Dr. Bita Mosleh, DDS

Unfortunately a tooth that has had root canal treatment can hurt years later. A possible cause could be infection occurring in the bone around the root of the tooth. This would discomfort when biting down.

Although the tooth may no longer have vital nerve tissue inside it’s canals, it is still connected to the bone via ligament. There may be an inflammatory response taking place in the ligamental space if there was trauma to the tooth.

The best way to determine the actual cause for pain would be to see your dentist, have the tooth examined and radiographs taken to make a true diagnosis.

Fixed retainers are placed in hopes to maintain the final position of orthodontic treatment. But many people don’t realize that when these retainers break, separate from the teeth or “snap” in spots then teeth will then start to move back to their original position.

Fixed retainers will stop teeth from moving if they remain in the same condition as when they were first placed.

It is not normal protocol to be “put to sleep” for a root canal. The anesthesia that is normally administered is what would be given when a filling is needed. Although, if a patient is very apprehensive, it can be requested.

We refer patients to a periodontist when they have excessive bone loss and pocket depths. We complete scaling and root planing and Arestin in house to prevent any kind of surgical procedures with a periodontist. It’s a case by case call.

There are many signs to TMD, such as clicking of your jaw, pain upon opening in your joint and face, neck pain, headaches and tension headaches, fractured teeth and flattening of tooth cusps. Each patient presents differently, and we decide whether a hard guard or soft guard would best help the patient.

There are no negative effects to teeth whitening. Some patients do better with in-office and others with take home trays. We can discuss what will work best for you at the visit, but there is no enamel erosion if that is a concern.

Nothing is meant to last “forever” and it is not true with dental implants either. The best option is to complete any procedure to tray as save your natural dentition before opting to extract and implant. Bruxism can have negative effects on implants and cause fracture.

If ever you have numbness that lasts for longer than “normal” dental anesthesia, you must contact your doctor immediately.