September 2017 - Arnold Dental

I’m going in for an appointment with a sedation dentist. My hope is I can get four crowns and three fillings completed in one appointment. I know sedation allows you to get more done at once. However, I’m told the medicine makes you rather groggy. Do you think the dentist will allow me to wait in the office until the medicine wears off?

Kristie L.

Dear Kristie,

Generally, your first appointment with a sedation dentist is a consultation to go over your medical history and medications with the dentist so he or she can make sure none of them will interact with his sedation medication. It also gives the dentist the opportunity to go over with you what to expect from the medicine.

It’s true that sedation will allow you to get more work done in one sitting. Go over with the dentist exactly what you’re hoping to accomplish. I’m sure they’ll let you know what you can reasonably expect. Your dentist may even be able to fit all those crowns in one sitting, but they do take a while. The fillings will be a breeze.

Staying at the office won’t really be a good option. The medicine will make you groggy, but not just for a short time after your appointment. Most patients are groggy for the rest of the day. Your dentist likely will make sure you have someone to remain with you throughout the day before he starts the procedure. You will be unsteady on your feet so you’ll want to just curl up in a blanket and plan a day of binge-watching some shows on Netflix.

See if you have a trusted friend that won’t mind spending the day getting you something to drink and watching some shows with you.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Fred Arnold.

I had a dental crown made just four months ago. It’s given me all sorts of problems and I’ve been back to the dentist at least twice a month to have it adjusted since then. Though we never got it feeling good, I finally gave up and decided I’d just have to live with it. Yesterday, a big chunk of it broke off. I needed to get it taken care of and just wasn’t sure I trusted the dentist who did the crown anymore so I went to an emergency dentist. She did squeeze me in but said the crown has to be replaced. I just wanted it repaired. I’m not sure I want to spend all that money all over again. Shouldn’t a crown last longer than this? Why won’t the emergency dentist repair it instead of just expect me to purchase another one? Also, I never liked how the crown looked. Is there a way if I have to get a new crown that I could get one that looks more natural?

Amber S.

Dear Amber,

I can certainly understand why you don’t want to pay for another crown, especially after just four months! It’s very possible your emergency dentist suggested that simply because the crown is too damaged to be repaired. I also understand why you weren’t too keen on going back to a dentist that couldn’t seem to get your crown correct. I’m suspicious that possibly the poor placement of the crown led to its breaking.

At a minimum, a dental crown should last 5 years. Yours only made it four months and that’s with it never feeling comfortable. I’d say you were definitely entitled to a full refund. Then, you can have the crown re-done without extra cost. Plus, you can choose a different dentist.

If you liked the emergency dentist, you could let her do the new crown. Or, you could start from scratch with another dentist. It’s the dentist you choose which will make the biggest difference in how the crown looks.

You’ll want a skilled cosmetic dentist to do the work. You should also make sure you like the crown before it is permanently bonded on. Any decent cosmetic dentist would have no problem with that.

You can look for a dentist who is AACD accredited or check the mynewsmile.com website. They recommend skilled cosmetic dentists in your area. You just input your zip code.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Fred Arnold.

Will a Sedation Dentist Let Me Stay Until Meds Wear Off?

Emergency Dentist Won’t Repair Crown

Archives for September 2017