·At what age should my child have their first dental visit? Every child is different, but usually children are ready for their first dental exam at age 2 or 3. Children can develop cavities as soon as they get their teeth, if not taken care of properly. Remember, it is very important to never put anything but plain water in your baby’s bottle if they are going to sleep with it. Tooth decay in the baby teeth can lead to problems with permanent teeth in the future. ·At what age do children start losing their primary (baby) teeth? Children start losing their primary teeth around the age 5 to 7. ·Is it safe to have dental work done while I’m pregnant? Yes. It is very important to maintain good oral health during pregnancy. A common dental problem associated with pregnancy is a condition known as pregnancy gingivitis; typically this occurs during the first trimester. Symptoms include swollen, bleeding, red, and tender gums. Everything is performed as usual during your exam with the exception of taking x-rays. For dental treatment requiring anesthetic, please consult with your OB/GYN. ·Why do my gums bleed when I brush my teeth? Bleeding gums are mainly due to inadequate plaque removal from the teeth at the gum line. Brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day will improve the health of your teeth and gums. Bleeding gums may be a sign of periodontal disease, which can be treated by professional deep cleanings. ·What is periodontal disease? Periodontal disease develops when plaque is allowed to build up along and under the gum line, if not removed it can harden and form tartar, also known as calculus. Only a professional cleaning can remove tartar. If left untreated periodontal disease can lead to tooth and bone loss. ·What is a professional deep cleaning? Deep cleaning, also known as scaling and root planing, is performed by a dental hygienist. Scaling removes plaque and tartar from below your gum line. Root planing involves scraping and smoothing the root surfaces of your teeth allowing gum tissue to reattach to your roots. This type of cleaning may take more than 1 visit to complete.
·What is Bruxism? Bruxism is a condition in which you grind or clench your teeth. Many times people do this unconsciously during the day or at nighttime while sleeping. Often this can to lead to jaw disorders such as TMD, headaches, damaged teeth and other serious problems. You may benefit from wearing an appliance while you sleep to prevent further damage to teeth and help with headaches, TMD, and other pain caused by bruxism.
·Why is my jaw hurting, clicking, or popping? Many times when people are experiencing pain in their jaw, or popping and clicking when they talk or chew it can be a sign of TMD. TMD stands for temporomandibular disorder, often it is incorrectly called TMJ, which stands for temporomandibular joint. There are a number of reasons why patients have TMD, some include: Stress, poor airway, posture, muscle hyperactivity, loss of teeth, trauma to neck, face or jaw, misalignment of the jaw, and bruxism-clenching and/ or grinding of the teeth. Some symptoms of TMD are: headache, pain in the joint or ear, pain chewing, limited ability to open mouth, inability to open mouth, joint sounds/noises, facial pain, dizziness, ringing in the ears/ ear congestion, or neck pain. Please let Dr. Swan or your hygienist know if you are experiencing any of these. Dr. Swan will determine which treatment would be best for you through a comprehensive exam.
·What does Fluoride do? Fluoride helps protect teeth from decay, prevent periodontal disease, reduce bacteria, protect from sensitivity to hot and cold. Both children and adult benefit from fluoride treatment.
·I’m diabetic, how does that affect my oral health? There are 15.7 million people in the U.S. who have diabetes. Diabetes makes the mouth more sensitive to irritations and more prone to oral infections due to bacteria in the mouth. There tends to be more bacteria in the mouth because people with diabetes have less saliva, higher sugar levels in oral fluids; tend to lose collagen in gum tissue, experience interference with nutrition and healing in the gum tissues. To help with dry mouth Biotene tooth paste, mouth wash, and gum is recommended.
·What options do you offer for whitening? Patients can choose from in-office power whitening or take home whitening trays. Please call our office for further details regarding which option would work best for you. ·What is a veneer? A veneer is a porcelain cover placed on the front surface of a tooth. It is made to match your natural tooth color. Veneers are used to restore damaged, discolored, misshapen, or misaligned teeth. If you are interested in learning more about veneers, please call us today to set up a consultation. ·What are my options to replace missing teeth? We offer bridgework, partials, full dentures, and implant prosthesis to replace missing teeth. To learn more about which option would be best for you please call our office to schedule an appointment. ·Will my insurance cover my dental visit? We file claims with insurance companies and accept assignment of benefits for most. If you have questions concerning your insurance look to the back of your dental insurance card and call the customer service number. Another option if your dental insurance is offered through your place of employment, contact the human resources department regarding your specific plan. The day of your appointment you will be expected to pay any deductible and estimated co-pay for the services rendered on the treatment date. ·What payment methods are accepted? We accept cash, Flex cards, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, if you wish to finance your dental work we recommend CareCredit. To apply for a Carecredit card, simply go to http://www.carecredit.com/apply
