Have Questions? Find the Answers Here!
If you have any questions regarding the aesthetics of your smile, some of our procedures for general dentistry, endodontics, or your kid’s oral health, this page will have all of your answers. Scroll through some of the listed questions to find the specific answer to your question.
Request an AppointmentFrequently Asked Questions
General Dentistry
There is no reason to have mercury fillings replaced unless they are broken down or cracked. If they are broken down then they may start to decay underneath the filling. In that case they need to be replaced.
Pediatric Dentistry
Your child should see a pediatric dentist when the first tooth appears. Or no later than his or her first birthday. A checkup every six months is recommended in order to prevent cavities and other dental problems.
The sooner the better! Starting at the first sign of a tooth, you should clean your child’s gum and tooth with a very tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste twice daily with an aged appropriate soft brush.
Once children are 3 years old and can spit out the toothpaste, then the amount should be increased to a pea sized dollop. You should also perform or assist your child’s tooth-brushing. Remember that young children do not have the ability to brush their own teeth effectively.
Make sure your child has a balanced diet, including fruits and vegetables, dairy, and meat and fish. Limiting sugars and starches will also aid in protecting your child’s teeth from decay. Avoid sticky foods such as fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, and even gummy vitamins. Encourage plenty of water throughout the day and avoid soft drinks and sports drinks!
Sealants work by filling in the crevasses on the chewing surface of the back adult molars.
This shuts outs food particles that could get caught in the teeth causing cavities. The application is fast and comfortable and a great way to prevent cavities for many years.
Soft mouth guards can be used to protect a child’s teeth, lips, cheek, and gums from sports related injuries – even providing protection from sever injuries to the head!
Enamel Bonding
Enamel bonding is a composite material that is added to the enamel of a tooth and sculpted to create a new smile, fix chips, remove decay and fill teeth, fix fractures, and close spaces. This procedure doesn’t require needles or tooth reduction. In most cases, enamel bonding can be done in one visit. A patient will come in with one smile and leave with a new one.
Enamel bonding lasts five to ten years if not longer. We have cases that have lasted fifteen to twenty years. When the bonding needs to be redone, we simply take off all of the old bonding and are left with the original tooth to bond again. We don’t use any drills to take it off, so the procedure is painless. After we redo the bonding, you can enjoy your perfect smile for many more years!
Enamel bonding should not cause damage to the tooth enamel. The beauty of bonding is that you can put it on one day and take it off the next day or ten years from now and the tooth should be the same as it was before.
You can eat most anything with enamel bonded teeth. We always tell patients that they cannot chew on ice, tear tags off of new clothes, or bite their nails with bonded teeth or they may chip. You may also need a nightguard if you grind your teeth in your sleep because that will cause damage to the bonding and the rest of your teeth.
Endodontics
In a fully developed tooth, the tooth can survive without the pulp because the tooth continues to be nourished by the tissues surrounding it.
Modern endodontic treatment is very similar to having a routine filling. It can usually be completed in one or two appointments, depending on the condition of your tooth and your personal circumstances. You can expect a comfortable experience during and after your appointment.
Saving the natural tooth with root canal treatment has many advantages.
Efficient chewing
Normal biting force and sensation
Natural appearance
Protects other teeth from excessive wear or strain
Endodontic treatment is only necessary when the pulp becomes inflamed or infected. There are multiple causes as to why the pulp becomes inflamed or infected:
deep decay
faulty crowns
chip in tooth
trauma to the tooth
During a root canal, the iflamed or infected pulp is removed inside the tooth and then cleaned effectively. For a more detailed response, just click the link here.
A root canal or other endodontic treatment can help maintain your natural smile, continue eating the foods you love, and limits the need for ongoing dental work. With proper care, most teeth that have had root canal treatment can last a very long time.
Zoom Teeth Whitening
Bleaching teeth takes one visit. Patients are generally in the chair for about one and a half hours. It takes about 15 minutes to set up the patient for the procedure and then four fifteen minute sessions in a row.
Bleaching teeth can cause sensitivity during the procedure and for twenty-four hours after the procedure. This happens to about fifty percent of the patients. We have people take whatever they would for a headache and that should do the trick! After the twenty-four hours the patient should be fine.
Saving the natural tooth with root canal treatment has many advantages.
Efficient chewing
Normal biting force and sensation
Natural appearance
Protects other teeth from excessive wear or strain
We give our patients touch-up trays for touch ups. They patient should touch-up for fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the evening one day every six months. This will maintain the original shade they have after they initial bleached their teeth. If a patient does the touch-ups they should never have to do the initial Zoom procedure again.
Yes, you will definitely see results immediately.
Not really. We always tell people that certain foods will stain their teeth more than others but there aren’t any special precautions after the bleaching.
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