The Villager Newspaper Online Your Community News – Cleveland's Westshore
by Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD of The Healthy Smile
I met him for the first time yesterday as he was referred to me to remove a bridge. He told me more than once that he was a retired full colonel and fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm. He moved around in a wheelchair and recently spent months in the hospital. He felt a hole in his mouth and sought help to fix his problem. I received an X-ray showing his three-piece bridge in trouble a week earlier. The front tooth of the bridge had decayed so badly that it was no longer connected to the bridge on his upper left side. Only the back tooth of the bridge was holding it in place. If we go back to basic physics, the long lever created by this situation will destroy and overwhelm the back tooth.
This hero of our country came to me to remove the broken tooth and allow him to get a bigger bridge to restore function on that side of his mouth. The bridge had to be bigger and involve more teeth because the decayed tooth required removal. He repeated that statement that told me that although he fought under fire, the prospect of tooth removal frightened him.
As I put the chair back to examine and treat this area of his mouth, some facts became apparent. His ability to put his head back and rotate his head was severely limited. In order for me to help him, I had to bend over and work almost upside down. Since the decayed tooth was on his left side and I am a righty, I did not have direct vision and was contorted like a circus performer.
My first project in removing the tooth was dividing the old bridge in half and only leaving the back tooth. Accomplishing this was a struggle for both of us. Although he had no pain, he was visibly agitated and breathing heavily. We took frequent breaks to relax and take care of him gently. I finally separated the bridge and now moved on to the broken tooth.
He never complained about pain in the tooth because the tooth was a root canal-treated tooth. He had no infection, and his tooth was rotting because it was stuck under his old bridge. Every move that I made caused him mental and emotional stress. I felt that continuing to work was not in his best interest. Before we had dental implants, there were times when roots from root canal teeth were left in the mouth. Treating a patient in a dental vacuum is not good. The whole patient must be assessed.
Since there was no fear of infection as the root looked good, I suggested leaving the root and allowing the gum to heal over the area. Over the years, I have seen patients come in with roots embedded in the gum that occurred naturally without dental intervention. This observation and concern for the patient’s well-being moved me to leave the embedded root. The area should be observed and watched to ensure it heals as planned.
When our hero heard this approach, a big smile came over his face, and I knew I made a friend for life. Sometimes the best treatment is no treatment. All factors need to be weighed and evaluated before not doing anything. Of course, every decision needs to be discussed with the patient or their family. If you are unsure whether to proceed with a recommended treatment, please call our office at 440.892.1810, and let’s discuss it.
I would like to introduce the new doctor of the office: Dr. Hiral Patel.
She is a seasoned dentist who puts her patients first. Please see Dr. Patel for dental care personalized to you.
We are here for all your dental needs as our first priority is patient care.
Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine.
The Healthy Smile • 27239 Wolf Road, Bay Village, OH 44140 • 440-892-1810 • www.jeffreygrossdds.com
