I’ve been in the US for three years while I go to university. I haven’t been to the dentist in that time, but recently began a toothache. My nainai wants me to come home over winter break so I can have toothache treated. My nainai said that in the US they still use mercury fillings. I don’t want mercury fillings, but I also don’t want to use my whole break that way. Are there holistic dentists here in US like in Taiwan? Are there differences?
Bai C.
Dear Bai,
Holistic Dentists Consider the Health of the Whole Body
It’s great that your nainai cares so much about you. It always feels wonderful to have someone whom you know is looking out for your best interests. While your grandmother is correct that we still use mercury fillings in the United States, that doesn’t mean you have to get a filling which contains mercury. Instead, you could get a composite filling, which is completely mercury-free.
We do have holistic dentists in the U.S. All of them will be mercury-free. Beyond that, each one is a little different in their philosophy of dental care. But, they will all consider your views and what you feel is important for healthy care.
Waiting until winter break is a bad idea for three reasons. First, this could blow up into an infection very quickly. In fact, it could turn into a dental emergency. Believe it or not, people still die from tooth infections even with all our modern advancements. Those who do, it’s because they put off treatment and the infection spread to their heart, lungs, or brain, which are all quite close to your jaw.
Secondly, even if it didn’t turn into a dental emergency, traveling with a toothache is absolutely miserable. Your body adjusts to the changing air pressure in a plane as you rise and fall. Most often, you’ll experience ear popping as part of that adjustment. Your mouth experiences changes too. With healthy teeth, you don’t feel the differences, but if you have an infected tooth the change in pressure is painful.
A final reason not to wait on treatment is financial. The sooner you have the tooth worked on the more affordable the treatment will be. Right now you may only need a filling. But, if you wait, it could turn into a root canal treatment or dental crown. Even worse, things could get so bad that you lose the tooth and have to pay for tooth replacements such as dental implants.
Bottom line…don’t wait. Tell your nainai that we have holistic dentists here and get seen.
This blog is brought to you by Portage, MI Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.