Monthly Archives: May 2017

Will An Emergency Dentist Call DHS if My Daughter is Drunk?

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I need some advice pretty fast. I heard a bang downstairs. It turned out to be my 14-year-old daughter trying to sneak in the house drunk.  Yes. Drunk. I’m so mad I can’t even think straight. She smashed her face when she fell trying to sneak back in and I’m worried one of her teeth is damaged. It seems a little wiggly. I think she needs an emergency dentist, but I’m worried if I take a drunk child with a swollen and bruised face they’ll call DHS. What do you think?

Belinda G.

Belinda,

I think you need to take your daughter in. I’m sure if you explain the situation the emergency dentist won’t call DHS. In fact, picturing the situation, they might get a little chuckle out of…respectfully waiting until you guys leave, of course.

This obviously isn’t an abuse situation and dentists are there to help. They wouldn’t call into DHS unless there was obvious abuse.

The wiggly tooth needs to be looked at. Hopefully, the dentist can stabilize her tooth until the ligaments heal.  He’ll also need to do some x-rays to check for damage not visible externally.  It’s possible she’ll need a root canal treatment.

The tooth is the easy part of this situation. Figuring out what to do about the drunk 14-year-old, that’s the toughy.  Be sure to tell the dentist to make lots of noise with the instruments to let her feel the full force of that headache. And take lots of pictures of her swollen face. Hopefully, the memory of the humiliation will cause her to think twice next time.

If she struggles with dentists, being under the influence of alcohol may exacerbate that, instead of relax her. It’s kind of the opposite of what you might think. It’s helpful if you can get her as sober as possible before going in. That way if the dentist needs to get her any type of sedation for a procedure, she’ll be safe to take it.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. David Potts.

Solutions for a Stuntman Who Can’t Seem to Keep His Teeth?

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I’m a movie stuntman. I lose more teeth than most of my colleagues. I’m not sure why, but I need to find a solution for replacing my teeth that keep falling out until my luck changes. Will dental implants work? I’m not the best at going to the dentist. I know it sounds ridiculous given my career choice, but I’m terrified of dentists.

Bruce D. – California

Bruce,

You have an exciting and dangerous career. Before we start discussing replacements for your teeth, though, I’d like to see if you can figure out why you’re losing more teeth than the average stuntman. It may not actually be your “bad luck”.  If you don’t go to the dentist much it’s possible you’re struggling with gum disease. That would account for your teeth popping out more than most. Your gums may not be strong enough to keep them secure. If you get the gum disease dealt with, you may find your teeth much more secure during future stunts.

I realize you have some dental anxiety. Don’t beat yourself up about that, even given your career. There are many patients who don’t like the dentist, including many brave men. I know some soldiers who need additional help at the dentist. I have the same solution for you that I use with them. People with some form of dental anxiety often find that dental sedation changes their life and view of the dentist.

If you find a way to keep more of your teeth in, then dental implants are a fantastic tooth replacement. It’s like having your natural teeth back. However, if your teeth and gums are healthy and you’re still losing more teeth than the average stuntman, it won’t be a viable replacement option for you. It will end up costing you too much money and time to keep replacing them.

In that case, you would want to look at getting a dental bridge or possible removable partial dentures. They’re a lot easier to replace than dental implants.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. David Potts.