Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Archives for January 2012

What should I get done – dental implants or braces?

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I am looking to have some orthodontic work done and I’m trying to find out if it makes sense or not. Soon, my wisdom teeth will be extracted along with tooth #5 and tooth #12. These two additional teeth need to come out due to severe decay and a period of time where I drank too much soda without dental coverage. To be honest, I never really trusted my last dentist. So I was wondering if it is possible to still get braces with these teeth missing? Or do you think I need to get dental implants on each side where the teeth will be removed? Also, I had to have two crowns several years ago, one due to an injury and the other because the filling was large. Will that complicate the possibility of braces as well?

– Robert in Arizona

Robert,

The answer is yes, braces are still a possibility even if you do have crowns.

Although, you need to make sure your tooth decay problem is taken care of before having braces put on. Drinking soda and frequent snacking is harmful to your teeth, especially if you get braces. This is because the braces catch food which leads to more tooth decay. It is important to keep your braces pretty clean.

The tooth numbers you referenced, #5 and #12, are premolars so you don’t want to leave empty spaces there. Dental implants are an excellent solution to replace missing teeth. Or dental bridges may be another option that could work. If the teeth that surround those two teeth have suffered significant decay, bridges may be the better of the two options.

Hopefully that answers your questions.

This post is sponsored by Tulsa dentist Region Dental.

Related link: Invisalign

Did my filling cause the rash on my face?

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I recently had a silver filling placed on one of my back teeth to repair a broken tooth. Now I’m dealing with this itchy red rash on my face, right where the broken tooth was. There also seems to be a round circle on my face. Is this cause for concern, maybe an allergic reaction of some kind? I am supposed to get a crown on the tooth in a month and I’m worried.

– Sherry from South Carolina

Sherry,

Based on the procedures you have had done and what you described, it is unlikely that the rash and circle on your face was caused by the filling. When individuals are allergic to materials used in the filling, it is typical to see a reaction on the inside of the mouth. For example, the gum tissue that actually comes in contact with the filling may become irritated.

In regard to the silver filling or what is called an amalgam filling, they are actually made up of more than half of mercury. They also contain slightly less than half of silver, copper, and tin, as well as some other materials. Some people are concerned over the potential health concerns with having mercury placed in their mouths. That said, I am not familiar with a case where the amalgam caused a rash on the face.

If it was right after your dental appointment that the rash occurred, it may have been the use of the latex gloves that your dentist used.

This post is sponsored by Tulsa dentist Region Dental.

Related links: mercury-free dentist, white fillings, emergency dentist