Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Both your pediatric specialist and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) state that your child's dental visit should be at one year of age, or at least six months after the first tooth comes in. There are many reasons to start dental care early on such as:

• It allows your pediatric dentist to begin monitoring your son or daughter's oral health and development so they can detect any concerns at an early stage.
• It helps your child acclimate to visiting the dentist and to understand that it's a safe and welcoming place.
• This is an excellent time to ask questions about your son or daughter's oral development so you can make the most of your routine at home.

You can prepare your child for his or her dental visits by talking about it beforehand in a positive way. Reading books or stories to them about visiting the dentist can also be helpful in preparing them for what's going to happen during their appointment. You might also consider bringing your child along with you to your cleaning and checkup so they can see what visiting the dentist is like. 

We are happy to help! Contact our office for more information on preparing your son or daughter for their first dental visit.

While metal braces have come a long way in comfort and appearance, adults and older teens have more aesthetic options that better suit their lifestyles. Clear aligners can fix many cosmetic dental problems and are virtually undetectable. Since the trays are removable, you can clean your teeth thoroughly and eat the foods you enjoy.

Your orthodontist specialist can tell you if you’d benefit from clear aligners. In general, you’re a good candidate for clear aligners if:

Your oral issues are not severe. For example, an excessive open bite or underbite requires shifting the jaw using a more intensive treatment.
Your jaw has stopped growing, and you have all your permanent teeth.
You have the discipline to wear clear aligner trays for about 22 hours a day, removing them only to eat and clean teeth.

If you do have a severe misalignment issue, your dentist may be able to develop a treatment plan for you that includes both braces and clear aligners.

That doesn’t mean that less severe problems aren’t important enough to fix, however. Even slightly misaligned or overcrowded teeth can cause more serious problems if not treated. If you have any of these oral health issues, clear aligners might be perfect for you:

• Mildly misaligned teeth
• Minor bite problems 
• Protruding teeth
• Gaps in teeth
• Overcrowding
• Malocclusion
• Overbite

Dental implants are intended to blend in seamlessly with your natural teeth.

One of the advantages of this is that you can brush them and floss them the same as you would with your regular teeth. While implants never get cavities (and never need root canals!), you still want to continue brushing and flossing to keep your natural teeth and your gums healthy.

We will do our very best to get you in the same day for dental emergencies. If this is not possible, we will see you the next day at the latest.

We welcome all ages in our office! We are happy to discuss your scheduling needs, so just give us a call and speak with our friendly front desk staff!

Even with excellent hygiene habits, it's easy to miss small areas of your teeth. Over time, the missed plaque will harden into tartar, which can only be removed with a dental hygienist's tools. When tartar accumulates beneath the gum line, the end result is red, puffy, inflamed gums – the beginnings of periodontal disease.

Root canals are not surgical procedures, and the recovery time is about the same as a tooth filling. Most people even say the procedure affects them less than a tooth filling! When you have a root canal, your endodontist specialist will clean and seal the tooth to remove any infection.

Root canal treatment takes about 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the severity of your infection and the accessibility of your tooth’s canals. You should be able to drive or return to work right after your appointment.

Your endodontist will give you specific instructions for allowing your tooth to heal, but here are some general guidelines:

• Once the numbness wears off, you may feel some soreness or tenderness for a few days. Some people have a sore jaw after keeping it open for an extended period. Use over-the-counter pain reliever (like ibuprofen) to manage pain. If your endodontist prescribes a stronger medication, be sure to have someone drive you home or wait to take it until you’re home.
• You can eat after the numbness wears off, avoiding sticky or crunchy foods. If you have a temporary dental crown, it’s especially important to be careful about hard foods.
• Continue to brush and floss your teeth normally, though you may want to use care around the tender areas.
• Return to your dentist for your permanent restoration, if instructed to do so.

For most adults with no serious health issues, sedation dentistry is perfectly safe. We will review your medical history to determine if sedation dentistry is an option. You will be closely monitored throughout your visit to ensure you are safe and comfortable during sedation.

If you are looking for solutions that address the health and wholeness of your smile, the answer is yes! Treatments like crowns, bridges, and dental implants enhance your appearance while protecting your oral health. Certain dental health problems can also affect your overall wellness, so it is important to work with your dentist to decide the best way to maintain a smile that is both healthy and beautiful.

Wisdom teeth, those final molars that arrive in your late teens or early 20’s, can cause a variety of problems in your mouth. Even if you never noticed your wisdom teeth erupt, it’s a good idea to visit an oral surgery specialist for a wisdom teeth evaluation.

Wisdom teeth often come in crooked or sideways because there’s simply not enough room in our jaws for four more molars. When this happens, your other teeth may shift, causing you to need orthodontic treatment later on. Crooked wisdom teeth can also damage nearby teeth by causing excessive wear and trapping bacteria.

Even if they don’t erupt, wisdom teeth may cause problems. When there’s not enough room for the molars to come in, they may remain under the gums. These impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain, infection, or misalignment of other teeth. Partially erupted wisdom teeth can also cause an infection.

Signs that you may have problematic wisdom teeth include tooth pain, sensitive or bleeding gums, headache or jaw ache, redness, or infection.

Having your wisdom teeth extracted can help you avoid these complications entirely. Wisdom teeth extraction is a common procedure that oral surgery specialists perform routinely to protect your oral health for the long term.