Frequentlty Asked Questions
Q. I have some old silver fillings
which are beginning to look bad. What can be done to improve
them.
A. Silver amalgam fillings,
which are composed of 50% mercury and 50% silver alloy
,eventually need to be replaced. It may surprise you to know
that the average life span of a silver filling is five to
eight years. Your dentist can tell you when they appear to
NEED to be replaced due to leakage, breakdown or recurrent
decay.
If your concern is strictly COSMETIC, there are many new
methods available to replace the fillings with beautiful,
functional long lasting restorations.
Such things as white filling materials, porcelain inlays
, crowns and veneers may be used to give you the smile you
are seeking.
There is currently a great deal of interest in new
reinforced hybrid materials. These beautiful resin materials
may be reinforced with fibers, similar to fiberglass, and
used in very conservative inlays and bridges without having
to grind away a whole healthy tooth.
Q. I would like to
have my teeth whitened.
There are so many products and ads for whiteners that it is
hard to decide which is best. what do you recommend?
A. You are correct. There are many
products and techniques available. Some work great and some
don't work at all. The various over the counter products
give the least predictable results.
To get a really great result you should probably use one
of the products sold through dental offices which utilize
custom made trays for home app- lication of a bleaching
gel.
There are several great ones out there. Our favorite is
Nite White® Excel. Besides giving a great result, this
product has overcome the sensitivity problem seen with some
of the other products .
We also get questions about "laser whitening". With this
method a laser is used as a light source to activate the
bleaching gel which is applied to your teeth in the dental
office. It may be necessary to use the at home trays in
addition to this initial lengthy treatment. Side effects can
include senstivity to treated teeth.
Q. I am missing several teeth. A
friend told me that she recently had implants to replace her
missing teeth and is very happy.What are implants?
A. Dental
implants are a wonderful way to replace missing
teeth when certain conditions exist. Such things as your
overall general health and the length of time you have been
missing your teeth must be considered. The replacement of
missing teeth using dental implants frequently requires a
team approach.
After your dentist does a thorough examination and
treatment plan the surgical phase of treatment takes place.
In most cases a periodontist or an oral surgeon will put the
implant(s), the artificial root(s) into the jaw. When
healing is complete, usually after 4-6 months, The tooth or
bridge segment can be placed on top of the healed implants
by a general dentist or a prosthodontist . Some dentists are
trained to place the surgical part of the implant as well as
the prosthetic or tooth part.
You should ask your dentist if you are a good candidate
for implants and ask for a referral if he or she doesn't do
them.
Return to top of page
Q. There are
so many different toothbrushes on
the market today. How do I know which one is the right one
for me?
A. This is a good question, which
we hear daily. The brand of the toothbrush is not nearly as
critical as the type of bristle, the size and shape of the
head and how frequently you replace your brush.
We recommend a soft bristled brush with a small head. The
soft bristles are most important for the health of your
gums. A small head allows you to get around each tooth more
completely and is less likely to injure your gums.Daily
frequency of brushing and replacement with a new brush are
much more important issues than the brand you choose.
We recommend replacing your brush at least once a
month.
My employees and I all brush, on average, 5 times a day.
We brush first thing in the morning, after each meal and at
the end of the day .
If you are not able to do this because of your busy
schedule, we recommend brushing twice a day at a bare
minimum.
Q. When I
visited my dentist for my last checkup, she told me that I
have impacted wisdom
teeth and she wants to remove them. They are not
bothering me. Should I see a specialist if I decide to have
them removed? What should I do?
A. Having regular dental checkups
with x-rays allows you to learn about potential problems and
have them corrected BEFORE they begin to bother you. There
are a number of reasons for recommending removal of
unerupted or impacted teeth. Your dentist may have seen that
these teeth could cause problems for the adjacent teeth if
left in place. There is also the possibility that you could
develop such things as a cyst or abscess if left in
place.
General dentists who provide any specialty service such
as root canal treatment, braces, oral surgery or periodontal
surgery are required by law to adhere to the same standard
of care provided by a specialist
Your dentist should be happy to talk more with you about
this. If you still have questions, you might want to see
another dentist for a second opinion.
Q. I just
recently went to a new dentist for a checkup and cleaning
and asked him to check a cap that that was put on
one of my front teeth by my former dentist. He informed me
that I did not have a cap on any of my teeth. I know my last
dentist fixed a broken front tooth and said he capped it.
Who should I believe?
A. You have just experienced one
of a number of common misunderstandings we see in dentistry
today. Terminology used in dentistry is not 100% uniform
throughout our profession. Both dentists were probably
"correct".
The word "cap" as used in dentistry by different dentists
can refer to a number of different things. A pulp cap refers
to a calcium containing dressing placed under a deep filling
to stimulate healing. A full crown, made by a dental
laboratory which completely covers the outside of your tooth
is frequently called a cap. A partly broken tooth may be
built up by your dentist in the office with a bonded filling
material. This is called a cap or "capping" by some
dentists. This sounds like what you probably had done.
Return to top of page
Q. My son is six years old and
starting to get his permanent
teeth. I am concerned because the teeth are discolored. Some even
have a brownish or greenish hue. What caused this and what
can be done about it?
A. From your description, it
sounds like a very normal situation and nothing to be
concerned about. When the teeth are forming in the jaws,
they are surrounded by a soft tissue membrane called
Nasmyth's Membrane (named after Alexander Nasmyth, a
Scottish dental surgeon in London who died in 1847).
As the teeth erupt, remnants of this membrane remain on
the surface of the enamel. The fibrous nature of the
membrane readily picks up coloration from food.
In most cases normal chewing and brushing will remove the
remnants with time. If they don't come off, they can be
removed by having a professional cleaning.
Other causes for staining of teeth include high fevers
during infancy, too much fluoride in drinking water and
certain medications if taken while the teeth are still
forming.
Q. It
has been quite a while since I have been to a dentist
because I cannot stand the sound of
the drill. I think I have a new cavity but am
reluctant to call a dentist . What can I do? I don't want a
toothache and certainly don't want to lose my tooth.
A. Dental technology has come a
long way in recent years. If you have a new cavity that
requires a filling, there is "new" air abrasive equipment
which replaces the drill for removing decay. It is quick,
silent and in most cases you do not need a shot of
anesthetic because there is no heat or vibration to cause
pain.
Air abrasion theory has been around in dentistry since
the fifties but has only recently become practical to use
because of downsizing of equipment and the development of
filling materials which can be used with the new way of
preparing teeth for fillings.
Our patients love it. For youngsters who are experiencing
their first cavity, it is a great way to go - no noise, no
needle, no pain! It won't work for all cavities, but with
your dislike of the drill, you should certainly see a
dentist who uses this technology.
Q. My boyfriend
thinks it would be neat if I got my tongue pierced. What can you
tell me about this? I am a little concerned about whether it
would be safe. I do have pierced ears and have not had any
trouble with that.
A. In a word (or four) PLEASE
DON"T DO IT! Fortunately, I have only seen a couple of these
in "real life". I have read of numerous cases in our dental
journals which have resulted in all sorts of problems.
To begin with, the tongue is an extremely vascular organ,
which means that it has loads of blood vessels. A tremendous
amount of swelling is expected when the tongue is pierced
and a large oversized "barbell" is initially placed to
accomodate for the expected swelling.
This can cause difficulty in breathing and swallowing.
Eating, drinking and speech are all impaired. The large
barbell flops around and has caused unrestorable fractures
of teeth when accidentally bitten.
The barbell can come unscrewed and be swallowed or
possibly be aspirated, sucked into the lung. Either of these
could require surgery.
I repeat, PLEASE DON'T DO IT!
Return to top of page
|