FAQ

1. How often should I actually get a dental checkup? Most patients need to have a type of check up and cleaning once every 3 to 4 months, due to presence of inflammation (gingivitis), gum disease and bone loss (periodontitis).  Those who have no restoration such as fillings, crowns, implants, gingivitis, periodontitis AND have very good thorough daily hygiene, may have  preventative and diagnostic care once every 6 months. 

2. Is fluoride safe for my children? As long as fluoride is not ingested, it is safe.

3. What is the best electric toothbrush in 2026? Oral-B and Sonicare electric toothbrushes seem to perform well.

4. Why are my teeth yellow despite brushing? Generally speaking, teeth do get darker, more yellow or brown as you age due to diet, irregular home hygiene, lack of professional care.  Yellowing of teeth can be minimized with regular professional care, daily thorough homecare, and whitening either in a dental office or at home.   

5. How can I prevent cavities without flossing? Simple answer is you cannot.  Brush cannot reach the area in between the teeth or into gum pockets; these areas comprise 30% of total tooth surface.  If flossing is skipped, essentially 30% of total tooth structure in your mouth is never cleaned!  With food debris and bacteria left between the teeth and into gum pockets, you end up with not only cavities, but also gingivitis or periodontitis.

6. What does a “deep cleaning” involve? Associated with periodontitis (gum disease) is bone loss.  When there’s bone loss around teeth, there’s recession (gum loss), leading to teeth’s roots becoming exposed.  Quite often there’s high number of destructive bacteria and calculus (hardened plaque, aka tarter) in the gum pocket and root surfaces, all of which lead to more inflammation, bone loss, and recession.  To arrest the gum disease, deep cleaning is usually done first.  Deep cleaning is scaling and root planing into each pocket removing all the calculus, ., and imflammatory agents.

7. Can I reverse a cavity at home? On rare occasions, when a cavity is at early incipient stage, a cavity can be remineralized to form a “scare” enamel tissue

8. Why does my jaw click when I chew? There are several reasons for jaw clicking; it could be related to tempero-mandibular discorder,  bruxism (cleanching/gridning), arthritis, or other issues.  A thorough examination and imaging are need to make a diagnosis and plan a course of treatment if need and if possible.

9. How do I stop my gums from receding? Gum recession may be due to one or more of the following reasons: smoking, incorrect brush and/or brushing technique, orthodontic treatment, periodontitis (gum disease), gingivitis (gum inflammation), bruxism (cleanching and/or gridning).  Depending on the reason for gum disease, the solution may be smoking secession, wearing retainers, using soft tooth brush with correct technique, having deep cleaning and/or more frequent maintenance cleaning, wearing an occlusal guard (aka night guard) or any other appropriate appliance. 

10. Is charcoal toothpaste a scam? It really not a good idea to use a charcoal toothpaste as the ingradient can abraid the enamel and/or remain in gum pockets cause gum inflammation/infection.

Dental Pain & Emergencies

1. How do I know if my tooth is abscessed? Best way is to seek dental care from your dentist.  Tooth abscess sometimes shows up on the x-ray only and sometimes it can see as a “pimple’ next to the tooth.  Take tooth abscess seriously and seek help; it can lead to systemic infection that may cause you to be hospitalized, if it goes untreated.

2. What should I do if a crown falls off? Clean it as best as you can with soap and water, place in a secure bag or a small box so it does not bend or break, and seek help from your dentist.  Depending on the circumstances, your dentist may be able to re-cement it.  

3. Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? It all depends on the location of the chip, depth of the chip, whether your tooth is symptomatic, and the reason for the chip.  Contact your dentist for more personalized, case-based care.

4. How long can I ignore a wisdom tooth ache? Do not ignore wisdom tooth ache.  The pain may be due to a cyst or infection.  A cyst may lead to jaw fracture; wisdom tooth infection may become sytemic which may lead to loss of life. 

5. Can a root canal fail? Yes!  Depending on the reason for a root canal failure, a re-treatment may be indicated. 

6. How to handle a knocked-out tooth? Do not scrub the tooth; if there’s visit dirt or particules on it, rinse it with milk or water.  If possible, place it back into the tooth socket.  See your dentist ASAP, within 60 minutes (or less which is better) of accident.

7. Why is my tooth sensitive to cold but not heat? Tooth sensitivity to cold may be due to irritation of the nerve, thinning or loss of enamel, gum recession with roots exposed, over use of whitening products, using whitening or charcoal toothpaste.

8. Why is my tooth sensitive to heat? Tooth sensitivity to heat usually indicates dying/damaged nerve; root canal may be indicated in this case.

9. Can I take Ibuprofen for dental pain? Yes, if it is not counter-indicated for you specifically and you must follow the usage/dose instructions.

10. Is swelling in the cheek dangerous? Yes!  It may be due to tooth abscess which can spread and become systemic.  Seek help from your dentist ASAP.

Cosmetic & Restorative

1. How much do veneers cost? Depends on many factors and the doctor/office; it may range from $2000-5000 per tooth.

2. What is the difference between Invisalign and Braces? 

     Invisalign- clear plastic aligners; aligners are removable which allows you to clean your mouth after meals before you place the aligners back on; must wear the aligners 20-22 hrs per day

     Braces- brackets and wires on teeth and they are not removable; they remain on your teeth all the time until treatment is completed.

3. How long do dental implants last? Lots of factors dictate and impact longevity of any prosthesis including an implant, including, but not limited to systemic health conditions, history of smoking, history of gum disease, cadence of professional care, cadence and quality of home care, patient’s bone type and immune resposne, etc.  If all factors are favorable, implants can last a many years. 

4. Can I get implants if I have bone loss? Depending on the type and level of bone loss, yes!  This is to be determined by taking x-rays and doing a visual exam.  If there’s not sufficient bone, bone graft may be indicated.

5. Do veneers ruin your natural teeth? They require reduction/shaving of the tooth and this reduction is irreversible. 

6. Is teeth whitening permanent? No!  Depending on your diet, home care, and professional care, you have to do “touch ups” to maintain the result. 

7. What is “All-on-4”? Full arch of acrylic or zirconia teeth loaded on and supported by 4 implants. This is done if one has lost all teeth on an arch.

8. Will my dental insurance cover cosmetic work? No

9. Can I get Invisalign as an adult? Yes!

10. How do I fix a “gummy” smile? You can either have LASER treatment or traditional “gum cutting back”.  

AI & New Technology

1. What is AI cavity detection? Algorithms that flag decay on X-rays.

2. Are 3D printed crowns any good? Yes; they can be functional.

3. What is Laser Dentistry? Using light energy to disinfect gum pockets, cut back gum, treat cold sore.

4. Does teledentistry work? Generally speaking no; it’s difficult to diagnose issues correctly without x-rays and/or examining the mouth/tooth.

5. What are digital impressions? Instead of using impression material “goo”, a scanner is used to take multiple images of the mouth or a single tooth.

6. Is robotic-assisted implant surgery safe? Yes, although they are not easily available given the high cost of installing and maintaining robots.

7 Are silver (amalgam) fillings toxic? The American Dental Association deems them safe, although Europeans have started banning them.

8. What is CEREC? It’s the band name for 3-D crown milling machine; it allows for a crown to be fabricated chair-side in one visit. 

9. How do smart toothbrushes track my brushing? Via Bluetooth, an app, pressure sensors, and timer

Lifestyle & Habits

1. Does vaping cause gum disease? Yes, smoking and vaping damages gums.

2. Can coffee stain my veneers? Porcelain is stain-resistant, but resin composite is not; reagrdless of the type of restorative material, coffee sometimes stains margins.

3. Is “oil pulling” effective? No, it does not replace brushing and flossing.

4. How does pregnancy affect my dental health? Hormonal changes increase the risk of “pregnancy gingivitis”.  More frequent visit to your dentist for check up and cleaning is strongly recommended.

6. Why does my breath smell bad despite brushing? Halitosis may be due to infrequent or improper brushing and flossing, tonsil stone, strep throat, smoking, respiratory infection, post nasal drip, sinus infection, tooth infection, plaque buildup on the tongue, system health problems, certain foods like onions, garlic, brussle sprouts, califower.

7. Does grinding my teeth cause headaches? Yes, “tension headaches” are a common symptom of bruxism.

8. Should I use a hard or soft toothbrush? Always use soft; hard bristles abraid enamel and cause gum recession.

9. Can I whiten my teeth if I have fillings? Whitening only works on natural enamel, not composite.  Ypu can whiten  your teeth, then replace the filling, if possible, to address the shade mis-match.