1. The two front teeth are two dentures that latch onto the root of the teeth, after a while there is pain and swelling in the gums in the denture area, there is a small white protrusion on the gums, press when you see cloudy yellow mucus comes out, sometimes nothing at all. Buy oral medication to relieve pain and swelling, stop taking pain medication and swelling recur. What are the long-term consequences? Is there any treatment without having to remove the old dentures.
Answer: As described, these two teeth did not receive root canal treatment or the treatment was unsatisfactory, leading to infectious complications, creating a pus-filled cavity in the apex of the tooth bearing the denture. Although oral medications can stop swelling and pain for a while, this is highly undesirable for many reasons: the disease cannot be completely cured with medication alone, the disease will recur over and over again, and the pus pocket in the jaw bone will It grows larger and can damage nearby healthy teeth. Not to mention, self-medication (without a prescription) will lead to drug resistance, making it difficult to treat later, so it is advisable to visit a dental clinic for treatment as soon as possible.
2. About wanting to treat but not removing the dentures made, this can be done by minor surgery, but it is the doctor's decision based on the specific examination of the tooth condition (the fit, color...), overall health as well as oral health to get the best treatment. I go for a filling, the doctor usually polishes my teeth after filling. Is polishing necessary?
Answer: The filling must be polished for the following reasons:
- Reduces the roughness of the contact between the tooth and the filling, as well as making the filling easier to clean.
- Reduces the chance of recurrent tooth decay.
- Prevents dullness and increases the gloss of fillings for a more comfortable feel.
Thus, although it takes more time, polishing the filling is necessary. Depending on the filling material, polishing is done immediately (for composite fillings) or after 24 - 48 hours (for amalgam fillings).
3. I have a lot of Amalgam fillings in my mouth, do I need to replace with other materials? Is dental filling with Amalgam safe?
Answer: Amalgam is a sealant consisting of mercury with other metal-plated components such as silver, copper, tin... Amalgam is often used as a filling material for posterior teeth. Amalgam has been used successfully for more than 150 years and its quality has also increased over time.
4. If used correctly and with the correct technique, Amalgam fillings are very durable and cheaper than some other filling materials. Doubts about the safety of Amalgam fillings are due to the presence of mercury. So are Amalgam fillings safe for health?
Answer: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), so far Amalgam is still considered a safe filling material. Currently, there is no controlled study that shows that amalgam causes adverse health effects, nor is there any scientific evidence to support better health when all amalgam fillings are removed. mouth.
Thus, if there are no special aesthetic requirements and if the amalgam fillings are still in good condition, there is no need to replace them with other materials.