1. Are dentist-prescribed whitening
systems different than the ones I see in the drugstore?
The key differences are the fit of the tray and the quality of the whitening
product. Mouths are not "one-size-fits-all."
If the tray doesn't fit well, the whitening gel will not be in
perfect contact with your teeth and you could get spotty results
or burn your gum tissue. The professional gels contain desensitizers
that make the process more comfortable and they have faster, more
consistent results than any gels available over the counter.
2. Why do I need a crown now if my tooth
was filled long ago?
Unfortunately, fillings don't last forever. In fact if left
for too long, they can actually weaken what is left of your
tooth. Luckily, we can usually detect decay under the filling
or see crack lines in the tooth. These cracks around your filling
mean that your tooth will inevitably break apart.
While I would never suggest it, you can wait
for the tooth to break on its own. You might get lucky and
it will break in such a way that a crown can still be done.
But sometimes the tooth will break up into the root system.
If this happens, it will mean an extraction and an implant
or a bridge. These will be far more expensive and involved
than a simple crown. I don't want you to lose a tooth, so I
always try to communicate the importance of doing a crown or
an onlay in a timely fashion.
3. Why doesn't my abscess hurt?
It might sound hard to believe, but not all abscesses are painful.
If the nerve in a tooth has a quick death, it can be very
painful. But if the nerve dies slowly, sometimes you'll feel
no discomfort at all. I call these a "quiet abscess."
It's important to remember that just because
you can't feel it, this doesn't mean it's not a problem. An
abscess is actually a pus sac, and you can only get rid of
it by doing a root canal on the tooth and cleaning out that
dead nerve.
4. How long will this new crown last?
It's difficult to answer that question with any accuracy. Let's
imagine that your new crown is a car. Are you going to drive
around like a crazy teenager without ever checking under
the hood? Or will you only take the car out for leisurely
Sunday drives and always check the oil before you go?
Your dental work is just like anything else in
your life - the better care you give it, the longer it will
last.
5. If you put a crown on a tooth, do
I have to get a root canal?
These are two different treatments. The crown is put on your
tooth to strengthen it because it is weak. We do a root canal
treatment when the nerve in a tooth goes bad.
However, most root canal teeth are already very
weak, and the treatment makes them even more fragile so they
usually needed to have a crown.
6. What exactly is a root canal?
The nerve rests in a narrow space that runs the length of the
tooth. When this nerve goes bad, we go into the tooth, take
out what's left of the nerve and seal up the space.
After this procedure the tooth is technically
a "dead tooth." This means that while it will function
like the rest of your teeth, you will no longer be able to
feel heat, cold or pain in it.
7. If you removed the nerve, why does
it still hurt when I bite on this tooth?
There is a membrane that surrounds the root of your tooth and
acts like a kind of "shock absorber." Sometimes when
we do root canal work, that membrane swells just enough to
push your tooth out of alignment. When you bite down, your
other teeth hit the affected tooth first. This puts more pressure
on that tender membrane. When this happens, I adjust your tooth
so you won't hit it as hard. This will calm it right down.
8. I never had any pain in this tooth
until you filled it. Now it hurts a lot! What's happening?
Often decay works itself so slowly into a tooth that you don't
have any pain. But when I go in to clean it out, I find decay
very close to the nerve.
Now the nerve is probably very agitated from
all the work and the deep filling. If we're lucky, it will
calm down, but sometimes in a deep cavity the nerve will actually
die. I promise that I will do everything I can to keep it alive.
It may get better or it may eventually die. Either way, the
pain is not a permanent condition.
9. My other dentist never told me I have
gum disease!
I can't speak for your former dentist, but I will say that
we are learning so much more about gum disease every year.
I can now spot it much earlier and help my patients get it
under control faster. Believe it or not, about 80% of the population
over 35 has some degree of gum disease.
10. My gums have always bled. It's normal
for me.
Bleeding from your gums is no healthier than bleeding from
your ears or eyes! This is your body's way of telling you that
something isn't right. Bleeding gums are a sign of disease;
and when we get your gums healthy, you will be able to clean
your mouth thoroughly and experience no bleeding at all.
11. If I have all of this gum disease,
why does nothing hurt?
In some ways, gum disease is a lot like diabetes or high blood
pressure. You can have these conditions for years and never
notice any symptoms. But the longer they are left unchecked,
the worse your health will become.
By the time you have bleeding gums, loose teeth
and constant pain, the gum disease has advanced to the point
where you might actually lose your teeth. Fortunately, if we
catch your problem at an early stage, we can usually get it
under control.
Periodontal disease is like diabetes and high
blood pressure in another way - it has no cure. However, if
we work together, we can effectively manage the disease so
that your smile lasts a lifetime.
12. I've been chewing without that molar
for 15 years. Why do I need to get it replaced now?
When a tooth is lost, your remaining teeth will shift, drift
and tip out of position. This can cause problems with your
bite, gum tissue and bone. A replacement bridge or an implant
stops this movement. There's no reason to let that area deteriorate
when it could be helped with a bridge or an implant.
13. I can chew just fine. Why should
I go to the trouble of replacing those missing teeth?
You might not realize it, but you've simply gotten used to
a bad situation. Without any back teeth, you're chewing your
food like a rabbit. But those front teeth aren't shaped to
grind up food like your back teeth. This means that you are
swallowing your food almost whole.
When your teeth aren't doing their job properly, your stomach
has to work much harder. You might manage this way for a while,
but sooner or later you will develop stomach problems. When
you've got some back teeth to really chew your food, you'll
notice the difference right away.
14. Why do I have to get my teeth X-rayed
every year?
You may not see any changes when you look in the mirror, but
your smile is only the tip of the iceberg. Certain diseases
of the teeth and bone are visible only in X-rays. That's why
X-rays are a crucial element in the big picture and absolutely
vital to your long-term dental health.
15. Am I at risk if I have an X-ray taken
more than once a year?
I understand and respect your concerns about the risk of radiation.
However, I think you'll be glad to know that the radiation
that you receive from one dental X-ray is substantially less
than the radiation you receive every day from the sun and stars.
Your health and safety are of vital importance to us. Rest
assured, we will only take the absolute minimum of X-rays necessary.
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