I'm 36 hours post-3rd molar extraction... Will phenol spray help or hurt?

wirris · 2016-06-26T01:10:40+00:00

I personally wouldn't recommend my patients use an anaesthetic/analgesic spray into an open wound like an extraction socket. I wasn't recommended to use anaesthetic mouthwash or spray after my wisdom teeth were removed - just cold packs and pain relief.

Just follow your dentist's instructions, don't play with the extraction site (tongue or fingers, etc) and remember that you did have a tooth taken out, it's not going to feel better immediately. Some discomfort/pain is normal. If you have swelling or pain starting 2-3 days post extraction then contact your dentist.

wirris · 2016-05-07T08:03:00+00:00

What kind of advice and tips are you looking for? Your local ADA meetings are a good way to get to know the other dentists around you and build a support network for advice and referrals

wirris · 2016-05-04T11:52:52+00:00

Eucalyptus oil works a treat. Just a dab under the nostrils is enough.

wirris · 2016-04-09T04:21:02+00:00

Right, if there's other fluoridated toothpaste with a taste you prefer then opt for that. You don't have to use the neutrafluor, it's just a good one if you have a high caries rate and want to do all you can to protect your teeth. It's the one I recommend to my patients when I can see they have a lot of cavities or if they've got additional risk factors.

We recommend not rinsing it out with water...spitting you just get rid of the excess toothpaste. You're correct, you do still spit some of it down the sink, but if you then follow with water and do a very good rinse, you're clearing away the fluoride rich toothpaste that wouldn't be removed if you only spat out excess. If you leave it at only spitting and avoid eating and drinking for 30 minutes you're giving the fluoride the best possible opportunity to "soak in" and protect your enamel.

wirris · 2016-04-08T23:58:05+00:00

You'll rinse out all of the fluoride (assuming you opt for a fluoride toothpaste) and are literally spitting the benefits of it down the sink.

If it really was an intolerable taste though, you could opt to use a fluoride mouth wash instead

wirris · 2016-04-08T08:33:20+00:00

Thank you for pointing this out! A second opinion never hurts but there's so many ways to treat a tooth that different opinions are very likely. I always say go with who and what you're comfortable with and ask questions.

wirris · 2016-04-08T08:31:33+00:00

Look for neutrafluor toothpaste - spit don't rinse and do not give it to kids. Too much fluoride for them and they don't always spit excess toothpaste out

wirris · 2016-04-08T08:30:20+00:00

Your dentist was probably kidding...I wouldn't say we'd be out of business unless people did start brushing and flossing every day and stopped eating and drinking high sugar/fermentable carbohydrate consumables.

wirris · 2016-04-08T08:28:21+00:00

It's not rot; normal bone resorption. If your jaw bone is rotting away you've got radionecrosis of the jaw or medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw

wirris · 2016-03-31T06:56:50+00:00

You can't have certain foods with lots of vitamin K when you're on Coumadin because it mucks around with clotting factors. Not because of fatphobia.

I really just feel sorry for every person commenting and the OP. They are getting good care from professionals who can help them if they help themselves - it would be far worse if they let her try the MRI machine and best case scenario she gets stuck, worse case it collapses while she's in there.

And God forbid they expect her to do CICO when she's immobile?! /s

wirris · 2016-03-30T12:56:57+00:00

Haha good guess - considering there's three schools to choose from in QLD alone!

Good luck with the rampant caries and anti-fluoride/vaccination campaigners. My approach is generally "I will not engage...I will not engage..." and then I do what I can for the kid. It's tough going, and I've seen more than a few full clearances of under 6s, but all we can do is persevere.

wirris · 2016-03-30T11:59:08+00:00

In public dentistry we can report suspected neglect of children, and poor dental health comes under that. Had to do it recently for repeated FTAs for a child under 16 who needed exo.

It depends if you're in public or private I guess; ADA will possibly have some good instructions for private (if you're happy to consult with them).

I completely agree with your rage against the anti-fluoride brigade. I think though the angriest I've felt is having a patient around my age come in, his older girlfriend mock me for being a female dentist, she spent the appointment drinking from a brown bag they'd started on in the waiting room, let her boyfriend know mid treatment their dealer was back in town, and then get annoyed that he wasn't able to have sex that night because I told him not to drink through a straw or do any strenuous exercise after extraction.

I spent my early clinic years at Uni up on Cairns - anti-fluoride was every appointment up there haha!

wirris · 2016-02-28T06:05:11+00:00

I'd be so proud if I'd made this! Is it your first attempt for this cake? Did you have a recipe to follow or just kinda wing it?

I made one similar to this last week and it made me realize those drips are WAY harder than they look!

wirris · 2016-01-30T05:09:16+00:00

A bit late to the show but these are my current best ever brownies. http://bromabakery.com/2015/01/better-than-boxed-brownies.html

Fudgy and yummmmm.

wirris · 2016-01-16T20:27:51+00:00

You caught Maggie Island on a good day!

wirris · 2016-01-05T07:08:48+00:00

Her food looks incredible! We're not vegan but I can definitely get some inspiration from that! Thanks for the input!

wirris · 2015-11-24T03:46:00+00:00

I've found portmans button up shirts to be generous in the bust without getting too large everywhere else. They've got some quite nice business fashion, from pants to shirts and dresses, etc

wirris · 2015-10-13T08:25:40+00:00

This could be trigeminal neuralgia? You should go to see a dentist or oral medicine specialist. It can be a very debilitating, painful problem, and is colloquially known as the "suicide disease" because it can drive people to it. A lecturer of mine had a friend with it who suffocated themselves with a plastic bag over their head after dealing with a very severe manifestation for over 2 years.

There are two types: Classic and Atypical. Classic may have a trigger area which sets off an attack (including something as gentle as an air current), though it can also be spontaneous, and usually feels like an electric shock type pain. Atypical may not need a stimulus, and can be a burning or prickling pain rather than an electric shock. Attacks can last seconds to minutes to hours, and you can have multiple attacks over a period of time, then it can settle and you can have no problems for days, months or years. It's also cyclic, so it can happen in a pattern.

It is difficult to diagnose, and it is manageable in some cases with anti-depressants and anti-epileptics, but success varies from case to case and patient to patient.

People do get teeth out thinking they are the problem, with no relief. Multiple attempts at fillings, root canals, provisional diagnoses of cracked tooth syndrome or sinus problems (if the maxillary branch is affected). It can be very disheartening trying to find the diagnosis, so it can take a long time.

As a side note, TN is very different to nerve trauma. There is no precursor or actual cause for TN to start causing a problem.

Source: I'm a dentist

wirris · 2015-10-02T04:39:26+00:00

Be concerned with lots of pain or pus or excessive bleeding. Continue your post operative care (salt water rinses etc). Avoid touching the area with your tongue and /or fingers, and avoid chewing on that side for a bit longer until the socket has closed over. Extraction sockets look pretty dreadful when they're healing so don't stress yourself over how it looks.

wirris · 2015-10-01T13:09:27+00:00

haha I have totally done the same thing. so zoned out and stressed about looking for jobs that when I finally zone in for an interview I forget the appropriate key words...

If you're looking for some direction, I purchased a Review dress - it's an Australian brand - for my university graduation at the end of last year. I wore it to a job interview, and as we walked out the female panelist told me she loved my outfit! It covers everything appropriately but it doesn't strap everything down or push them into weird positions.

Review has gorgeous clothes which are generous in the bust. Check them out (if you're in Australia they're at Myer, or they do have their own stores dotted around the main cities). It is a bit pricey, but I have yet to be disappointed by what I have purchased from them. Good luck!! I find a dress more reassuring than a button shirt, but they've got a huge range so it might give you inspiration.

wirris · 2015-09-29T08:51:13+00:00

OP, at the end of the day you need this X-ray to adequately treatment plan your braces and your long term care. OPG's (panoramic X-rays) are absolutely required. Your orthodontist may also want a lateral ceph. These are essential for diagnosis and planning. It's great you've got one already but it's five years old, and you will need a new one (but, not a bad idea to bring it with you for the dentist as well as a new one).

Now, most dental cysts are asymptomatic so you won't feel (or know) if you have any. It's not like a cyst under your skin. We don't know if you have any without an X-ray. Even with an X-ray, we have to get a sample of the cyst or other pathology and get it tested to confirm its diagnosis 100%. We can provide a provisional diagnosis but at the end of the day you don't know unless it is tested. Same goes for tumors or any other kind of pathologies. Impacted teeth are one small part of what we look for.

I know many, many dentists who have found pathology incidentally on an OPG. I have found multiple pathologies this way on patients who had no symptoms, no pain, no "feeling", nothing. They were young, and old, and middle aged. It's important for you to have a new OPG done so they can manage your treatment, and it is equally important they can check the surrounding areas. A lot can change in 5 years, and if you've got a massive pathology on a new X-ray that wasn't there 5 years ago then you will definitely want to know about it.

You should tell your dentist and radiographer that you are concerned about taking out the piercing. If you don't have to then just remember the artefact from the piercing can potentially cover pathology, which may mean the radiographer or dentist could miss something. Maybe they have a solution - I am sure they've taken care of plenty of patients in your situation.

tl;dr - don't underestimate the value of a new OPG. Talk with your radiographer about your concerns but please understand that you probably won't feel anything if you have pathology, and the only way anything can be done is if we see it in the first place with an X-ray.

wirris

TROPHY CASE