Some time after getting porcelain dental crowns, Ms. Thanh Tam (Ho Chi Minh City) experienced bad breath and gradually developed severe gum inflammation, with pus accumulation. This was due to the dentist causing damage to the surrounding tissues while grinding her teeth to prepare for the crowns.
Ms. Thanh Tam has been suffering for two months as her gums have been “seeping” pus, frequently causing pain and discomfort, making it difficult for her to eat. A year ago, she visited a well-known dental clinic to get porcelain crowns, and shortly after that, she began to notice her bad breath.
According to Dr. Huỳnh Thị Kim Dung, Director of Vạn Hạnh Dental Center, the cause of this condition is due to the dentist’s rough handling of the gums during the procedure or an excessive focus on immediate aesthetic results to satisfy the patient, which has harmed the biological space between the teeth, the alveolar bone, and the connective tissues. The consequences can only be partially remedied by regularly rinsing and using disinfectant solutions. Ms. Tam has to accept living with… pus, or she must extract the “beautified” teeth to achieve a complete cure.
Discussing dental services, Dr. Kim Dung mentioned that besides the need for tartar removal and regular fillings, most patients also seek teeth whitening, crowns, and orthodontic treatment for protruding teeth. Dentists usually need to examine and provide specific consultations for each case. Currently, teeth straightening procedures can be performed on individuals up to 40 years old, sometimes without the need to extract two inner teeth. However, the cost for each case can reach 15-20 million VND. Young women are advised against getting fang-like teeth, as these teeth grow in the wrong position and are prone to food trapping, leading to infections.
To lighten discolored teeth, dental clinics currently offer various methods such as tray whitening, Plasma lights, and LED lights. Notably, the Zoom 2 whitening method has shown significant results (lightening by 4-6 shades) at a cost of about 2.5 million VND, without harming the enamel. It operates on the principle of removing discoloration using high-concentration oxygen activated by light.
Teeth that can no longer be whitened can still be covered with composite (approximately 200,000 VND per tooth), regular porcelain-metal crowns (800,000-1,200,000 VND per tooth), or high-quality porcelain-metal crowns (3 million VND per tooth). Crowned teeth have a long durability, provided the patient maintains proper care and avoids hard foods.
Currently, many dental clinics over-advertise, causing misunderstandings, such as claiming to whiten teeth in just one hour. Ms. Tuyết Hạnh from Tân Bình District recounted: “I went to a dental center in District 10, a very upscale place, requesting teeth whitening after reading their continuous ads in the newspapers. I spent 2 million VND and two weeks going back and forth for treatments, plus two sleepless nights from wearing the whitening trays that caused pain to my entire jaw. I was disappointed because the results were hardly worth it.” Professor Hoàng Tử Hùng, Head of the Department of Odonto-Stomatology at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City, stated that advertising teeth whitening within one hour is unreasonable and cannot be accomplished.
