Wellness

[151949]

My DH has been having some dental issues - he has a 4 tooth bridge that sits on a tooth at the back and on a pin in the front. He has no pain or any issue with it at all but the dentist says there is decay on the end with the pin - can that be? What is there to decay - I thought there was nothing there but a pin implanted into the bone. He just will not ever question any doctor or dentist - he just does whatever they tell him and pays & pays. He just got through getting a different bridge replaced for $3000. Now this one will be $4000. I think I may have , at least, talked him into getting another opinion from our Pittsburgh dentist since he has no problem with this right now. So can anyone explain to me how there can be decay in a pin.

I honestly think this dentist is just seeing my husband as an easy mark.

[Peaches McPhee]

Maybe the pin itself decays over time? (Just guessing . . .)

[MomOf4]

Very smart idea to get a second opinion.

I have never been to the dentist where he didn't find several thousands of dollars of work that needed to be done. I think they are taught that in dental school.

[bonnielu]

I am going through something like that. Slowly but surely EVERYTHING that has ever been done to my teeth has collapsed. Crowns, bridges, root canals, fillings... I even swallowed some. No kidding. Years of expensive FIXES.

I am in the process of getting implants. So far so good. Left side done. (4 teeth) Now for the right. (3 teeth) Expensive yes, but what I previously paid was also expensive. I am finished with all of that. One implant after another and I should be finished by summer.

In my case I cannot blame the dentists... their care has spanned two generations.

I might blame it on old age, but better yet... heredity, since my sister and my father were and are in the same boat.

Perhaps if you are going to spend thousands anyway you ought to look into implants. Within the last five years so many strides have been made.

Best of luck.

I am editing this because I saw something posted a few minutes ago. I come from a family of dentists, honest hard working dentists and as in any profession there are good and there are bad. I like to think people are dealing with me honestly and with caring hearts.

[Madisson]

Did your husband have an implant into the bone at one time...which costs a couple thousand for the procedure itself? He probably just has a pin in a tooth...which was then crowned.

The tooth has been ground down, and a pin was placed in the tooth to help anchor the tooth securely. Then it was crowned...or part of a bridge...or whatever. Yes, in that case, the tooth that contains the pin can decay underneath the bridge.

Unfortunately, it happens. That's why dentists tell us to floss underneath bridges with floss threaders or Superfloss.

[151949]

On 2/3/2015 Madisson said:

Did your husband have an implant into the bone at one time...which costs a couple thousand for the procedure itself? He probably just has a pin in a tooth...which was then crowned.

The tooth has been ground down, and a pin was placed in the tooth to help anchor the tooth securely. Then it was crowned...or part of a bridge...or whatever. Yes, in that case, the tooth that contains the pin can decay underneath the bridge.

Unfortunately, it happens. That's why dentists tell us to floss underneath bridges with floss threaders or Superfloss.

Why would they have to put a pin through a tooth to anchor it?

[151949]

Same dentist told me yesterday that my bridge is cracked and has to be replaced as well for $3000. I too have no discomfort at all from it and the bridge is still tight so I am going to wait and have our trusted dentist back home look at it.I am way way way less trusting than my DH is of the dentists down here. He showed it to me on an xray and I asked to see last years x ray- it looks exactly the same as last year to me- and last year both the dentist here and the one back home saw those x rays and made no comment what ever about it. Sadly, our dentist here passed away and his practice was bought by this guy who I really dislike. I am in serious search of a new dentist.

[chickenbutt]

Nothing wrong with getting a second opinion, of course. But I've really learned a lot of stuff lately with dental situations in my own mouth. I have learned that things CAN be going on in there, and underneath the gum, for which there is no actual pain.

In January I just had two extractions (#31 and #32. 32 is a wisdom tooth and 31 is the last molar, or whatever those are, on the lower right). The original plan was that I was being sent to the oral surgeon to extract #32 and then back to the dentist for a crown on #31.

Well, the oral surgeon did this panoramic view exray and showed me that #31 would not be saved, but for some kind of miraculosity. I am pretty much a reality-based person, so I don't believe in miracles. He said that #31 would have to have a root canal or I could just have it pulled. He is friends with the dentist, so he wasn't trying to take my business.

I decided to just extract both and be done with it. At this point in my life, there is really no reason to spend several times as much to root canal a back tooth. I had the corresponding tooth (far LEFT end bottom) extracted some time back and it's not problematic at all. So, instead of spending well over $2,000 for a root canal, PLUS some $300 for the extraction of #32, I spent $595 and got both #31 and #32 extracted. Done and done.

Anyway, the moral of the (way too long-sorry) story is that there was stuff going on under there of which I had no idea. He showed it to me on the exray and, furthermore, when he pushed down on the tooth (31) pus kept coming out. Now, that just blew my mind because I never had one iota of pain with that tooth! I just had gone in to the dentist because something was weird with it and every evening (not sure why evenings only) it felt kind of loose-ish and just not quite right. Somebody who is not really that in touch with their physicality probably wouldn't even notice it. #32 was just in the way because it was mostly below the gum line, growing out in the wrong way and super tight against #31, so that's why it came up when I went in about #31.

[pattypeep]

It sounds as though your DH has an implant (pin) which goes into the bone and then a crown on the implant??? My dh recently had a crown removed and the remaining tooth pulled because there was bone loss under the crown. He now has an implant and will have the crown in a few months. My dentist does not believe in bridges because they compromise the teeth that support the bridge. Just a thought.

[Madisson]

On 2/3/2015 happy housewife said:

On 2/3/2015 Madisson said:

Did your husband have an implant into the bone at one time...which costs a couple thousand for the procedure itself? He probably just has a pin in a tooth...which was then crowned.

The tooth has been ground down, and a pin was placed in the tooth to help anchor the tooth securely. Then it was crowned...or part of a bridge...or whatever. Yes, in that case, the tooth that contains the pin can decay underneath the bridge.

Unfortunately, it happens. That's why dentists tell us to floss underneath bridges with floss threaders or Superfloss.

Why would they have to put a pin through a tooth to anchor it?

A lot of large fillings have pins in them. Here is some literature I found online:

Pins and Posts

Pins and posts are aids used to reinforce fillings and crowns when a large part of the tooth is decayed or missing. Both pins and posts can be used in the same tooth, if necessary. Each situation is different. Your dentist will decide on a case-by-case basis if you need pins or posts.

Pins are thin shafts of metal that are either cemented or screwed into the tooth. They provide anchors for a filling or crown. Your dentist drills small holes in the tooth and places the pins. Then the filling is built around the pins or the crown is placed over them. There are several types of pins, including threaded, friction and roughened pins.

Today, we have newer materials that create both mechanical and chemical bonds to the tooth. For this reason, pins are used less often. The bonds help to keep the filling in place. In many cases, this eliminates the need for a pin. The shape of the tooth affects whether a pin is needed. So does the amount of force placed on the tooth when you bite. Pins do increase the risk of damaging the tooth.