How Does a Cavity Form Under a Crown?

A crown that has been improperly fit will not sit well below the gum line of the tooth it covers. Food particles become trapped in this area, allowing the tooth to become the target of bacteria and decay, since it is difficult to brush or keep this area clean. This will result in a cavity forming on the tooth, having a root canal' to remove the nerve endings of the tooth and adding a new crown.  Also as crowns age the crown margins will become open as a patient's gums tend to recede, becoming a food trap and place for patients to keep clean.

A cavity starts as a pin hole in a tooth and is caused by bacteria developing and resulting in decay. When the cavity is ignored, it gets larger and causes what was once a small spot of decay to grow and get larger or undermine underneath a crown. When the cavity is not cleaned out by the dentist, the decay eventually reaches the nerve and cause a toothache. At this point, the nerve will need to be removed during a root canal and the tooth replaced with a crown or replace the old crown with a new crown.

Removing the roots of a badly decayed tooth eliminates the pain and swelling within the tooth. This is is known as having a root canal procedure. The roots of the tooth are completely removed, and the top of the tooth is prepared for further care by the dentist.

When the root canal is fully healed and sealed, Dr. Steppler reshapes the size of the tooth, adds a post and core into the tooth area where the root has been removed and places the new crown on top of the prepared tooth.

Pain Caused by a High Filling

If you've ever received a filling at the dentist's office, you probably vaguely remember the dentist putting a piece of colored paper in your mouth and telling you to bite together.  Then, the dentist probably asked, "Does that feel too high?"

Since the mouth is generally numbed during a filling, it's often hard to tell if a filling is too high while you're sitting in the dental chair.  Also, the sooner we tell the dentist that it feels alright, the faster we can get out of their office and on with our life!

Sometimes, a few days after receiving a filling you may notice that your filling is a little too high.  When you bite together, the filling and its opposing tooth may be the first teeth to touch.  It may create an uneven bite.  However, the worst side-effect of a high filling is pain!

Why Does a High Filling Hurt and Cause Pain? 

 

The tooth is supported in bone by a thin layer of tissue called the periodontal ligament.  When you have a filling that is too high, the tooth gets pressed down a lot harder and it makes this ligament very tender.
All of the tissues of our body can get tender when put under stress.  For example, if you work outside in the garden all day pulling weeds without any gloves on, your hands will get red and inflamed.  As a result, the body sends an extra amount of blood to your hands to help them heal.  They get red, inflamed, and very tender as part of the healing process.  This is what happens with the periodontal ligament when it gets compressed much more than usual due to a high filling.

The technical term for this is symptomatic apical periodontitis or acute apical periodontitis.
 

How to Stop the Pain Caused by Symptomatic Apical Periodontitis

 

In order to stop the pain, the cause must be removed.  That means you need to call our office and let us know that the filling is too high.  The process of adjusting it and re-checking your bite should only take a few minutes and usually there isn't a charge for it -- after all, the filling was high in the first place because it wasn't adjusted enough.

How Long Will It Be Until the Pain Stops?

 

After Dr. Steppler has adjusted the filling, the peridontal ligament will still need some time to heal from the additional stress that was placed upon it.

This healing process can take anywhere from a one day to two weeks.  As a general rule, if you are still in pain after more than two weeks you should call us back to make an appointment, as this could be a sign that something else is wrong with your teeth.

Don't be shy about calling our office – the quicker that a problem is resolved, the less likely it is to develop into something more serious.

Over -The-Counter Teeth Whitening vs Professional Treatments

Many of the companies that produce the professional teeth whitening systems also have over-the-counter (OTC) options available to those who want whiter teeth without visiting a cosmetic dentist.

OTC products will often claim that you get the same results from their method as you could obtain from a professional tooth whitening treatment. This statement, although true in one sense, is very misleading. The idea is that OTC smile whitening products provide the same effect over a longer period of time by using a lower concentration of bleach (5% - 10%). Claims state that professional tooth whitening provides faster results by using a higher concentration of bleach (15% - 30%). This is the difference between repeating the treatment every night for days or weeks, and leaving the dentist office with a noticeably brighter smile after only a single visit.

This may be the truth – but it's not the whole truth. Cosmetic dentists whiten your teeth using a higher concentration of bleach, in conjunction with a laser tooth whitening system, such as Britesmile® or Rembrandt® or ZOOM®. These systems apply a certain light frequency that activates their proprietary bleaching compound to enhance the whitening effect.

The professional laser teeth whitening procedure is one of the most cost and time-effective aesthetic dental procedures available. “For a minimal fee, a patient can enter Dr. Steppler's dental office and walk out less than two hours later with a significantly brighter and whiter smile.”

There are more reasons to choose professional tooth whitening over store-bought tooth bleaching products:

· Those that do not incorporate a tray can have uneven, “blotchy,” results. Saliva can dilute the mixture, or your tongue could wipe away some areas, leaving them untreated.

· Many OTC teeth whitening products contain glycerin, which could dry out your tooth enamel.

· Over-the-Counter systems to whiten teeth often use “whitening strips.” These are good for brightening the front surface of your teeth, but cannot do an adequate job of bleaching the cracks and crevices between teeth. The contrast between a bright, white tooth and the dark grooves between teeth can look like terrible cavities, or wide gaps.

If you are just hoping to lighten the fronts of your teeth a shade or two, over-the-counter tooth whitening products may work as an option. However, if you would like a winning, movie star-bright smile, professional tooth whitening is the only way to go!