Dr. Todd D. Miller, D.M.D.

Unfortunately there are pros and cons to every dental procedure. In your case, it is important to make sure that it is well fitting. Have the dentist take a look at the new partial to make sure it is seating down properly. If it is and you are still getting food under it, there may be nothing else that can be done. The forces of eating can be great at times which force food in places we don’t want. You may have luck with denture adhesive. Try placing adhesive under the partial where you are getting the food stuck to see if that helps.

The most recommended pain medication for dental pain is Motrin. Your dentist should be willing to give you a prescription to get you through the pain. The pain also should be subsiding on its own 24-48 hours after the procedure.

It really depends on what you mean by “bonding” I am guessing you are having a cosmetic procedure done to improve the look of your smile in which case we are talking about some type of veneer that “bonds” to the tooth. If it is a “chair side” veneer, most often times no anesthetic is necessary. If there is decay present that requires removal prior to placement of the bonding then you may require an anesthetic. This depends on a few different factors (ie. the age of your tooth and your level of sensitivity). If we are talking about lab-made veneers, there are two different types. One type requires no tooth removal and therefore requires no anesthetic (for example “Lumineers” require no tooth reduction.) The other does require more tooth removal and therefore does require an anesthetic. There are pros and cons to each procedure and your dentist should be able to discuss them with you. I hope this helps.

Every time a tooth is worked on, there is a chance the tooth will be sensitive. Depending on the severity of the repair that is required or the depth of the decay or fracture that was present prior to the crown will sometimes give a clue to the amount of sensitivity a patient will have. Teeth can be sensitive for a year or more after the crown is done. It is important to monitor this sensitivity. If it lingers for more than a few seconds (10-15) it could mean that the nerve is in the process of dying. In this situation, the tooth will also require root canal therapy. If the tooth is only sensitive, that means the nerve is alive and healthy and should continue to get better.

It is very common for teeth to be sensitive after a deep cleaning or scaling. The teeth are sometimes coated with tartar which acts like an insulator to the sensitive root surface. Furthermore, when a patient needs scaling sometimes the gums have receded which makes the problem even worse due to the fact that more root surface is exposed.

Pain while chewing after a new filling may be due to several reasons, however, the most common reasons for this are 1. The new filling is just a little more bulky than it should be. You may have heard the term “the filling is high.” This will cause the ligaments that support the tooth in the bone to get irritated (usually starts approximately 72 hours after the filling has been placed.). This irritation causes inflammation in the ligament space surrounding every tooth. Another word for inflammation is swelling. If this occurs, the problem is compounded by raising the tooth every so slightly due to the swelling. Good news; this is typically an easy fix. Just let your dentist know and they can correct this “bulky” part of the tooth and it will get better in a matter of days. Another reason it may be painful when you bite-it is possible the decay was so deep that an infection has started. It will produce pain when pressure is applied. This will require more work to repair. I hope this helps.

Absolutely. Teeth will loosen as they are being forced to move through bone. Once they are moved to their proper position through orthodontics, they will tighten back up in a healthy mouth.

Yes. As the tooth starts to surface, the gum tissue will swell a bit. Sometimes it can be irritating just like when a baby is getting there baby teeth. Over the counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers may help. Sometimes, however, a very painful situation known as pericoronitis can occur in which you will need to seek the care of your dentist.

Typically it takes 72 hours before the antibiotic fully starts working on a dental infection. During this time, you may need to be more reliant on your pain medications. As the antibiotic starts to work, you may be able to taper off your pain medications. If the swelling continues to get bigger during this first 72 hours, you will need to contact your dentist or possibly the emergency room.

Most often times, the wisdom tooth nearly useless. Even if the tooth is upright and seems to be in good alignment, you do less than 6% of your chewing on them. They are most often times very difficult to clean, thus causing decay at some point. Sometimes this decay may affect the other, more important molars. For this reason, I most often times remove the tooth ideally in the late teen years, early 20’s.

I would hope that all of us in the dental profession are ethical and would most definitely NOT do unnecessary fillings. I can say, however, that some dentists may be more aggressive than others. Hopefully your dentist has an intra-oral camera and can show you evidence of the decay they are after.

This may depend on the severity of the situation. You should consult your dentist or oral surgeon for their recommendation. Salt water rinses can be started 24 hours after tooth removal and you can do them until you feel the pain is starting to subside; usually a week or so from the time of removal.

Oh boy. Alcohol can irritate healing gums, cause pain and increase bleeding. It is recommended that you halt alcohol consumption during the healing process especially if you are taking pain medications. Alcohol should never be consumed while taking pain medication.