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.

At first, your dentist may recommend that you wear your dentures to sleep. This will speed up your mouth’s adjustment to the dentures and allow you to quickly detect and correct any spots where the fit is uncomfortable. After your mouth has adjusted to the dentures, they may be worn throughout the day and removed while you

A fractured tooth is a tooth at risk. You may not even know a tooth is cracked or fractured, or you may feel pain or sensitivity when biting down or exposing the tooth to hot or cold temperatures. An endodontist specialist can diagnose and treat fractures in a tooth and damage to its inner pulp.

Treating fractured teeth is critical. With continuous pressure from chewing, the interior tissues of a tooth may be unable to heal, leading to irritation and even infection. These inner tissues, or pulp, include a tooth’s interior nerves, tissues, and blood vessels.

An endodontist specialist will treat a tooth fracture depending on its location and severity. A dental crown can usually protect teeth with small fractures above the gum line, and you can see your dentist for this type of restoration.

However, if the tooth has a crack below the gum line, you may need a root canal to treat the damaged pulp. Endodontists specialize in root canal treatment, preventing the fracture from spreading or even causing tooth loss. A dental crown completes the restoration.

If the tooth is severely damaged, an endodontist specialist may recommend endodontic surgery to save part of the tooth or an extraction. If the tooth needs extraction, your endodontist can discuss options for replacing the tooth, such as a dental implant.

While our dentists can diagnose many conditions with a visual exam, we cannot always see what is happening beneath your protective tooth enamel or below your gumline. Digital dental x-rays make this possible and allow us to make an earlier diagnosis, potentially saving you time and money and allowing us to treat conditions before they become critical – or painful.

By offering digital dental x-rays, we have significantly improved the safety of the care we provide. Digital dental x-rays emit up to 80 percent less radiation than traditional x-rays and give us instant access to high-resolution images for proper diagnosis of conditions such as bone loss, decay, and infection.

The cost of dental x-rays is low compared to complex restorative dentistry, making them a good investment in your oral health and the appearance of your smile. Without them, we would only have part of the story when it comes to your health, and the rest would be left to chance.

If you have questions about the necessity, safety, or process of digital dental x-rays, we encourage you to call or ask at your next appointment. We are dedicated to providing quality dentistry that supports a healthy, comfortable smile, and we look forward to hearing from you.

The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) take a lot of wear and tear. Besides chewing, swallowing, and talking, the joints can experience overuse from gum chewing, yawning, and teeth clenching and grinding. If TMJ symptoms affect your quality of life, an oral surgery specialist can diagnose and treat the problem.

If you experience headaches, neck or jaw aches, clicking or popping in your jaw, pain around your ear, sensitive teeth, or jaw pain when eating or yawning, you may have a TMJ disorder.

Here’s what can lead to TMJ pain:

• Arthritis is common in older adults and can also occur in your jaw joints.
• Grinding or clenching your teeth (bruxism) tightens your facial and jaw muscles and puts stress on your temporomandibular joints. Bruxism can also cause extra wear on your teeth.
• Poor posture causes the muscles of the jaw, neck, and face to tighten, causing pain and other symptoms.
• Trauma to your jaw can lead to a TMJ disorder later on.
• Misaligned teeth may impact your bite and how your joints fit together.

As you can see, decreasing stress, taking care of your oral health, and wearing a night guard are all ways to prevent TMJ pain. If conservative treatments don’t give you relief, talk to your oral surgery specialist about TMJ surgery.