that is horribly disgusting
i have never heard of anithing that bad before you should get compensation as the dentist could have prevented that awfull acciedent and now ur husband cant play that is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo dreadfull
im so sorry

I'm glad to hear he is progressing at least. I would definitely get legal advise or an independent opinion at the minimum. There are also bound to be sources of information on the internet regarding cases like this.
I wish you and your husband the very best, and please keep us posted on his progress.

Your husband must be very frustrated. I'm sorry.

I'm glad to hear that his care has been taken over by an oral surgeon. Sometimes one clue to a good health care provider is that they will refer something sooner, rather than later, to a specialist. A big ego can keep a doc, dentist or vet from referring or consulting because they think that they're SOOO good at their job that they'll just finish it without help. I don't need help! I am a DOCTOR!!! Scary attitute...So my two cents is that 1)he brought in the oral surgeon immediately and 2)the oral surgeon said that it could not have been seen beforehand. Maybe there is a better dentist around, but he sounds like he behaved as he should have.

I am glad that you have good insurance coverage, and don't have to look into litigation.

Does your husband have ANY interest at all in, say, the piano? I know that learning piano is very highly recommended to enhance music theory and performance for any instrument. Or, if he is frustrated and wants to bang on things, how about percussion? Oh, wait, you were looking forward to some peace and quiet!

I was just going to say what Tibbiecow said! Your husband might have fun learning the piano or violin or something that doesn't involve the mouth! That way, he can learn a new instrument and keep on with the music while letting his mouth heal!

I am so sorry that this had to happen to you and your husband. Bad things happen to good people all too often! We are all hoping for the best! Just remember that we are all here for you anytime!!!

Very scary indeed, kippsix.

But the surgeon should have pre-informed your husband that the tip/s of the involved tooth was within the maxillary sinus, and advised him of the risks involved in taking it out. This is fairly evident in the pre-operative x-rays. Tips of the upper premolars and molars entering the maxillary sinus are not uncommon, but if that were predetermined, then there would have been no surprises.

If your husband is hypertensive, then the dentist should have made sure the blood pressure is stable over several days before doing the extraction, unless that it was an emergency surgery. Even then, it might have been a good idea if he asked your husband to take his medications(except maybe his blood thinning meds) before the procedure.

A small "oro-antral defect" is easy to repair. Usually a dentist would ask the patient to press on his nostrils and blow through the nose after an extraction. Then he goes check the extraction wound to see if bubbles formed. If they did, he would normally approximate the gums and suture them together. Larger defects require cutting of more bone around the tooth socket, and pulling the gum edges together to be sutured. Or sometimes a "graft" is taken from the adjacent part of the hard palate, stretched over the defect and suture it there.

Complications of an unrepaired oro-antral defect might include maxillary sinusitis some speech defects, and of course, other infections.

If the defect is repaired, then your husband can go back to playing his favorite muscial instruments after healing.

I sincerely hope he gets well soon.

Dr. E

Dr. E,
Everything you said is right on. It was unanticipated, and the "hole" is about the size of a quarter. There was definite air flow from the oral cavity into the maxillary sinus. One of the first things the dentist asked me was if I thought his speech sounded the same. At the time he had been sutured (a "net" was formed) and packed with gauze. So I did not hear any hypernasality or other such abberation. It kind of freaked him out when he heard that his speech may change. I am a Speech/Language Pathologist, so I kind of have an ear for the speech stuff. He is not showing a problem in that area.

He may have to have a tissue graft (from the cheek or hard palate?) if closure isn't complete. I have been told that there will be very minimal bone regeneration, and certainly not enough to close that big of hole.

He only recently started taking a diaretic for what was assumed to be stress related raised BP. He also made significant changes to his diet, and most of all, left the bad job. The blood pressure responded nicely. The extreme whacking-out of the BP was probably due to a number of factors including the repeated and prolonged use of local anesthesia, blood loss, pain, length of time in reverse trendelenburg position, and of course some level of anxiety.

The original e-ray that I saw (non panaramic) clearly showed the white line of the max. sinus floor, and the roots appeared to have only very minimal invasion into the sinus. It appears (she showed me what she removed, she is kept it to show the OM surgeon)that the roots bent over on themselves and imbedded into the floor similar to how a staple looks after going through the stapler. It was difficult to tell where the roots ended and where the sinus floor began. They seemed to have merged into a single bony entity.

As for the suggestions for another instrument, thanks! We will definitely keep those in mind. Obviously he loves his trumpet, and with good luck and healing, he will play it again. I'm going to try to keep a positive outlook.
Thanks everyone.

Dr. E,
Everything you said is right on. It was unanticipated, and the "hole" is about the size of a quarter. There was definite air flow from the oral cavity into the maxillary sinus. One of the first things the dentist asked me was if I thought his speech sounded the same. At the time he had been sutured (a "net" was formed) and packed with gauze. So I did not hear any hypernasality or other such abberation. It kind of freaked him out when he heard that his speech may change. I am a Speech/Language Pathologist, so I kind of have an ear for the speech stuff. He is not showing a problem in that area.

He may have to have a tissue graft (from the cheek or hard palate?) if closure isn't complete. I have been told that there will be very minimal bone regeneration, and certainly not enough to close that big of hole.

He only recently started taking a diaretic for what was assumed to be stress related raised BP. He also made significant changes to his diet, and most of all, left the bad job. The blood pressure responded nicely. The extreme whacking-out of the BP was probably due to a number of factors including the repeated and prolonged use of local anesthesia, blood loss, pain, length of time in reverse trendelenburg position, and of course some level of anxiety.

The original e-ray that I saw (non panaramic) clearly showed the white line of the max. sinus floor, and the roots appeared to have only very minimal invasion into the sinus. It appears (she showed me what she removed, she is kept it to show the OM surgeon)that the roots bent over on themselves and imbedded into the floor similar to how a staple looks after going through the stapler. It was difficult to tell where the roots ended and where the sinus floor began. They seemed to have merged into a single bony entity.

As for the suggestions for another instrument, thanks! We will definitely keep those in mind. Obviously he loves his trumpet, and with good luck and healing, he will play it again. I'm going to try to keep a positive outlook.
Thanks everyone.

ypu guys will be in my prayers i hope that all goes well

Ouch! I took care of a patient who actually had to come to same day surgery because his tooth was so decayed and infected. They got an oral surgeon to perform it in the operating room so the patient could spend the night in the hospital. Actually it was 2-3 nights. So I get in report patient with tooth ache and tooth extracted. I'm like what? Because it seemed like nothign but woa sure it was. The poor guy! He apparently had a swollen cheek prior to the extraction but was really swollen and I don't know where they took out the tooth but looks like they pulled it out his mouth but cut an opening from the tooth site base through his neck and put 2 drains in it to keep blood and any other infectious fluid out. Looked so uncomfortable and the drains needed to be rinsed every few hours and when you would flush it by his neck would come out into and out of his mouth. I felt like I was gaggin him. Anyway sorry digressing here but yea decayed or infected teeth can pose real problems! Hope your husband gets better!

Kara, I was taught to go to the dentist every 6 months. I know some insurance allows this but then again I hear lots have crappy dental coverage. The dentist told me because I have lots of tartar to come every 3 months. Which is way too expensive or they are trying to milk me for money! Really stinks, my brother barely brushes his teeth and would never get cavities. Here I am brushing and flossing 2x a day and getting all this buildup and cavities! NOT FARE!

Mysticalwaters,

I can suggest you something about tartare buildup, that has worked fine for me. I had the same problem and cost apart, the cleaning with ultrasonics is quite disagreable.

I just switched to an electric brush (in my case, the Braun model).

I only brush my teeth in the morning, after breakfast and at night, just before going to bed. No brushing after meals, in my case.

I pay much attention to keep the brush in good condition (I change it when it gets used, discolored or with the hairs visibly distorted).

And the tartare dissappeared.

No more need to visit the dentist for that reason only. And it goes on like this for years now. I do have to visit the dentist for the standard reasons, but he always says I do not need any cleaning!

Jose Luis, thanks! I'll give it a try. I just have to becareful now b/c when i'd brush I'd put WAY too much pressure and horizantal back and forth L to R that i'm eroding my gumline to an extent. I'd been brushing that way FOR YEARS! And finally the hygenist told me some eroding there. And I asked well....how do I stop that and they told me go very softly in circular motion or up and down vertically. I was so annoyed. If I KNEW that! Maybe it's obivious but I didn't know. I'm scrubbing my gums away! But thank you I'll try that b/c it really builds up!

Sorry, what is b/c?
The Braum brush is circular and turns very fast, but alternatively in both directions. Be very careful not exceed the maxim time you use it. Not more than 2 minutes, even if your gums are in perfect state. If you buy one, try to get the model that has a 2 minutes built-in beeper

Most of us were all taught to brush horizontally but this was big mistake.

When you use the Braum, brush carefully both sides of each tooth and the back part of the "reason" molars (if you have them already). Brushing the bitting surface is far less important than brushing the sides of teeth.

You must also brush (carefully and checking they do not bleed) the gums and particularly the border zones between gum and tooth. If they bleed, stop brushing that part for a few days and then start again very carefully and for short times.

That is where the tartar develops and is most dangerous.

One of the serious problems of tartar is that if left to accumulate without treatment, it will separate the gum from the tooth, and make them recede, uncovering parts of the tooth that should remain protected by the gum. This process can lead to illness of the gums and even dental losses!. Unfortunately the process cannot be reversed (as far as I know), but can be stopped with good brushing technic.

The plaque can also smell bad and produce lousy breath (sorry I do not the right name for this problem). Some people chew/suck Minth to fight this, but IMO it makes things worst, as the sugar on those sweets will promote cavities.


I know I often finish by giving "classes" on many things that are not my profession, it's a kind of personal defect and I apologize in advance. I can not resist the drive as I try to help, using my own experience, because I had those problems and was able to solve hem.

But this type of counseling should be done by your dentist and if he/she does not, I suggest to change specialist...

<Added>

I remember now that the Braum has a 2 minutes red flashing light, not a beeper.
Also, the brushes are changeable anc be personalized with a color ring, so that one unit can be used by the whole family. The rechargeable battery may last up to 5 years and then you must replace the whole unit.
But it is a very modest investment, at about 20 Eu (25$) here, depending on the model and where you buy it.

ooh! the Braum brush?

i had a brush like that(i'm not sure if it's Braum), the circular thing that spins so fast!
hehehe!

i didn't have enough knowledge when i first used the brush(well i was kindda stupid back then,lol).....

....and the last thing i remembered was an image of a silly girl with Bloody Gums.lol!

reading clipets of this story have left me a little sad

i hope your husband can play again, infact i really hope he can
all the luck in the world and more
jak
x

reading clipets of this story have left me a little sad

i hope your husband can play again, infact i really hope he can
all the luck in the world and more
jak
x