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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / February 2007Dentist Damaged Front Teeth w/ Instruments?
My destist struck my two front upper teeth with an instrument today while I was getting cavities filled. A metal instrument that he was using crashed against my teeth with a decent amount of force. It occurred when he was removing the "clasp" (I call it this - it what secures around the tooth during the application of the filling) from an upper rear tooth with what looked like a plier. As he retracted the piece, the instrument and my teeth collided. He's not very gentle and was applying a great deal of pressure when he was tugging to remove the "clasp". I knew this because I do not get novacaine for fillings. My two front teeth hurt this evening - not real bad but I would describe it as an extremely mild soreness, especially when I press against the teeth lightly. I looked closer at the teeth an the one front tooth has horizontal scratches, or "dents" would be the best way for me to describe it. How do I know if there is damage? What should I look for or do? > My destist struck my two front upper teeth with an instrument today > while I was getting cavities filled. A metal instrument that he was [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > How do I know if there is damage? What should I look for or do? If the tooth is not cracked, I'd just wait a couple of days. The ligament surrounding the tooth can be bruised if the tooth is struck. Usually the tenderness goes away in a day or two. Go easy on it, and don't test it frequently. The scratches are another thing. Unless you have a resin filling on this tooth it is extremely unlikely that striking the tooth even fairly sharply with a matrix band or retainer will scratch it, as normal enamel is harder than the steel. The tooth may crack, but not scratch. If there is a resin filling it may scratch, and if it is rough your dentist should polish it. Anyone can slip once, but if this dentist is consistently brutish, you should of course consider someone more careful. Steve On Feb 11, 10:22 am, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > My destist struck my two front upper teeth with an instrument today > > while I was getting cavities filled. A metal instrument that he was [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Thanks for your comments Steve. The tooth is still a bit sore today. I'm confused about this scrath thing. When I run my fingernal down the tooth, it stops halfway into a groove in the tooth. I'm calling it a scratch, or moreso a "dent". It's not extremely obvious until your look close, but it's there. It appears that the scrach goes over into a tiny area of the other front tooth too. I'm not sure if I had this or it was caused by the contact of the instrument. I see some people whose teeth were injured and they are black or yellow. I don't understand why that happens or if I'm going to see this tooth in a year or so become this way. When you say "unlikely", does that mean that you believe that it is possible to scratch or dent a tooth - just very difficult? Did you ever see someone with a scratched or indentation in the tooth? What could cause this besides a strike to it? > On Feb 11, 10:22 am, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink.net> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > ever see someone with a scratched or indentation in the tooth? What > could cause this besides a strike to it? It's more likely to chip or crack than to scratch. This sounds like a distinction without a difference, but there is. It would be simple to tell, but I'd have to see. Plenty or other things could cause an indentation, including normal form of the tooth. Any dentist will be able to tell. I'm inclined to think the soreness is more likely to need monitoring than this "indentation". I'm guessing if you're not sure if you had it before or not that you DID have it before. New injuries generally would be perceptably different feeling to your tongue. Steve On Feb 11, 8:15 pm, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > On Feb 11, 10:22 am, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink.net> > > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Ok, thanks Steve. Say it *is* stratched. Two horizontal lines covering nearly one entire front tooth, extending into just the corner of the other front tooth, but not very deep. What is the recommended procedure for repair? Do you simply just "buff" the tooth and what risk is there. I mean, front teeth are very thin, there not like a molar. I'm going this week to get xrays and repair - the latter if necessary. I'm really going to be watching him and wondering what might create a bigger issue than leaving it alone. This might only be a comsmetic repair. > On Feb 11, 8:15 pm, Steven Bornfeld <dentaltwinm...@earthlink.net> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 76 lines] > might create a bigger issue than leaving it alone. This might only be > a comsmetic repair. I'd really have to see the tooth to assess what I think is the appropriate treatment. If there are indeed defects and they are shallow and in enamel, I do nothing unless the patient is concerned. If possible, I will smooth the surface rather than putting in a restorative which will stain over time. But really, it's not really useful for me to give any seat-of-the-pants recommendation without seeing the tooth. Steve  SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 Hairline cracks are common enamel defects and not always seen, depending on the strength and angle of the available light source. Hence those cracks could be there for a long time without you being aware of them and only become apparent on closer examination of your teeth. As Dr Steve said, you shouldn't be very concerned unless symptoms persists for more than 2-3 days. Regards, George |
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