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I had a horrible toothache and went to see an emergency dentist. I tend to avoid the dentist because I don’t usually have a good experience, even when there are not problems. However, this tooth hurt enough that I needed to get seen. He ran some tests that hurt and then did a dental crown on one of my teeth. It didn’t completely help with the problem, but did ease the pain. I was hoping that the permanent crown would make a difference. However, since getting the temporary crown, the tooth next to the one the dentist worked on has started turning gray. Do you think the emergency dentist could have done something to that tooth?
Gerald
Dear Gerald,
When a tooth turns gray, it is either dead or dying. It will need to be treated with a root canal. Though I do not think this was caused by the dentist who treated you, there are some possibilities here.
First, it could have been the tooth that was the problem the entire time. Sometimes an infected tooth will refer pain. This means the dentist misdiagnosed you, treating the wrong tooth. The second option is that both teeth were damaged at the same time and this graying tooth just didn’t show the same symptoms right away. Finally, you can be looking at two completely different incidents. That is the most unlikely of the three, but it is possible.
You did not mention whether or not the dentist took an x-ray. He should have. One thing you can do is take the x-ray to another dentist to look at. If the original infection was there already and he misdiagnosed you, then you have a case for a refund. Other than that, you are just going to have to deal with where you are now and get treatment. If you have an infected tooth, it is considered a dental emergency, so I wouldn’t put this off.
Dealing with Dental Anxiety
You mentioned that you have not had great experiences with dentists. You are not alone with that issue and it keeps more than you from regular dental care. I wanted to provide you with a solution. You would be better served if you started using a sedation dentist. They can provide you with some simple medication, either by using nitrous oxide gas, or a pill for oral conscious sedation.
The nitrous is the easiest and will allow you to get on with your day. However, if your anxiety is quite high, I’d recommend using someone who uses oral conscious sedation. It’s much stronger and you will be completely relaxed. The only real downside is you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you for a few hours after your appointment.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.