Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about certain oral health topics are repeatedly asked in our office. The following are commonly asked questions. If you have a question that is not adequately addressed here, please call or e-mail and we will do our best to answer your inquiries.
Do you accept Insurance?
Yes. We accept all "freedom of Choice" insurance policies. A freedom
of choice policy lets you choose your dentist as opposed to an HMO or PPO type of policy
where you are given a list of dentists who are under contract. With the latter two programs,
the insurance company sets the quality of care, not the patient. We will be happy to help you
determine what type of insurance you have.
Do you accept Referrals?
Yes. Many of our new patients are sent to us by satisfied patients.
How often should I receive a routine dental checkup?
The American Dental Association's protocol
for a healthy adult calls for routine cleaning and checkup every 6 months. We find it best to set
a patient's routine checkup based on his/her personal needs. The majority of our patients get a
cleaning and checkup every 6 months. Those with a periodontal condition will often have their
teeth cleaned more frequently while others that have never had decay of calculus buildup might
be on a one year recall.
Are X-rays dangerous?
We've come a long way with x-rays. Although it is always wise to keep radiation exposure to a minimum, x-rays are a wonderful tool in dentistry. Modern x-ray machines
are highly filtered, low output machines. You should not be concerned about dental radiation. The
benefits provided by routine x-ray screening far outweigh any perceived hazard.
What is cosmetic dentistry?
Cosmetic Dentistry is that field of dentistry that enhances your smile.
We can change the length, width, contour, position and shade of your teeth. We can alter your
gum line so that you don't have a gummy smile. We can balance your teeth so that your smile
is in harmony with your facial characteristics. We can replace missing teeth and we can place
restorations with tooth colored materials. All this is possible because of the modern materials
utilized in dentistry today. Cosmetic Dentistry creates a beautiful smile which is an integral part of
a beautiful face.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is the habit of grinding your teeth while you sleep. Little is known about
why we grind our teeth but we do know that it is quite common and very destructive. Bruxism can
cause tooth mobility, periodontal disease, abfractions (a groove on the neck of the tooth next to
the gum tissue), fractured teeth, Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction and muscle spasm
of the muscles of mastication.
Can Bruxism be treated?
Yes. As with most therapy, a thorough diagnosis is the starting point.
Treatment varies greatly from patient to patient. Bruxism is often corrected by nothing more than
minor adjustment to the occlusion (how the teeth fit together) and fabrication of a comfortable
appliance for you to wear at night.
Should all wisdom teeth be removed?
Not necessarily. The majority of us don't have enough
room in our mouth for wisdom teeth. If you have room for your wisdom teeth and you can keep
them clean, great! If you don't have room for your wisdom teeth, the result can be pain, infection
and, even worse, mal-positioning of the other teeth. A simple x-ray can determine if you should
have your wisdom teeth removed.
What is a root canal?
A root canal is a procedure to treat the diseased nerve within a tooth. In
earlier years, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve you'd probably lose that tooth. Today, with
root canal therapy you may save your tooth. Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides nutrients
and nerves to the tooth, it runs like a thread down through the root. When the pulp is diseased
or injured, the pulp tissue dies. Root canal therapy removes that infected or inflamed tissue,
sterilizes the inside of the tooth then seals the canal chambers. A crown is subsequently placed
to support the tooth. Most of the time a root canal is a relatively simple procedure, with little or no
discomfort, involving one to three visits. Best of all, it can save your tooth and your smile!
What type of anesthesia is available to me?
The type of anesthesia that is best for you is usually
dependant on your mental state and the procedure that is required. For those patients that
are not nervous and require relatively non-traumatic procedures, local anesthesia is usually
the anesthesia of choice. If the patient has slight apprehension, we can use local anesthesia
as well as nitrous oxide. For patients that are emotionally unable or unwilling to cope with the thought of being alert during a dental procedure, we have other alternatives. Popularly known
as sleep dentistry, enteral conscious sedation is the answer for many. This therapy consists of
giving the patient an oral medication starting one hour before treatment followed by additional
oral medication at the time of treatment. The patient will be given nitrous oxide as well as
local anesthesia. The reason that it is called sleep dentistry is because most people sleep
through most of the procedure. There also is the option of I.V. Sedation where we have an
anesthesiologist come to the office to administer the anesthesia.
What is tooth bleaching?
Bleaching is a process to whiten your teeth. As we go through life, the
enamel that covers the crown of our teeth gets more and more micro-fractures. Debris gets into
these micro-fractures and results in the general darkening or yellowing of our teeth. Bleaching
oxidizes the debris in the micro-fractures and results in whiter, brighter teeth. Bleaching does
not damage the teeth but it might make the teeth sensitive to hot and cold for a short period of
time. Bleaching may not correct all types of discoloration. For example, yellowish hued teeth will
probably bleach well, brownish-colored teeth may bleach less well, and grayish-hued teeth may
not bleach well at all.
What are Veneers?
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials
designed to cover the front side of teeth. They're made by a dental technician, usually in a
dental lab, working from a model provided by the dentist. You should know that this is usually an
irreversible process, because it's necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth
to accommodate the shell.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns or feedback you may have.