sedation dentist Archives - Susan M. Dennis, D.D.S

Are Tooth Infections Really Dangerous?

Posted on February 20, 2025 by writeradmin.

I had a molar break a couple of weeks ago. Now the tooth hurts a lot and my cheek has stared to swell. I’ve been taking some antibiotics I had laying around. It helped at first, but hasn’t done much recently. Now I feel pain going up to my temple. Could this be a sinus thing or is it the tooth? Someone told me this is dangerous, but I don’t have a ton of money right now. How serious are we talking?

Luke

Dear Luke,

I am very glad you wrote. This is a tooth infection, and yes, it is dangerous. If this remains untreated, it could spread to your brain and become life threatening. The situation you are in would be considered a dental emergency. Antibiotics alone will not deal with the infection. The best it can do is hold it at bay temporarily. But, it sounds like you have gotten everything you will be able to out of your antibiotics.

The only way to cure this is for a dentist to get in there and physically remove the infected pulp. This can be handled in one of two ways. First, you can have a root canal treatment. This is ideal because it means the tooth can still be saved. If that is no longer possible, then you will need to have the tooth extracted. I would not mess around with this.

Sometimes patients avoid the dentist because of anxiety. If that is your case, then I would look for a sedation dentist. They can provide you with an anxiety-free appointment.

If you end up extracting the tooth, then you will need to replace it or the adjacent teeth will then shift or tip into the open space. This will throw off your bite leading to jaw pain, headaches, or even TMJ Disorder.

The best tooth replacement is a dental implant. However, those are expensive. For now, you could always get a dental flipper, which is much less expensive and will hold the space open, giving you time to save up for the implant.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Am I Too Old to Get My Wisdom Teeth Out?

Posted on December 31, 2024 by writeradmin.

I am 30 years old. About five years ago, I had a wisdom tooth out. However, my dentist then never told me that the other teeth might eventually need out. Now one of the other wisdom teeth are bothering me. A friend mentioned that my age might be a problem. Am I too old to have this wisdom tooth out? If so, what do I do if it gets infected?

Bethany

Dear Bethany,

You are not yet too old. While the ideal age to have wisdom teeth removed is between the ages of 18 to 25 years, I don’t get too worried until the patient hits 40. Once you are above the ideal age, your chances of complications go up, but it does not mean that you will have complications. Because you’re still in a safer age, my suggestion is that you have the remainder of your wisdom teeth out at the same time.

While it may be tempting to just extract the wisdom tooth that is bothering you, there is a very strong possibility that you will end up in the same situation you are in now having to remove another tooth in a few years when you are at a more risky age to have the procedure done.

Even if you were at the “I’m concerned” age, if the tooth is infected, it has to come out. An infected tooth is considered a dental emergency. If you leave it untreated, then the infection will spread and you will end up with a life-threatening emergency. Your jaw is very close to your heart, lungs, and brain. You do not want an infection reaching those areas.

I would get a consult with either a sedation dentist or an oral surgeon. This needs to at least be looked at. Though, as I mentioned before, you’ll want to remove these teeth while it is still safer to do so. This is one of those cases where being proactive is essential.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Why Can’t I Whiten My Teeth By Rinsing with Peroxide?

Posted on October 19, 2024 by writeradmin.

I understand that dentists use a peroxide to whiten your teeth. Why can’t I just rinse with some over-the-counter peroxide at home and whiten my teeth that way?

Sandy

Dear Sandy,

Tooth bleaching trays

You are correct that dentists will use a peroxide gel to whiten your teeth. However, the peroxide you get over the counter is a bit different. It’s strength is about 3%. What your dentist uses will be at least ten times stronger than that. Even then, in order for it to have any whitening affect, it needs to be in contact with your tooth enamel for a minimum of fifteen minutes. I don’t think you could rinse your mouth for fifteen minutes.

For argument’s sake, let’s suppose you could. Your saliva would continually dilute it, which would weaken it even further. However, the bigger problem comes with peroxide’s bacteria killing properties. When you have professional teeth whitening done, your dentist will provide you with custom-fit teeth whitening trays. These trays are designed to both keep the whitening gel on your teeth, while protecting your mouth from the peroxide.

Along with the bad bacteria in your mouth, there is good bacteria there too. Peroxide does not discriminate. It will kill both equally. This will lead to you getting oral thrush in your mouth, which is a type of yeast infection. In fact, that will happen faster than your teeth will whiten.

While I appreciate that you are trying to find economic ways to utilize the things you have available to get the smile you want, this will end up backfiring on you and cause you more problems instead of improving your smile.

If it is simply a cost issue, I would talk to your dentist and see if he or she will allow you to pay out your teeth whitening. It’s possible they will not have a problem with that. If they don’t agree to do that, teeth whitening is one of the more affordable of the cosmetic dentistry procedures. I bet if you put a little aside every pay check, it wouldn’t take long for you to save up enough. That is a much safer option for you. Plus, your teeth will whiten much faster.

This blog is brought to you by Portage, MI Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.
Click here to learn about dental sedation.

I Don’t Think I Can Go Back to the Dentist

Posted on June 19, 2024 by writeradmin.

I need some help. I have a toothache, but I don’t think I can go back to the dentist. Everything was fine until a couple of years ago. My dentist retired and this new one bought the practice. I didn’t like him as much but a dentist is a dentist. My last appointment there changed my ability to go to the dentist. He cut my lip with his tool, which he did not even apologize for. Then, he kept pressing on it which caused it to bleed the whole time. Then, my pain meds wore off and when I asked for more he complained. Not loud, but I heard it. Unfortunately, nothing worked after that. He couldn’t get me numb. I’m worried he didn’t complete the job properly because of that. Now I have a horrible toothache but I am afraid to go back to the dentist. First, is there something I can do for this toothache from home? Second, I can’t avoid the dentist forever, do you have any tips for anxious patients?

Sandra

Dear Sandra,

I am sorry this happened to you. Right off the bat, I can tell you that this is not going to be the best dentist for you. He does not seem to have a great, or even kind, chairside manner. If you’d never been afraid of the dentist and one interaction with him has made you this fearful, you will be much better served with a different dentist.

Let’s start with your first question. There is not a way to treat a tooth infection at home. There are two ways to get rid of a dental infection. The first is a root canal treatment. This is the better solution because it does save your tooth. The second is for if your tooth cannot be saved. That would be extracting the tooth, which, of course, that means that you will need to replace the tooth.

However, a toothache does not necessarily mean that you have an infection. The best thing to do is to get this checked out. It could end up being something very simple. Before you panic about having to be seen, I do have a solution for the anxiety that you are feeling. This is perfect timing as you have to find a new dentist anyway.

The reason you were not able to get numb again during the second half of your procedure was due to the trauma you had just experienced. This led to your anxiety. That anxiety has the metabolic effect of burning off your numbing medication. If we can get you relaxed during your appointment, then you will have no trouble getting numb. The best thing for you is to see a dentist who offers dental sedation options. These medications can completely relax you. To find one, you can do an internet search for either a sedation dentist or a cater to cowards dentist. They tend to be much more compassionate than what your recent experience gave you.

What I do not want you to do is to avoid getting this toothache looked at. Otherwise, this will lead to a dental emergency and then you may not even have time to find a sedation dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

For Dentures Do I See a Dentist or Oral Surgeon First?

Posted on November 15, 2023 by writeradmin.

I am in my late 40s and have always avoided the dentist because of anxiety. As a result, my teeth are in bad shape. Many of them are broken. A few are missing. This has kept me from socializing. I’d like to change that and think dentures will by my solution. One thing I am not certain about is whether I should go to a dentist first or an oral surgeon first to have the teeth removed. Is there a standard practice for this?

Robert

Dear Robert,

My suggestion is that you use a dentist who can do both the extractions and the dentures. It is not hard to do pre-denture surgery, so you should not have a problem with finding a dentist who can do that for you. One thing to be aware of, though, is you don’t want to hint to the office what you are looking for when you call around. Just ask them what the dentist’s normal procedure is when it comes to giving a patient dentures. This way you know whether or not they are in their comfort zone.

Given your dental anxiety, I would like you to also look for a dentist who offers oral conscious sedation. You can do an internet search for sedation dentists in your area and then make sure oral conscious sedation is one of their options. This is administered by a pill, but is strong enough that you will sleep through the procedure. In fact, some people call it sleep dentistry. Be aware that you will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment with this option.

A Warning about Long-term Dentures

From the moment you extract your teeth, your body will recognize that you no longer have any teeth roots in your mouth. Realizing it no longer has teeth to support, your body begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone that help with bone support, to use elsewhere in your body. It does this in an effort to be as efficient as possible with your body’s resources.

The unfortunate consequence that results is that as the minerals are resorbed, your jawbone shrinks. In about ten or so years, you will no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures. In dental circles, this is known as facial collapse.

There is a way to prevent facial collapse. Instead of just having removable dentures, you first get some dental implants placed that your dentures can be anchored to. This is sometimes called implant overdentures. Not only does this signal to your body that you have teeth roots there which need to be retained, but completely secure the dentures and you never have to worry about slips.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dentist.

Swollen Wisdom Teeth

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Dr. Dennis.

My wisdom teeth were coming in fine but my dentist said we should keep an eye on them. I’m in college now and they’ve been really hurting. One of them seems swollen. Is this a big deal? Should I see an emergency dentist? I won’t be home from school until this summer, unless I can squeeze in a quick trip over spring break, but I don’t want to miss too much work.

Jennie

Dear Jennie,

If it were just a matter of your wisdom teeth becoming uncomfortable, I would say that you could wait until the summer. However, you’re talking about pain and swelling. This leads me to think you’re dealing with an infection at the wisdom tooth site. It’s possible that could wait until this summer, but I wouldn’t risk it. That could blow up quickly.

There are emergency dentists who will see non-established patients on the same day they call. You need to call an office and let them know what is going on. They’ll likely get you in rather quickly. If the tooth infection can be dealt with easily they’ll probably try to take care of it. At the least, they’ll give you some antibiotics and then refer you to an oral surgeon, or schedule a further appointment with you to extract the wisdom tooth themselves if that’s a procedure they routinely do.

Sedation Dentistry with Emergency Dental Appointments

This is a significant procedure. I wouldn’t do it simply with a local anesthetic. You’ll need something like oral conscious sedation. That requires someone to drive you to and from the appointment as well as stay with you throughout the day. This is because you’ll be quite loopy and unsteady on your feet.

If I were your parent, I’d want to be there with you. Even though you can’t easily get home, I bet at least one of your parents can get there to see you.

I have to say, I love seeing college students taking responsibility for their oral health. I’m assuming you visit your dentist when you’re home. If it’s getting harder and harder for you to get home because of work responsibilities, it’s probably time for you to find a good dentist near your school. This way you have someone regularly looking out for your oral health.

If you decide it’s best to remove your wisdom tooth, it may be in your best benefit to remove all of them at the same time. The best time to remove wisdom teeth is when the roots are almost (but not completely) developed. The older you get, the more risks there are to wisdom tooth removal. As you may be doing the procedure anyway, this may be the ideal time to get it all done at once.

Best of luck to you and definitely get this looked at. Infections spread.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Susan Dennis.

Will Mercury-free Dentists See Children?

Posted on February 16, 2023 by Dr. Dennis.

My son is getting older and just got his first cavity. He’s nine years old currently. I love my dentist and all my family has seen him since I was a child, but he doesn’t do white fillings. He also said there aren’t many dentists who will. If I went to a mercury-free dentist would they see children?

Carolyn I.

Dear Carolyn,

Amalgam Fillings

Mercury-free White fillings

While it used to be difficult to find a dentist to give a child a composite white filling, it’s now becoming more and more common. The reason for the change is more dentists are becoming skilled in placing them.

It is true that it’s a bit more challenging to place them on children, but that’s mostly because they tend to be more wriggly. For composite fillings, you need to keep the bonding material completely dry during the process or the bonding can fail. When they’re wiggling that’s hard to do.

As to whether a mercury-free dentist will treat children, that’s a preference issue. There are general dentists who enjoy treating children and general dentists who don’t. If their website says they treat children, they’d be happy to give your son a composite filling.

Because of the unique challenge with keeping it dry, they may suggest sedation dentistry. A lot of that depends on the ability of your son to sit calmly. If it’s his first filling, he’ll likely be a bit nervous. At the least, a little nitrous oxide will relax him so he’s not frightened. They will need to numb the area with a shot. As his mother, you’re the best judge of what will help him most.

Why You May Be Better Served With a Mercury-free Dentist

I understand loyalty and am in great favor of it. He’s served your family for many years. That is great. For your son, however, you may want to make a switch, at least in his case. Here’s why.

There are many advances in dentistry and it doesn’t sound like your current dentist is keeping up with them. Your son will have a better experience and quality of life with a dentist who works hard to keep up with his profession.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Susan Dennis.

Same Symptoms – Different Treatments

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Dr. Dennis.

Me and a friend were recently discussing a dental emergency we both had. Both of us had pretty severe tooth pain. We both went to see the dentist within the same period of time after the symptoms started. I don’t have a dentist and went to an emergency dentist. He gave me a root canal treatment and a dental crown. My friend just received a crown. Why the different treatments if we both had the same problem? Is it because she went to a regular dentist and I went to an emergency one? Did I get the right treatment?

Lindsey

Dear Lindsey,

I’m sorry you had a dental emergency. Those are quite painful and really can keep you from getting anything done. As the author John Green put it, “Pain demands to be felt.” I want to put your mind at ease about something. If the pain is gone after treatment, it is highly unlikely you received the wrong treatment.

The same symptoms in dental care can be from completely different problems. One example is tooth pain. Maybe one patient who has tooth pain is dealing with a dental infection, while the other person dealing with pain in the exact same area is dealing with a cracked tooth.

What concerns me is your “emergency dentist” didn’t seem to talk to you about what was going on with your pain. A good dentist will always explain what the problem is, your treatment options (all of them), as well as give his recommendation for treatment along with why. It doesn’t sound like that happened for you.

What Is an Emergency Dentist?

You used the terms emergency dentist versus regular dentist. An emergency dentist is simply a general dentist who doesn’t mind seeing non-established patients during emergencies. This is especially helpful to people who are new to the area and haven’t had time to locate and decide on a new dentist.

However, they’re not the only patients who end up going to a dentist only in an emergency. Many people with dental anxiety struggle with fear keeping them out of the dental chair. This puts them in the position of needing more emergency treatment.

If that is you, there’s a way to get help. Dental emergencies are always more painful and more expensive than preventative work. I’m going to recommend you look into a sedation dentist. Getting something, like oral conscious sedation, will allow you to get your dental work caught up in an anxiety-free/pain-free environment.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Emergency Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Dental Sedation with Osteoporosis

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Dr. Dennis.

I haven’t been to the dentist in a while. I’ve been blaming it on my osteoporosis, which is a true factor. But, probably a larger factor is my anxiety. I’ve been having some problems with my teeth as a result of me avoiding the dental chair. However, I wondered if my “excuse” is valid. Should it harm me to take the sedation? I can’t risk a fall.

Morgan

Dear Morgan,

Woman lying in a field of flowers — Using dental sedation will completely relax you.

Don’t feel too guilty about making excuses for not going to the dentist. You’re not alone in that. Many people have some form of mild anxiety. Fortunately, there are patients who cater to patients with dental anxiety. Many of those dentists are also sedation dentists. It’s almost always perfectly safe for someone with osteoporosis to use sedation.

Preparing for Dental Sedation

The dentist will meet with you beforehand to go over all of your medication. He’ll likely want to talk with your medical doctors to go over your status ahead of time.

Everyone who uses a form of dental sedation, known as oral conscious sedation, will need someone to drive them to and from their appointment. They won’t be lucid enough to drive. You’re also expected to have someone stay with you until the medication wears off as well.

This will be especially true for you because of the danger to your bones if you fall. You’ll want someone reliable and attentive who understands the importance of making sure you don’t have to get up unnecessarily.

I’d plan to spend the day on the couch binge watching your favorite show or reading. Let someone else serve you that day.

Benefits of Sedation Dental Care

You mentioned you have been avoiding the dentist for a while, which likely means you have a lot of work needing to be done. You’ll be glad to know this type of sedation allows the dentist to get a lot more work done at each appointment.

This will reduce the number of times you’ll need to go in, getting your oral health in shape much faster.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Sedation Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

From Compassionate Care to Conveyor Belt Practice

Posted on November 10, 2022 by Dr. Dennis.

My dentist retired. The man who took over is completely different. The type of care offered has been like night and day. My old dentist was gentle and compassionate. He knew I tended to get a little tense during dental care. And by a little tense, I mean all out freaked out. He always took the time to put me at ease and if I struggled too much, would have sedation on hand. He’d even have his assistant call my husband so he could come get me as I’d be a wee bit woozy. This new dentist just doesn’t seem to care. He runs everyone through the exact same way. He was so rough I had a panic attack. He stopped my appointment and said to come back when I can handle dental care. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to handle his type of dental care. How do I find a dentist like my old one?

Starla M.

Dear Starla,

The first thing I want to do is assure you that you’re not alone. In fact, many Americans have the same reaction to dentistry that you’re feeling. As you’ve experienced with your old dentist, that fear doesn’t have to keep you from getting good dental care. The trick is finding the right compassionate dentist for your needs.

There are many “conveyor belt” practices which treat each patient as identical to all their other patients. Even if you didn’t have the worry of dental anxiety hovering over you, everyone’s body is different. Each patient responds a little differently to their healthcare as well.

While finding a dentist who’ll be understanding of your particular situation and need, there are a few key terms you can use during your search to help narrow down the results.

Cater to Cowards Dentist
Sedation Dentist
Gentle Dentist

Each of these dentists, by using these specific terms, is indicating that they work with fearful patients. However, claiming something doesn’t always make it true. It’s always a wise idea to verify by checking their reviews. Make sure patients who’ve been in their office before have had good experiences with them. Yelp! and Google Reviews are both good options to check.

Some dentists even do a complimentary consultation so you have a chance to get a feel for what their personality and office are like. Being proactive, as you are, is the best way to handle this. Too many patients with dental phobias wait until they have a dental emergency. Then, what could have been a simple filling turns out to need extensive work, or worse. They lose the tooth altogether and have to replace it.

This blog is brought to you by Portage, MI Sedation Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.