I finally got around to checking the parfocus on the microscope and resetting the white balance on the Nikon. Hopefully pictures will turn out nicer.

Here’s a lower molar that had a large amalgam buildup with a sagittal crack through the amalgam. I suspected that this would translate into deeper radicular cracks but couldn’t find any of these cracks until late into the retreatment.

Here’s one crack running into the ML canal:

And here’s one running into the D canal:

I’ve sent the patient back to his dentist for extraction.

I see a significant number of teeth needing endodontic treatment because of intracanal infection or periodontal involvement caused by radicular cracks like this. The prognosis of any of these cases is poor because bonded restorations or obturants and subsequent crowns will not eliminate the periodontal long-term issues, or predictably hold the crack together.

Unfortunately, I know that in too many offices these cracks are seen and conveniently ignored or seen and the patient is told, “we’ll finish the root canal, put a crown on, and hope for the best.”

The only hope, there, is that the patient will make it to the Visa machine before the tooth becomes re-infected…

On another note about the lack of ethics in dentistry: I saw a patient this week for a consult about a molar. He had just moved into the area that I work. After we discussed the tooth in question, he pointed at his two upper centrals and showed me how they were whiter than his adjacent teeth. They are crowns that were cemented within the last 6 months. He doesn’t like to smile because he feels that the colour discrepency is embarrasing. He wanted to know what could be done.

Apparently his previous “cosmetic” dentist (whom I know and who has published a few articles in Oral Health about cosmetic dentistry) got these crowns back from the lab for cementation. At the appointment, the patient indicated that he didn’t like the colour match. The dentist agreed, but said, that he would cement the crowns and they could deal with the colour problems after. Don’t ask me how this was supposed to be done. The patient’s Visa went through though.

Anyway the patient continued to complain at subsequent appointments. The proposed solution was to veneer the adjacent teeth back to the 5′s or 6′s. Needless to say, the patient hasn’t done anything. The adjacent teeth do not need any veneers and the problem should be addressed simply by remaking the crowns. I can totally understand why the patient is pissed.

I’m telling you, one day, I’ll pack my things and take the Boy and Girl, Hector, Sundance, and Polly, and go and work somewhere that people don’t fuck others around for money. Don’t know where in the world you’d find a place like that though.

You had something to hide
Should have hidden it, shouldn’t you
Now you’re not satisfied
With what you’re being put through
It’s just time to pay the price
For not listening to advice
And deciding in your youth
On the policy of truth
Things could be so different now
It used to be so civilised
You will always wonder how
It could have been if you’d only lied

It’s too late to change events
It’s time to face the consequence
For delivering the proof
In the policy of truth

– Policy of Truth, Depeche Mode.