Archives for March 2023

Do I Need to See My Dentist After Getting Head Butted by a Horse?

Posted on March 23, 2023 by writeradmin.

I was at my horse riding lesson when I got head-butted by a horse. It was not the fault of the school. I was standing too close to his head on the side without holding his bridle. Chestnut shook his head to try to get something off his ear and his head hit me on the left side of my face. I was wearing my helmet, so that was good. I thought I was fine. I just had a small bruise on the side of my face, which healed well. The last two days, however, my jaw has really been hurting and sore. It’s hard to open my mouth all the way. A friend of mine told me that trauma to the jaw can cause TMJ Disorder. Do you think I should see a dentist or should I just give it some more time?

Alley

Dear Alley,

Woman Holding her jaw in pain

Wow! Horse riding lessons sound fun…well, except for that head-butting thing. I’m sorry for your injury. Your friend is correct. You do need to get this checked out. While time heals bruises, it doesn’t do much for joint damage, which is what TMJ Disorder is. The trauma for the horse could have knocked your temporomandibular joint out of alignment. This can lead to pain in your jaw, difficulty opening your mouth, clicking sounds, and even migraines.

There are also the possibilities of a sprain or fracture of your jaw. Because of that, I think you should get this area imaged as soon as possible. Even if you don’t have any symptoms, it is important to have an injury imaged.

Be Careful About the Dentist

There is not currently a recognized specialty in TMJ. Because of that, you want to be careful at who you have do your evaluation and treatment, if that becomes necessary. You will want a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral TMJ training. Take a look at Dr. Weiss’s bio to get an idea of what you want in a dentist with regard to an understand of how TMJ disorder works. There are many horror stories of patients whose jaws were destroyed by dentists who didn’t know what they were doing. I don’t want you to be one of them.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

An MRI with Dental Implants?

Posted on March 7, 2023 by writeradmin.

I am losing a tooth. This has never happened to me since I was a kid! My dentist recommends I get a dental implant. However, I have a pituitary adenoma that they have to keep an eye on. I get an MRI every year. Would it be possible to get an MRI if I have a dental implant?

Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

metal-free dental implants

I am sorry to hear about your pituitary adenoma. I know another person who deals with that and it has wreaked havoc on her body.

You are not alone in wondering about whether or not dental implants are safe for an MRI. Another common question has to do with security sensors. The good news is they are safe for both. You may be wondering if there is metal in them, how are they safe?

What Is an MRI?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, is a test that creates a strong magnetic field and then uses radio waves and digital software to obtain cross-sectional images of the body, particularly soft tissue. Because of this magnetic field, patients are advised not to go into an MRI scanner with any metal on or about their person. This is due to the danger of migration, heating up, projectiles, or other ill effects. Any ferromagnetic metal is unsafe during an MRI. Some examples of ferromagnetic metals include nickel, iron, and manganese, among others.

What are Dental Implants Made From?

Dental implants are made with either titanium or zirconia. While zirconia is metal-free, so most people don’t worry about those, titanium is metal. The good news is that this type of metal is paramagnetic, which makes it perfectly safe for an MRI.

Your dentist was right to suggest this as the tooth replacement. It will be the closest thing to having a healthy, natural tooth again.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Did I REALLY Get daVinci Crowns?

Posted on March 2, 2023 by writeradmin.

I wanted to get a smile makeover, but have never been happy with the dental work that gets done in my area. I was very upfront with my dentist about this. He suggested that I get dental crowns and we have the work done by the da Vinci lab in California. He said they have a reputation for being the best of the dental labs. I thought this sounded okay and we went forward. When the crowns finally came in, my dentist called me for a try in, but when I got there he said they weren’t happy with the crowns and were going to have them readjusted to meet with what he asked for. I was a bit confused by this because he told me they were the best. Then, before I left, some man came to pick them up and work on them. I don’t think they noticed I saw that. Now, how would a guy from a California lab get all the way to Mississippi the same day? I mean, yes, he could fly, but would they really fly someone out for this or just have the dentist send them back? I’m worried I’m being taken.

Evie

Dear Evie,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

I’m afraid you are being taken as well. My best guess is, if he sent them to daVinci to begin with, that he’s having a local guy make the changes. That is not what you agreed to so he is being dishonest there. I will say there are some other red flags here as well.

When someone wants a smile makeover, the standard for that is porcelain veneers, not porcelain crowns. Now it is possible that you already had dental crowns there and that is why your dentist suggested them. If you didn’t, then that is a sign your dentist is not a skilled cosmetic dentist. They will often suggest crowns because that is a basic procedure they were taught in dental school and porcelain veneers require post-doctoral learning.

What Matters Most – the Dentist or the Lab?

The truth is even though the daVinci lab has branded itself as one of the top ceramist labs in the country, they are a large lab. Not all of their ceramists are what is known as master ceramists. These are the ones who would create the most beautiful work. daVinci will save their master ceramists for some of the top cosmetic dentists in the country and then give the unskilled dentist’s work to one of their lower level ceramists. Why is this?

The reason behind that is no matter how good a ceramist is, it will not make up for the deficiencies of the dentist. When it comes to smile makeovers it is the skill of the dentist that makes all the difference. They design the smile. All the lab can do is follow directions. Granted some follow directions better than others, but even the best ceramist cannot make up for a poorly designed smile makeover.

I am going to suggest you not allow your dentist to bond on these porcelain crowns until you approve them. He should use a temporory try in paste and you should get to see them in several different lightings. If you don’t love them, have him send them back to the lab. If he tells you that you are being too picky, remind him that it is a smile makeover and you are supposed to be picky. If he can’t get it right then maybe he should refund you and let you see a dentist that can do it the way you want.

If it comes to that, you will want to see a dentist who is AACD accredited. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.