dental flipper Archives | Williams Family Dentistry

Dental Flipper for Two Year Old

Posted on March 31, 2026 by writeradmin.

My two year old lost a front tooth due to a fall. I know teeth shift if you don’t replace them. Logically then, I need to replace that tooth. But, when I asked my dentist about a flipper for him, my dentist acted like I was an idiot and told me that I should leave the dental care to him because I don’t know what I’m talking about. I tried looking online for the DIY ones, but they’re only for adults. I’m worried about his teeth.

Dina

Dear Dina,

I can tell that you are a caring and conscientious parent and that you are fighting to do what you think is best for your child. I have some great news for you that we will go over in a moment. Before that, I want to explain why a dental flipper is not a good idea for him. First, it is removable, which makes it a choking hazard.

Second, your child’s mouth and jaw are continuously growing. Because of that, he will outgrow the flipper every few months. Not only is that expensive, but the teeth they would anchor to would have unnecessary stress put on them.

Finally, on a more keep from driving yourself bonkers note, there is little chance that at toddler will keep a dental flipper in his mouth. As it is designed to be removable, you’ll be fighting a losing battle multiple times a day.

The good news is that, while you are correct that teeth can shift when we don’t replace other nearby teeth that have been lost, for children that really only matters with their back molars. Those need to stay in place until they are around twelve years old, when their permanent molars will come in. For other baby teeth it doesn’t matter because the adult teeth come in soon enough to prevent that problem.

I am going to suggest that you get a new dentist. Yours was rude and dismissive. Plus, it’s YOUR child. You have a responsibility to make sure he gets the right care. Even if you had suggested something absolutely ridiculous, which you didn’t, in fact you had a logical reason for being concerned, his job would have been to explain to you what the issue was. Instead, he berated you. Get a better pediatric dentist.

This blog is brought to you by a kind Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. James Williams.
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I Can Smell My Husband’s Dental Implant

Posted on June 16, 2025 by writeradmin.

My husband had a dental implant placed and I have been absolutely miserable since then. I have a very strong sense of smell. His dentist gave him a metal implant and I feel like the implant is reacting with his jaw because his mouth smells absolutely horrible. I haven’t been able to face him while we sleep. There’s no way I’m kissing him. He doesn’t have the permanent crown yet. Just the temporary denture. I want him to switch out the dental implant for a non-metal type. His dentist pretty much said I’m nuts. My husband doesn’t want to switch it either. I have to live with this. Is there anything you can tell me that I could use to convince them?

Robin

Dear Robin,

I am glad you wrote. While I am sure that you are smelling something foul that is interfering with your ability to interact intimately with your husband, I do not think it is your husband’s dental implant that is causing the smell.

The metal dental implants are made from titanium. These are very inert. You can ask your husband’s dentist if he has any loose dental implants around. If he does, see if he’ll let you hold one. You can smell it and you likely won’t smell anything. Your husband’s implant is deep within the bone, which makes it even more unlikely that you will smell anything.

You mentioned that you are worried it is reacting with his jaw. Let’s say that your husband had an infection from the dental implant procedure. That could, and likely would, cause some type of smell. Bacteria smells. However, there are other signs of an infection, such as fever or pain. There is no sign of infection here, so that would not be what you are smelling.

So, what is causing the smell? I haven’t examined him, so bear that in mind, but my guess would be he is not getting the temporary partial denture or crown completely cleaned out. One easy solution or way to check that is to have him use a WaterPik every day when he is doing his oral health care. That will help get out those tricky bits that might be getting caught in there, which will take care of the smell.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. James Williams.

Can an Infected Tooth Spread to a Salivary Gland?

Posted on July 3, 2020 by writeradmin.

My daughter has had two salivary gland infections right above where she had two root canal treatments on the same tooth. Could this be spreading to infect her salivary gland? The doctor can’t seem to figure out what is leading to the infections and this is the only thing I could think of that makes any sense. Do tooth infections spread out of the teeth?

Margie

Dear Margie,

A tooth infection can spread outside of the tooth. This is one of the reasons they are considered dental emergencies. Your jaw is very close to your heart, lungs, and brain so a dental infection can turn life-threatening if left untreated. That being said, yes, it is possible an infection has spread to your daughter’s salivary glands. However, that would only be possible if her root canal treatment had failed.

You mentioned this is the second root canal treatment on this tooth. That means she’s already had one failed root canal treatment. The chances of a successful treatment go down with each successive re-treatment. My advice to you is to see an endodontist, also known as root canal specialists, to have an x-ray done. The x-ray should show you if there is an infection present.

If the Tooth Can’t be Saved

If there is an infection, the root canal specialist will have a much better chance of giving you a successful treatment. It is also possible that this tooth cannot be saved. In that case, all that would be left is a tooth extraction. When a tooth is extracted, it needs to be replaced otherwise the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the space, completely throwing off her bite.

The best tooth replacement option is a dental implant. However, if your daughter is a teenager, her jaw isn’t developed enough for that treatment yet. In that case, I would get her a dental flipper, which is an inexpensive temporary tooth replacement. You can use that until she is old enough for the dental implant.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Dental Flipper for a Pre-schooler

Posted on April 17, 2020 by writeradmin.

My son, who is three years old, had a fall which caused him to lose his two front teeth prematurely. I’ve heard that children need to keep their teeth in order to prevent shifting and crowding. My dentist said that won’t be an issue, but I’m still worried. I’m looking at dental flippers online and they only seem to make them for adults. What is your recommendation for a toddler?

Robin

Dear Robin,

Many general dentists will see entire families

While there are some teeth which have to stay in place until your son is around twelve-years-old or you risk shifting and crowding, that is only for his back teeth. If these teeth have to be removed prematurely, your pediatric dentist would need to place a space maintainer. Your son lost his front teeth. These teeth won’t have the same issue and he’ll be fine.

I want to discuss the dental flipper, though. Let’s say for argument’s sake that he did need a replacement. These are only made for adults for a reason. First, they are removable. This will be a choking hazard for a young child. Even if it weren’t a choking hazard there would be other issues.

Because it is removable, you would likely have a hard time getting him to keep it in his mouth. Plus, it clasps onto his teeth. At his age, his teeth and jaw are in constant flux and growth. You would have to constantly replace it.

I hope knowing the front teeth will be fine puts your mind at ease. I can tell you are a caring mother.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Infected Tooth & No Money

Posted on July 16, 2019 by writeradmin.

I don’t know what to do. I have a seriously infected tooth. That part of my cheek has swollen to the size of a golfball. I have no dental insurance and no job. I was laid off 5 months ago and just haven’t found anything. I don’t know what to do in order to take care of this. Do you have any suggestions?

Parker

Dear Parker,

I’m sorry about your lay-off. I know that is a terrible feeling, especially when you have something serious going on which needs to be addressed. When you’re talking about an infected tooth, it is important a dentist gets in there and physically removes the infected pulp. This is done with a root canal treatment. Antibiotics alone cannot solve the problem. The infection will flare back up and be harder to treat.

Even in the 21st century we still have people dying from tooth infections. Most people don’t realize how quickly these can turn life-threatening. However, if you think about how close your jaw is to both your heart and brain you can see that as the infection spreads things can turn serious.

Affording Dental Care During an Emergency

Most larger communities have some type of clinic available for people to get affordable dental care in cases of emergencies such as yours. Call your local dental society and see what they advise.

If you happen to live in a community which doesn’t offer these services, don’t lose heart. Most dentists are compassionate and went into their field because they wanted to help people.

Try calling around and explaining your situation. They may be willing to let you get the services you need and pay as you are able. Each practice will have their own policy. Communication is the key.

If the Tooth Can’t Be Saved

Depending on how far gone the tooth is, it may not be possible to save it even with a root canal treatment. If you end up needing an extraction, your dentist can provide you with a dental flipper. This is an inexpensive tooth replacement. It’s meant to be temporary but it gives you time while you are still looking for employment. When things are more stable for you, there are better replacement options your dentist can discuss with you.

The key now is to get the treatment you need.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Emergency Dentist Dr. John Weaver.