Do you have any Dental Health related Questions?

Oh snap Rob. I hope this isn't serious at all but you and your boy will be in our thoughts and prayers regardless.

Thanks brother. We've scheduled an appointment for the 14th with the oral surgeon. It's going to feel like a lifetime waiting to find out more.

Hope everything goes well Rob. Keep us posted.

Thanks brother. We've scheduled an appointment for the 14th with the oral surgeon. It's going to feel like a lifetime waiting to find out more.

I'm a dad twice over man. I feel your pain. I know these words mean nothing right now but don't worry. Worrying will do nothing but stress you out and your son will pick up in that. Whatever is going on will still be the case in 7 days. Good or bad there is nothing you can do about it. Put on the happy face and trust that everything will be ok. Your son needs to see you acting like it isn't a big deal so he doesn't think it is a big deal.

^Thanks for the advice Hannibal. You're absolutely right.

I have also been talking with Jpegs and he let me know his son had something similar if not the same thing when he was young and I shouldn't be getting worried about some of the terminology being used like tumor etc.. That it only means abnormal. Of course I went right ahead and started associating it with something terrible.

He made me feel much better explaining how they dealt with it and that it's not that uncommon.

^Thanks for the advice Hannibal. You're absolutely right.

I have also been talking with Jpegs and he let me know his son had something similar if not the same thing when he was young and I shouldn't be getting worried about some of the terminology being used like tumor etc.. That it only means abnormal. Of course I went right ahead and started associating it with something terrible.

He made me feel much better explaining how they dealt with it and that it's not that uncommon.

John is a good man! Keep the positive attitude around the family and come here to vent or be worried if you need to. We all have your back.

Is this what we're looking at?

http://dental.washington.edu/oral-patholog...com-april-2007/

Is this what we're looking at?

http://dental.washington.edu/oral-patholog...com-april-2007/

I'd bet that's what Mase has

Hey Toofdoc. I didn't think I was going to need help in this thread,and then my 4 year old visited the dentist for the first time today. I wasn't there because his mom took him so I'm repeating what was said to the best I was I told.

They were first concerned because on the upper left side they said there was only 1 molar that had come in where on The other side there were two. They wanted to take some x-rays and gets better idea of what was going on and see if there was a molar that hadn't come in.

Upon looking at the x-rays they found what they called a "tooth mass" where it looks like the molar that hasn't come in and the tooth above are in some way "congealed" and the Dentist Appearntly used the words "possible benign tumor that may be forming that may require surgery" . My heart sunk upon hearing this and he's recommended we go to an oral surgeon that has 3D maching that will give a better view.

I'm clueless where to start researching.. What I should be doing besides sitting here worrying.

Have you seen this before? Have you seen this in a child his age? What should I know that maybe wasn't said to his mother? Is there anything you recommend i do?

Thank you

 

First off - thanks to toofdoc for all the good advice for everyone here. I've been reading on the sidelines and think it's great that you're doing this for LP.

 

Rob- I'm a pediatric dentist so I thought I'd chime in. It's tough to know exactly what they have found without seeing an x-ray... but I'll try my best to help clarify what can be happening. When I do an exam without an xray and I don't see a tooth that should be there I run through possible options through my head. 1) tooth could simply be missing 2) the tooth could be fused to the underlying bone and won't erupt 3) the tooth could be erupting in a different direction 4) or something might be blocking the path of tooth eruption or effecting the tooth itself. It sounds like the xray that the dentist took shows a "tooth mass" that sounds like it may be an odontoma. I've diagnosed 3 of these over the past 15 years or so (most recently last month in fact) and the course of action that I recommend is exactly what your son's dentist has recommended. Referral to an oral surgeon with a 3D Xray to see exactly how large a mass you are looking at. Surgery to remove the mass with a biopsy. Depending on the size of the mass and whether or not other teeth have been displaced your son may need to see an orthodontist in the future.

 

It's a difficult thing to hear as a parent... no one likes to hear the word tumor- but it's good that they found it early. If it is indeed an odontoma then it generally benign. My two older patients that had their odontomas removed still have them in a little jar. My third patient that was recently diagnosed is in the process of seeing an oral surgeon. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions....

 

OK... back to lurk mode.

 

Happy New Year to everyone on LP!

 

 

 

First off - thanks to toofdoc for all the good advice for everyone here. I've been reading on the sidelines and think it's great that you're doing this for LP.

 

Rob- I'm a pediatric dentist so I thought I'd chime in. It's tough to know exactly what they have found without seeing an x-ray... but I'll try my best to help clarify what can be happening. When I do an exam without an xray and I don't see a tooth that should be there I run through possible options through my head. 1) tooth could simply be missing 2) the tooth could be fused to the underlying bone and won't erupt 3) the tooth could be erupting in a different direction 4) or something might be blocking the path of tooth eruption or effecting the tooth itself. It sounds like the xray that the dentist took shows a "tooth mass" that sounds like it may be an odontoma. I've diagnosed 3 of these over the past 15 years or so (most recently last month in fact) and the course of action that I recommend is exactly what your son's dentist has recommended. Referral to an oral surgeon with a 3D Xray to see exactly how large a mass you are looking at. Surgery to remove the mass with a biopsy. Depending on the size of the mass and whether or not other teeth have been displaced your son may need to see an orthodontist in the future.

 

It's a difficult thing to hear as a parent... no one likes to hear the word tumor- but it's good that they found it early. If it is indeed an odontoma then it generally benign. My two older patients that had their odontomas removed still have them in a little jar. My third patient that was recently diagnosed is in the process of seeing an oral surgeon. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions....

 

OK... back to lurk mode.

 

Happy New Year to everyone on LP!

Thank you very much for adding your thoughts Kenny. This is the second outside opinion I've heard since finding out that the recommended course of action from his dentist is the correct one at that we were fortunate to find it early so it can be corrected before it causes any future problems.

I've requested copy's of his X-rays so we can provide them to others we may be visiting to get some alternate opinions and maybe I'll post them up here for some further opinions and just for curiosity sakes for anyone following.

I'll pm you when I find out more. Thanks again.

Thanks Andy for all the time spent here. Very generous of you!

 

Rob - thinking of you and wishing the best outcome for your son.

I just had a normal dentist checkup which was all good, but am I the only one who realizes out of the blue that I'm death gripping the armrests? Between that and almost falling asleep, I think the dental assistants and hygienists think I'm dying cause they always ask if I'm doing ok lol.

 

Rob, hoping for good news soon my friend. Good of people in the medical field to contribute to this and alleviate worries!

Visiting the dentist has never bothered me. Subconsciously I must be terrified because I could bend steel with my grip on those armrests. I think everypart of my body is calm except my hands. If you put some carbon on the armrest it would come out diamonds when the appointment was over.

Sorry, I've been slacking!

 

Hey Toofdoc. I didn't think I was going to need help in this thread,and then my 4 year old visited the dentist for the first time today. I wasn't there because his mom took him so I'm repeating what was said to the best I was I told.

They were first concerned because on the upper left side they said there was only 1 molar that had come in where on The other side there were two. They wanted to take some x-rays and gets better idea of what was going on and see if there was a molar that hadn't come in.

Upon looking at the x-rays they found what they called a "tooth mass" where it looks like the molar that hasn't come in and the tooth above are in some way "congealed" and the Dentist Appearntly used the words "possible benign tumor that may be forming that may require surgery" . My heart sunk upon hearing this and he's recommended we go to an oral surgeon that has 3D maching that will give a better view.

I'm clueless where to start researching.. What I should be doing besides sitting here worrying.

Have you seen this before? Have you seen this in a child his age? What should I know that maybe wasn't said to his mother? Is there anything you recommend i do?

Thank you

First...do not worry, it sounds benign. Without xrays and see your son in person, it's impossible to differentiate what lesion or tumor it can be. Because of your son's age and clinical scenario, it does sound like an ODONTOMA to me. If it's a bunch of white round things clustered together in one big circle, it's a Compound Odontome. If it's a big white blob round thing in his jaw, then it may be a Complex Odontoma. Then if the tumor is a dark circle, then it can be more serious.

 

Most likely what will happen is the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon or a Pedodontist will end up extract or remove that "mass" by putting your son to sleep (general anesthesia).

 

First off - thanks to toofdoc for all the good advice for everyone here. I've been reading on the sidelines and think it's great that you're doing this for LP.

 

Rob- I'm a pediatric dentist so I thought I'd chime in. It's tough to know exactly what they have found without seeing an x-ray... but I'll try my best to help clarify what can be happening. When I do an exam without an xray and I don't see a tooth that should be there I run through possible options through my head. 1) tooth could simply be missing 2) the tooth could be fused to the underlying bone and won't erupt 3) the tooth could be erupting in a different direction 4) or something might be blocking the path of tooth eruption or effecting the tooth itself. It sounds like the xray that the dentist took shows a "tooth mass" that sounds like it may be an odontoma. I've diagnosed 3 of these over the past 15 years or so (most recently last month in fact) and the course of action that I recommend is exactly what your son's dentist has recommended. Referral to an oral surgeon with a 3D Xray to see exactly how large a mass you are looking at. Surgery to remove the mass with a biopsy. Depending on the size of the mass and whether or not other teeth have been displaced your son may need to see an orthodontist in the future.

 

It's a difficult thing to hear as a parent... no one likes to hear the word tumor- but it's good that they found it early. If it is indeed an odontoma then it generally benign. My two older patients that had their odontomas removed still have them in a little jar. My third patient that was recently diagnosed is in the process of seeing an oral surgeon. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions....

 

OK... back to lurk mode.

 

Happy New Year to everyone on LP!

Welcome Kenny! Glad to see another Lambo Dentite on LP! Please do chime in as much as you like to help me answer some great questions here. Being a Pedo, I definitely appreciate what you guys bring to our profession. BTW, did you hear about that 3-year in Hawaii incident? Sad.

 

Thanks Andy for all the time spent here. Very generous of you!

Absolutely no problem! I love talking about Dentistry! BTW, if you need any information about Dentistry, you know how to reach me.

 

I just had a normal dentist checkup which was all good, but am I the only one who realizes out of the blue that I'm death gripping the armrests? Between that and almost falling asleep, I think the dental assistants and hygienists think I'm dying cause they always ask if I'm doing ok lol.

You know....that is so true!! Why are those dental chairs always with those short arm rests? Interesting!

My 2 year old has 1 front teeth (lateral incisor) that didn't grow out. Is this something to be of concern?

Sorry, I've been slacking!

 

 

First...do not worry, it sounds benign. Without xrays and see your son in person, it's impossible to differentiate what lesion or tumor it can be. Because of your son's age and clinical scenario, it does sound like an ODONTOMA to me. If it's a bunch of white round things clustered together in one big circle, it's a Compound Odontome. If it's a big white blob round thing in his jaw, then it may be a Complex Odontoma. Then if the tumor is a dark circle, then it can be more serious.

 

Most likely what will happen is the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon or a Pedodontist will end up extract or remove that "mass" by putting your son to sleep (general anesthesia).

Thanks Toofdoc. I called today and spoke with him and you are correct,he suspects Odontoma and we discussed options and best and worst case scenarios.

He said from what he could see he didn't feel it was anything to lose sleep over and he also forwarded me his X-rays which show the mass.

My 2 year old has 1 front teeth (lateral incisor) that didn't grow out. Is this something to be of concern?

 

Have you taken him/her in to see a dentist yet? If you haven't it's probably a good time to bring them in for their first visit. If the tooth is completely missing (ie not unerupted but actually never developed) then it's possible that they may be missing their permanent tooth as well. Best though to go see a pedodontist and have it looked at.

 

 

Thanks Toofdoc. I called today and spoke with him and you are correct,he suspects Odontoma and we discussed options and best and worst case scenarios.

He said from what he could see he didn't feel it was anything to lose sleep over and he also forwarded me his X-rays which show the mass.

 

Odontoma - just like I thought it was. Like your dentist says- don't lose sleep over it, but definitely have a plan in place to deal with it.

 

ToofDoc- yes that case in Hawaii is sad. I've been getting a lot of info about the case from other dentists. It sounds like a general dentist doing a lot of pedo overdosed her patient for an oral sedation case. Terrible news....

 

 

Have you taken him/her in to see a dentist yet? If you haven't it's probably a good time to bring them in for their first visit. If the tooth is completely missing (ie not unerupted but actually never developed) then it's possible that they may be missing their permanent tooth as well. Best though to go see a pedodontist and have it looked at.

 

I haven't taken her yet. I will though. I didn't take my son until he turned 4 so I figured I would wait. The pediatrician keeped on pushing me to take them since 1 for fluoride treatment.

 

Is there any thing bad beside being 1 tooth short? Will it have any effects on their teeth as they get older since the baby teeth didn't all come through?

Cool thread, toof', thanks for contribution!

 

Ok, so here are two questions for you,

 

Expensive schooling (if you get into a dental school)

Patients hate coming to you...Encourage your kids to do what they like, but definitely look into Dentistry

What are the steps and timeline of the educational pipeline from high school to where you are today? Now that you're on top of your game, how would you tell a young person to go about the entire process? What role does ongoing study play in your life now'a days if any?

 

Sonicare is good, but not the best...Waterpik is pretty amazing as well, but nothing beats the effectiveness of manual flossing. Again, the fact you do either or is amazing.

What do you know about the effectiveness of this new Sonicare AirFloss device?

 

Lastly, how fast does your Ferrari go and how much did it cost?

I haven't taken her yet. I will though. I didn't take my son until he turned 4 so I figured I would wait. The pediatrician keeped on pushing me to take them since 1 for fluoride treatment.

 

Is there any thing bad beside being 1 tooth short? Will it have any effects on their teeth as they get older since the baby teeth didn't all come through?

 

 

If she is actually missing her baby tooth then there's a chance that she might be missing that adult tooth. If it's a upper lateral tooth then you're eventually going to need to get an orthodontist involved and she'll probably need an implant to replace that missing tooth in the future (when she's a lot older - late teens). If its' a lower tooth that she's missing then sometimes orthodontists can just close the space and it will be hard to tell that she's missing a tooth. It's the upper teeth that play a larger role in the smile esthetics.

 

Bring her in to your pedodontist and I'm sure they'll go over all of the possibilities. I hope that wasn't too confusing!

What are the steps and timeline of the educational pipeline from high school to where you are today?

High School - 4 years

College degree - 4 years

Dental school - 4 years

Residency - 1-6 years depending which specialty residency you do

 

Now that you're on top of your game, how would you tell a young person to go about the entire process?

Can't say that I'm on "top of my game" yet because I'm not! For anyone that may be slightly interested in dentistry as a career, then I highly recommend them to call a dentist and ask to shadow him and his practice to see if dentistry as a career fits them. Dental schools admission committee looks favorably upon shadowing experiences aside from great grades (GPA) and the Dental Admission Test (DAT) score.

 

What role does ongoing study play in your life now'a days if any?

As a medical professional, we are always learning new techniques, technology, materials, and new medicine in dentistry, as it changes monthly it seems. So I'm always learning! The day I stop learning is the day I die, right?! Also, to be an active licensed dentist, we must fulfill our licensure obligations to keep up with our Continue Education (CE) credit hours every licensure renewal period. Yes, we have to go to class and read plenty of articles. Learning never stops!

 

What do you know about the effectiveness of this new Sonicare AirFloss device?

I know nothing about Sonicare products as I do not support them or use them in my office.

 

Lastly, how fast does your Ferrari go and how much did it cost?

I think you got the wrong guy here! I don't know what a "Ferrari" is?

Damn it...I'm back for another question lol.

 

So about once or twice a year my wisdom teeth will cause me some pain. I went for a cleaning in July and they did Xrays and said that they don't see really in danger of pushing my teeth right now, but still keep an eye on it. Flash forward to a couple days ago, the wisdom tooth on my back left side is SPLITTING my gum. It hurts really bad and you can see the gum actually splitting.

 

What would you do in this situation? Get the wisdoms removed immediately or will the pain subside after a few days? Thank you so much!

I need to get a dental implant for a two missing molars. Anything that I should know?

Damn it...I'm back for another question lol.

 

So about once or twice a year my wisdom teeth will cause me some pain. I went for a cleaning in July and they did Xrays and said that they don't see really in danger of pushing my teeth right now, but still keep an eye on it. Flash forward to a couple days ago, the wisdom tooth on my back left side is SPLITTING my gum. It hurts really bad and you can see the gum actually splitting.

 

What would you do in this situation? Get the wisdoms removed immediately or will the pain subside after a few days? Thank you so much!

Haha...Tony....welcome back, just when you think you're cleared of dentistry, then it gets you again!

 

Splitting gum is basically the tooth erupting through the gun tissue. As it literately cuts through your gums as the tooth erupts. During that process, the gum tissue gets inflamed and swells up. Sometimes, the swelling is so severe, so much tissue, you end up biting on yourself every time you chew. If it hurts you constantly, then get it extracted. If the discomfort goes away within two weeks, then you may be alright. This eruption sequence is intermittent, it comes and goes.

 

I need to get a dental implant for a two missing molars. Anything that I should know?

You have two missing molars...did your dentist recommend two dental implants or just one? I don't recommend only one dental implant to replace two missing teeth.

 

Just make sure you're getting a "traditional" dental implants and NOT a "mini dental implant". I've seen patients with mini dental implants placed by dentists to replace individual tooth! That's a no no!

 

Average cost for one dental implant is around $3000, most dental insurance does not cover it. After the implant is surgically placed, you'll need to place a tooth crown on it which is another $1000. So your total treatment plan cost could be around $8000 to replace two teeth. If you got an estimate below that, then you got a decent deal. Remember, make sure your two teeth crowns are included. Implants can be placed by a general dentist, an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, a Prosthodontist, or a Periodontist.

 

Your alternative to replace your two missing teeth are a bridge or a partial denture.

Hydrogen peroxide is the main active ingredient in whitening strips and gel, but delivered into teeth structure differently than liquid hydrogen peroxide form in a bottle. Also concentration levels are different.

 

Hydrogen peroxide liquid is also a potent chemical to kill germs but also healthy tissue in our mouths. It does not differentiates from bad or good.

 

When I hear my patients tell me they use hydrogen peroxide as their mouth rinse, I shriek because it kills their bad bugs (bacteria) AND their good cells. I believe your friend just hears "hydrogen peroxide" and automatically associating with whitening but in reality not only he's NOT whitening his teeth, he's also killing his healthy cells lining his mouth.

 

No good.

 

Thanks a ton for the info! Unfortunately, I tried the hydrogen peroxide method for a couple weeks several months ago, and I didn't notice any changes in my teeth.

 

 

Haha...Tony....welcome back, just when you think you're cleared of dentistry, then it gets you again!

 

Splitting gum is basically the tooth erupting through the gun tissue. As it literately cuts through your gums as the tooth erupts. During that process, the gum tissue gets inflamed and swells up. Sometimes, the swelling is so severe, so much tissue, you end up biting on yourself every time you chew. If it hurts you constantly, then get it extracted. If the discomfort goes away within two weeks, then you may be alright. This eruption sequence is intermittent, it comes and goes.

 

 

You have two missing molars...did your dentist recommend two dental implants or just one? I don't recommend only one dental implant to replace two missing teeth.

 

Just make sure you're getting a "traditional" dental implants and NOT a "mini dental implant". I've seen patients with mini dental implants placed by dentists to replace individual tooth! That's a no no!

 

Average cost for one dental implant is around $3000, most dental insurance does not cover it. After the implant is surgically placed, you'll need to place a tooth crown on it which is another $1000. So your total treatment plan cost could be around $8000 to replace two teeth. If you got an estimate below that, then you got a decent deal. Remember, make sure your two teeth crowns are included. Implants can be placed by a general dentist, an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, a Prosthodontist, or a Periodontist.

 

Your alternative to replace your two missing teeth are a bridge or a partial denture.

Thanks! I owe you big time. Hopefully this goes away. It's definitely pretty inflamed right now and I can feel the broken gum with my tongue...so weird. It's also kind of making my throat hurt, but we'll see if it goes away soon. I'm hoping it does! Any tricks to keep it from getting infected? I've just been drinking a lot of water and swishing some mouthwash in that area. I also heard to gargle salt water. Thanks again!