FAQs

What Do I Look For When Picking The Right Dentist For Me?

Choosing the right dentist can impact your dental experience, oral health, and overall well-being. While choosing a dentist, you should consider their qualifications, experience, location of their dental office, services they offer, and reputation. A good dentist always takes the time to listen to your problems and concerns and explain your treatment options in a way that you can understand. You should also check if the dentist accepts your dental insurance plan and what payment options they offer.

How Do You Prevent Cavities?

The best thing you can do to prevent dental cavities is to maintain good oral hygiene. You should brush twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste. Limit the intake of sugary and acidic foods and drinks and try to eat a balanced diet containing fresh fruits and vegetables. Regular dental appointments and cleanings are also crucial for preventing cavities, as your dentist can remove any plaque or tartar build-up that can lead to decay.

How Long Does It Take To Replace Teeth Using Dental Implants?

The time it takes to replace teeth using dental implants can vary depending on a few factors, like the number of teeth replaced and your needs. The process generally involves several stages: consultation, implant placement surgery, healing time, and restoration placement.

The dental implant procedure can take anywhere from a couple of months to a year or more, depending on how quickly your implants heal and whether additional steps like bone grafting are required.

Other Than Diagnosing And Treat Gum Disease, What Else Have Periodontists Been Trained To Do?

Periodontists are dental specialists who have undergone extensive training beyond general dentistry to specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating gum disease. However, they are also trained to perform a wide range of other gums, teeth, and jawbone procedures, such as dental implant placement, gum grafting, bone grafting, and cosmetic periodontal procedures to improve the appearance of the gums.

They can also treat oral inflammation and infections and work with other dental specialists to provide comprehensive dental care.

Is A Root Canal Painful?

The root canal procedure is typically not painful, as local anesthetics numb the area around the tooth being treated. However, it is common for patients to experience discomfort or sensitivity after the procedure, which can usually be managed with over-the-counter painkillers.

In some cases, if the tooth was severely infected before the procedure, there may be some discomfort during the initial stages of treatment, but this can also be managed with proper anesthesia and pain management techniques.

Can You Eat With Invisalign® On?

Invisalign® aligners are designed to be removable, and you should remove them before eating or drinking anything other than water. It is because food particles can get trapped between the aligners and your teeth, increasing the risk of cavities or gum disease.

Additionally, chewing with the aligners in place can scratch and damage them, cause them to lose shape, and interfere with teeth straightening. Therefore, removing the aligners before meals, brushing your teeth, and rinsing them before putting them back is essential.

How Do I Care For For My Aligners?

If you want quick results from your Invisalign treatment, you should take good care of your aligners. When you remove your aligners, remember to rinse them with warm water before putting them back.

You should clean your aligners with a soft-bristled brush and mild soap. Avoid using toothpaste or other abrasive cleaners to clean your aligners, as they can scratch them. Avoid eating food or drinking anything other than water with your Invisalign aligners in place.

What Are Some Common Signs Of Periodontal Disease?

Gingivitis, Periodontitis, or gum disease is a bacterial infection affecting gums, bones, and tissues supporting teeth. Some common signs and symptoms of periodontal disease include-

Bleeding gums
Swollen or red gums
Bad breath
Receding gums
Sensitive teeth
Pain or discomfort when chewing
Pus or discharge from the gums

You should immediately visit a dentist if experiencing any of the above symptoms. Early intervention is critical to treating periodontal disease and preventing it from worsening to more severe stages.

What Is Cosmetic Dentistry, And How Is It Different From General Dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry primarily focuses on improving the appearance of your teeth, gums, and bite. It includes procedures like cosmetic teeth whitening, veneers, bonding, and orthodontics. Cosmetic procedures aim to enhance the aesthetics of your smile and boost your self-confidence.

Conversely, general dentistry prevents diagnoses and treats oral diseases and disorders. It includes routine check-ups, cleanings, fillings, extractions, and other procedures to maintain the overall health of the teeth and gums.

Root Canal Treatment Post-Operative Instructions

Root Canal treatment may take more than one appointment. During treatment, the pulp tissue that makes up the nerve is removed and the canals where this tissue was will be cleaned and reshaped.This procedure will cause some inflammation, therefore you will feel discomfort for a couple of days after completion of the procedure.

Anti-inflammatory medications (such as Motrin) are the best type of medication to take in order to decrease the inflammation. This type of medication has to be taken as directed and has to be allowed time to build up in your system before it can work. So do not be alarmed if it doesn’t work after you take just one tablet.

If swelling occurs, you will probably need to be prescribed some antibiotic medication to fight the infection. If you came into the office with swelling, make sure you take the antibiotic as prescribed.

A temporary filling was most likely placed on this tooth. The temporary filling will seal the tooth from bacteria. Avoid eating directly on this tooth. If the filling breaks, contact us immediately.

If the root canal treatment was not completed on the first visit, even if the tooth is feeling better, it is very important that you return for the completion of treatment. A larger infection could follow if not completed.

Even the nerve of the tooth was removed; the tooth is still nourished from the surrounding tissues. Occasionally, treatment is unsuccessful, or there may be an undetected fracture. Pretreatment of the root canal therapy or extraction of the tooth may be indicated.

After the root canal is completed, patient is advised on the need of a buildup and a crown in order to avoid the tooth from fracturing.

Tooth Extraction Post-Operative Instructions

Anesthetic: The anesthetic administered subsides after a few hours depending on the type of anesthetic, and on the individual. Be careful not to bite the tongue and the lip while numb.

Bleeding: After an extraction, gauze has been placed over the tooth socket to help control the bleeding. It is important to keep firm pressure for 35 to 45 min. Avoid chewing on the gauze. After the gauze is removed there may be some oozing of the socket. A little bit of oozing is normal. However, if it looks like bleeding has not stopped, then do the following:

Place new gauze over the socket and keep pressure for 20 min. Dampen the gauze before removing it in order not to pull the clot.
Or, place a tea bag over the socket if gauze not available.
If after removing the gauze or tea bag, the socket is still bleeding, make sure to call our office and have the doctor paged.

Blood Clot: The clot is a very important part of healing. In order to protect the clot:

Avoid smoking, drinking through a straw, or drinking out of a bottle for 24 hours. This creates suction in your mouth, which may be strong enough to pull the clot from the socket. If this happens, you have dry socket, which is very painful and delays healing.
Do not rinse vigorously. This may also remove the clot from the socket. Instead, let the water run around the mouth gently and then spit out slowly.
Limit exercise. This will reduce the bleeding, and help the clot form.
Keep your your oral hygiene, but avoid brushing around the extraction site for a day or two.

Medication: Medication may have been prescribed to relieve pain, and avoid or reduce infection. These medications should only be used as directed. Be patient! Pain medication may not work immediately. It may not work until the second instructed dose. If you develop a rash after taking the medications, stop the medications and contact our office or the emergency room. You may be experiencing an allergic reaction to the medications.

Swelling: Normal swelling occurs the first 48 hours. Sometimes swelling is accompanied by discomfort. You may be able to reduce swelling and discomfort by placing a cold pack over the swollen area. If swelling does not start to decrease after the second day, please contact our office.

Diet: Make sure to drink lots of fluids, but avoid alcoholic beverages. Food should be of soft consistency, but rich in protein. You can start eating more solid foods as soon as you feel comfortable to do so. Chew on side opposite to where the extraction was done.

Rinsing: About 24 hours after the extraction, you can start rinsing well with warm salt water a couple of times a day. Just dissolve a teaspoon of salt in 8 oz of warm water. It is important to keep food particles out of the extraction site in order to allow for proper healing.

Contact us if you have any questions about your procedure or after care, we will be happy to help you.