FAQs

My dentist told me I need dental work but I don't have any pain. Why?

Dental decay does not become painful until it is so deep that it has entered the third layer, or the nerve of your tooth - and at that point, you will either need a root canal or will have to pull the tooth. Our goal is to intercept issues before they become painful, more expensive issues, or before they lead you to lose your tooth. If you are wondering why any particular treatment was recommended to you, feel free to ask and we will happily show you in your mouth/ on your xray and answer any questions you may have!

Do I have to get my cleaning every 6 months? Why?

It is recommended to have a professional dental cleaning every 6 months because hard buildup (also known as calculus) inevitably accumulates on everyone's teeth.  This hard calculus is not removable at home with a toothbrush, and must be removed with dental instruments.  If you do not get regular cleanings, the buildup will accumulate and migrate under the gums therefore causing gum issues and leading to increased dental decay, since bacteria is harbored on this buidup.  It is also recommended for patients to visit their dentist every 6 months so that they can receive dental exams and check for cavities/ oral cancer which can arise in the matter of a few weeks or months and should be intercepted as early as possible.

I went to one dentist who told me I need a root canal and another one told me I just need a filling. Why?

Not all root canals are clearly diagnosable. Sometimes a cavity is deep and close to the nerve. If there is no periapical lesion on the xray, and the tooth responds normally to a cold test then the nerve is at least partially intact and your dentist may try to restore the tooth with just a filling instead of deeming a root canal necessary. This would be your dentist's attempt at being conservative, and attempting to fix the problem with the least amount of treatment possible, but we would inform you that we will monitor the tooth for future need of a root canal.  Other dentists may not be as conservative and diagnose a tooth needing a root canal instead of attempting to place a deep filling and evaluate the response of the tooth.  We enjoy discussing these situations with our patients, and showing them their particular situation on the xray to fully understand their particular situation.

Why did my dentist tell me that I need a deep cleaning...

That is because you have hard buildup (called calculus) buried under your gums, causing bleeding and inflammation and contributing to the loss of the bone surrounding your teeth.  This means it will take more time to properly clean your teeth, since we must get you numb and clean the heavy buildup underneath the gumline.  Deep cleanings are usually split up into two appointments (half of the mouth at a time) so that you will only have to be numb on one side of your mouth per appointment and to allow us the time necessary to properly remove the calculus built up under your gumline.  If regular maintenance cleanings are kept up after your deep cleaning, you may never need another deep cleaning again.  Patients who need regular cleanings are likely getting dental cleanings/ exams regularly, do not have high amounts of calculus buried under their gumline, and do not require anesthetic to get their teeth cleaned properly.  If you have any further questions about the type of cleaning that you were told you need, feel free to contact us directly and we would be happy to review your x-rays with you and discuss your particular needs.

Why are dental xrays necessary?

A "comprehensive exam" is simply not comprehensive if your dentist does not have the ability to view your xrays while doing your oral exam.  This is due to the fact that several dental conditions are simply impossible to detect without xrays.  The bone levels around your teeth, certain oral cancers, the presence of calculus underneath your gums, infections at the end of your tooth roots, root fractures, and cavities between your teeth are all things that can only be detected with xrays.  The amount of radiation you recieve from dental xrays is minimal and is worth it, considering that early detection of any conditions you may have will allow for less invasive and cost-effective treatments.  How minimal is the radiation exposure you will receive? The standard four bitewing x-rays that you may get annually to check for new cavities is equivalent to .005 msv (millisieverts), which is less than an average daily dose of radiation we receive in every day life.  For example, an average 7 hour plane ride exposes us to about 0.02 msv, or about 16 small dental xrays!

Why do I need a root canal now after fillings?

Some cavities are deeper than others.  Some are clearly superificial and very far from the nerve of the tooth, and some are very clearly so deep that they have entered the nerve of the tooth (therefore, necessitating a root canal right away).  However, sometimes a cavity appears to be close to the nerve but not definitively into the nerve of the tooth. Dental xrays only show us a limited view of the full extent of the cavity.  Therefore, a dentist does not fully know how extensive or how deep the cavity is until it is cleaned out of the tooth.  In some cases, a dentist may opt to clean the decay out of the tooth and inform the patient that the cavity was deep, but we will put a filling in the tooth and see how the tooth responds to the treatment.  Sometimes, a deep filling that is close to the nerve may never need root canal treatment, but other times, if a tooth with a deep filing becomes painful/ absessed, root canal treatment may be necessary.  We always discuss this with the patient, and inform them before treatment that the decay appears deep and that we may need to perform root canal treatment in the near or far future.  Nevertheless, it is beneficial to get a filling done even if it is deep. This is the only way to keep the decay from getting any deeper into the tooth/ any closer to the nerve than it already has.

Why did my dentist say I need a root canal and not a filling...

It is because bacteria has entered the nerve of the tooth and it is now inflamed/ infected and must be cleaned out.  Once bacteria enters into the third, deepest layer of the tooth (the nerve) whether it is due to a cavity being so deep that it reached that layer, or a fracture exposing the nerve of the tooth to your oral environment, your dentist must clean the nerve out of the tooth by performing a root canal or else you will have a persistent infection in your mouth which will be painful and threatening to your overall health.

Why is it recommended to finish all recommended treatments before whitening

Due to the fact that the materials we use to professional whiten your teeth are very strong, and could cause discomfort in any teeth that have decay/ infection present.  More importantly,  it is our responsibility to care for your oral health above all else, and addressing bacteria/ decay/ infections in your mouth always takes precedent over doing esthetic enhancement procedures such as whitening.

Why are my teeth so sensitive after my fillings?

The type of filling material we use in our office is the tooth-colored material known as composite.  There is a normal post-operative sensitivity period of 4-8 weeks following placement of this type of material.  Some patients experience zero sensitivity after this type of treatment, and some experience moderate to high sensitivity afterwards. Several factors will come into play which determine whether you experience sensitivity, such as whether you had sensitive teeth prior to getting fillings, how deep your cavities were (the deeper the cavity, the deeper the filling, and the higher chance you may have post-op sensitivity), and the type of toothpaste that you use.  Whitening toothpastes generally increase dental sensitivity for several patients and should be avoided if you are experiencing sensitivity after fillings. Aim for fluoride toothpaste, and a toothpaste that is targeted towards sensitivity reduction (such as sensodyne). It is a misstep to compare one filling experience to another, since each cavity is a different size/depth and there are several different factors such as those mentioned here, which affect the potential for sensitivity after fillings.

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