two different dental offices within a month apart, neither set of x-rays detected my cracked tooth. Then I went to another dental office for a third opinion, and that dentist referred me to an Endodontist. After the Endo took x-rays, he told me that my tooth was cracked, and that I needed a root canal immediately. How did the other two dental offices miss seeing the cracked tooth in the x-rays? Is it normal for x-rays and/or dentist to miss identifying cracks in teeth?

Peter from Roswell, NM

Peter,

To answer your questions, it is extremely difficult to distinguish a cracked tooth on an x-ray. If the x-ray is not taken at the precise angle of the crack in the tooth, it will not show up. My belief is that the endodontist didn’t see the crack either. He probably saw evidence that suggested the crack in your tooth.

This has happened to me personally. I had two molars that needed root canal treatments due to cracks developing in them. These cracks did not show up in my x-rays either.

Read more about fractured or cracked teeth are repaired here on my website.

What can I do about my bad breath?

I brush two to three times daily, and my breath in my mouth still smells. Can you tell me what to do about this? What could be causing this?

Tom in Indianapolis

Dear Tom,

Even though you brush often, there are many reasons you are experiencing a bad smell in your mouth.

Bad breath is usually caused by bacteria that are in your mouth. Brushing your teeth is a good first step. Make sure that you also floss your teeth daily. If your bad breath persists, then you may want to get a tongue cleaner.

There are also powerful bad breath fighting products you can by over the counter that will help. Try BreathRx, or you can try one of the special rinses or bad breath toothpaste.

Try searching the Internet on how to fight mouth odor problems too. Many dentist offer advice on how to treat mouth odor problems.

Learn about other dental health issues on my website.

Will antibiotics help my tooth infection?

Dr. Hurley,

About four years ago, I had a root canal. I never had the cap or filling put in, because I lost my job. Since then, I’ve been using a store bought filling. There have been times I’ve gone without the filling for a few days or so, and now it feels like I have an infections. Can you tell me what antibiotics I can take to get rid of the infection? I don’t want to go to the dentist if I don’t have to.

Troy from Lansing

Troy,

Avoid taking antibiotics until you see a dentist. And you really do need to see a dentist for this. It’s possible that you may not need antibiotics for your tooth infection.

When a tooth is extracted, that normally eliminates the entire source of the infection, so it should go away.

Antibiotics are very helpful, but if they are taken excessively, they will breed bacteria. And these bacteria will be resistant to the antibiotics, which will interfere with treatment if not used correctly.

Read more about preventative dental care here on my website.

What is the best method for fixing my crooked tooth?

Dr. Hurley,

I’ve been searching for a good dentist to straighten my crooked tooth. My tooth next to my right front tooth is crooked and pushed back. I know there are a couple options, braces or possibly Invisalign, but I’m not sure which I would be a good candidate for. Are there any other options? Should I just have the tooth pulled?

Leslie from Sedona, AZ

Leslie,

Most of the time Invisalign will work for adults who have crooked teeth, but another option is to have porcelain veneers placed on your teeth. If you want to straighten your tooth right away, then porcelain veneers is the best and quickest approach.

Some dentists my offer extracting that tooth as an option, but I don’t advise you to do this. This will cause you to have an uneven number of front teeth, which will not improve your smile. Your front teeth include a combination of different shapes, and you have some options to making them look straight. But one thing you want to make sure of is that your smile remains symmetrical by keeping all six teeth.

Learn more about the methods for straightening teeth, and see patient photos of these procedures on my website.

Can my son get a fever from a tooth infection?

My son’s dentist told me that infections in mouths can’t cause fevers. Is this correct? Can you please tell me if this is or is not true? This dentist did not want to take the time to explain why or why not.

Sincerely, Becky from Tulsa

Dear Becky,

It seems that there is a bit of miscommunication here. Infections in the mouth most certainly can cause fevers. For that matter, infections anywhere in the body will cause the body to go into defense mode, which can potentially cause a fever. My advice is to have regular check-ups and cleanings to prevent from having infections.

Perhaps your son’s dentist was trying to convey that dental infections may not cause significant fevers. Although, most of the time they don’t.

Often times, an infection is will remain just within a tooth, and the body will contain the infection, to keep it under control so that there is no obvious infection. As a result, fevers don’t normally occur due to a tooth or gum infection. Mind you, I’m not completely ruling out the possibility.

Tooth infections can sometimes cause a person to feel run down though. I’ve observed this with many patients. Also, when a child’s teeth begin cutting, a fever can sometimes occur. Dentists who really care about their patients will take the time to explain these things.

This blog sponsored by New Jersey dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley