Dr. Patty Martin

A composite (white tooth colored) filling is a glorified resin or plastic type of material. As you can imagine, the area where the plastic is bonded to the tooth can break down over time, resulting in leaking, staining, and a less than ideal esthetic appearance. A longer lasting option to consider would be the use of a porcelain material. Depending on the amount of tooth structure you are missing and the location of the cavity, a veneer or a crown might be an option. This option places the area where the restoration and the tooth meet out of the aesthetic view and typically lasts much longer as well.

All dentists have a regular fee they charge for their services, so despite not having insurance, anyone can walk into a dentist and pay the fee for their service of choice (ex: cleaning). Most insurance companies only pay a portion of the dentist's regular fee, so a dentist takes a discount by accepting an insurance plan in hopes that they will gain several patients by becoming a provider.
Payment options and service fees vary from dentist to dentist, so it might be worth shopping around to find a provider that meets your needs. Some offices may accept a payment plan, may offer outside financing (ex: CareCredit), or may have a membership plan to help those without insurance still get the care they need.

If cavity prevention is your goal, a fluoride-containing mouth rinse is an excellent choice. In addition, diet and proper plaque removal are important considerations, specifically the amount and the frequency of sugar consumption. Brushing and flossing twice daily and using a fluoride mouth rinse before going to bed is a great oral routine. In addition, I would suggest not eating or drinking anything after the rinse so the fluoride can strengthen your teeth all night. Finally, I would limit sugar intake to mealtimes, both food, and drinks. For example, you can still eat dessert, but eat it at the end of lunch and dinner and limit snacking to hard crunchy tooth-friendly snacks such as carrots, cheese, and nuts. If you want juice or soda, eat that with your meal and drink water the rest of the day.

I would get to a dentist for an x-ray and evaluation. There are several classifications of 'loose' tooth, along with different causes, and different end results. You also didn't mention if the tooth was broken/chipped and which tooth is in question, which can change the scenario as well. When trauma has occurred, often timing is very critical. In the best case scenario, the tooth gets stabilized (from a dentist with a splint) and no further treatment is needed. Sometimes with blunt trauma, the tooth dies, either at the time of trauma or weeks to months to years later, necessitating a root canal. Worse case scenario, the root of the tooth is cracked, the tooth is beyond repair, and the only option is to take the tooth out. Hopefully, your tooth is not too wiggly and tightens up, but with the other potential worst-case scenarios I would follow up with a professional ASAP.

An infection is a bacteria or other foreign substance invading the body. A 'tooth infection' can mean different things to different people, depending on where the bacteria have invaded. In the worst case, a 'tooth infection' is an acute abscess where the bacteria have entered the jawbone and cause pain, swelling, pus, and blood. Without treatment, it can lead to sepsis (flu-like symptoms), airway closure, and death. A less severe type of 'tooth infection' occurs when the bacteria are in the inside dentin layer of the tooth or have invaded the gums. If you were prescribed an antibiotic, I'm assuming you have an abscessed tooth or a more progressed type of gum infection. The type of bacteria that cause these infections can spread to other areas of your mouth, however, it takes time for the bacteria to cause substantial destruction at the new locations. I would focus on the area of concern and be less worried about the destruction these bacteria might cause elsewhere at this time. Giving an antibiotic to help with the acute infection until you are able to get in for further review is fairly typical. To facilitate healing, take your antibiotic to completion as prescribed, take care of yourself, get adequate rest, brush and floss daily, and follow up with treatment. The antibiotic can get rid of the pain for a short period of time, but the only way to definitively treat a tooth infection is with dental treatment. Good Luck!

I am sorry to hear about the potential abscess in your 9 year old son. Before answering your question, I would like to state that there are several types of abscesses, all of which present differently. Dental abscesses are the most common type of abscess in the mouth and result from the nerve or pulp area on the inside of the tooth becoming infected with bacteria. The bacteria are then able to leave the tooth and enter into the jaw bone at which point they can cause destruction in the jaw bone area around the end of the tooth root. The bacteria typically come from a deep cavity or from the gum tissue.