I’ve had one tooth that has faced trauma to it twice. Once in a bike accident and once with a billiard ball. The tooth has been brown for a while. My dentist has said because there is no root for that tooth, I’ll have to get a dental implant to replace it if I want it to look good, but I have other teeth that need work. I can’t afford to get a dental implant and fix those other teeth. What do I do? Should I stay with the ugly brown in order to fix my other teeth or put my other teeth on hold to get a more attractive smile?
Luke
Dear Luke,
I do not feel you are being well-served by this dentist. First, he should have treated this tooth after the first trauma. Getting a root canal treatment done on this tooth could have protected you from the root resorption you are dealing with at the moment. It would not have been a guarantee, but the way he neglected that step ensured it.
With root resporption, there is no way to save the tooth. Yes, it will have to be replaced, but your dentist is ethically obligated to give you all of your options for replacing that tooth. While the dental implant option he gave you was the best tooth replacement, it is also the most expensive. There are three basic ways to replace a missing tooth:
- Dental Implants: This uses a prosthetic tooth root and then anchors a dental crown to it.
- Dental Bridge: This will suspend a false tooth between two dental crowns. This makes the most sense if those adjacent teeth need to be treated with a dental crown already.
- Removable Partial Denture: This is a fake tooth that will use clips that are attached to adjacent teeth to keep it in place.
The best dentists are proactive about saving your teeth and, no matter the procedure, give you all your options. It is perfectly fine for them to say, “This is the best option,” but you have the right to know the other choices your dentist doesn’t prefer as well.
This blog is brought to you by Libertyville Dentist Dr. David Potts.