Tag Archives: Dental Crown

Lafayette LA Dentist

Is It Normal to Get a Pimple on Your Gums?

I’ve got a pimple on my gums. I’m worried about it. My husband says I’m overreacting, that it’s just a pimple. But, I’ve never heard of a pimple on gums and it hurts. Is this normal?

Danya L.

Dear Danya,

Emergency Dental Care

You’re right to be concerned. This is more serious than a simple pimple. It’s likely one of two things. First, it could be the beginnings of a canker sore and just resembles a pimple. This won’t be very large, but it will “open up” and start to resemble a canker sore rather soon.

This is not an emergency, but you will want to attend to it. Salt water rinses will help, along with over the counter pain relievers. It should clear up within two weeks. If it doesn’t, see your dentist for an oral tissue exam. Sometimes oral cancer resembles a canker sore. Your dentist examines you for this at every check-up. If you’re diligent with your check ups, the canker sore is the more likely scenario.

If it truly resembles a full-sized pimple, then it is most likely a fistula. This is filled with puss, so don’t pop it. You won’t like the taste. A fistula means you have an active tooth infection. This needs to be seen right away. In fact, if you don’t have a regular dentist, you need to see an emergency dentist. They’ll work you in sooner than most dentists even if you’re not an established patient.

There are a number of possible treatment options here depending on why the bacteria is pooling. If the tooth is cracked and leaking bacteria into the gums, then you’ll need a dental crown. If it’s in a visible place then you’ll want to be sure to get an all-porcelain crown. They look completely natural. If there’s an infection, it’s possible to need a root canal treatment.

Either way, you don’t want to put off treatment. The infection will spread. The quicker it’s treated, the less invasive the procedure will need to be.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Mike Malone.

Uncategorized

Months of sensitivity in tooth after white filling

More than six months ago I had a large cavity filled with a white filling. Almost immediately following, that tooth became really sensitive to cold temperatures. Heat is OK, but cold just sends me through the roof. I went back to see my dentist because of this, and she said that the cavity was very large and deep, and might be simply irritated. She wanted to wait it out, but I insisted she do something to further protect the tooth. She agreed (reluctantly) to cover the tooth with a temporary dental crown.

Now all these months later the tooth is still bugging me. The dentist says that we further irritated the tooth by placing the crown, and now I may need to have a root canal treatment. Does this sound right to you? She is pretty young, and I am not sure I really trust her judgment.

Mary in Lowell, MI

Dear Mary,

You probably should have listened to your dentist and waited out the initial sensitivity. She is likely right, also, that placing the crown did not help the situation.

One of the most important rules of thumb in dental care is to never, ever push a dentist into doing something they are not comfortable in doing. You state that your dentist is young, so she may not yet have developed a good skill set for firmly and respectfully refusing to do treatments that are against her better judgment but that the patient is insisting on.

A real concern here is your lack of confidence in your dentist. If you cannot trust her, you should seek the services of a different dentist. It sounds as if she knows what she is doing, but everything hinges on your comfort level with her and her care.

Posted as a courtesy for Lafayette Louisiana cosmetic dentist Dr. Mike Malone.