Dr. Nadim E. Saad, DMD

You can brush your teeth right away, however, stay away from the extraction site, and do not spit, allow the toothpaste and water to fall out of your mouth by gravity. If you spit it may cause the blood clot over the extraction site to come out, and this may cause a dry socket, which can be very painful.

Yes, that is no problem at all. There is even no need to wait at all.

If your gums are bleeding without provocation, then I am afraid you are beyond over the counter mouthwash resolution. The best way to restore your gums at this point, back to good health is to get a cleaning by your dentist, & then to maintain it by, yes, the f word, flossing. Your gums may continue in the beginning to bleed, but if you continue to floss, the gums will become firm & not bleed at all. Also, return at least twice a year to your dentist for regular cleanings.

Most definitely! Even if the root canal is done perfectly, & a crown is placed immediately after finishing the root canal to seal the tooth & prevent bacteria getting inside the nerve space, an infection can still happen. However, it is worthy to note root canals are an excellent treatment to save the tooth, and are successful about 90% of the time.

Any age is fine, as long as the patient does not have a lot of bone loss around his/her teeth. Typically though, younger people such as yourself is the most common age.

No, only the enamel on your natural teeth can be whitened. We always tell our patient who want to whiten their teeth, & they have bonding on their front teeth, that most likely after the whitening, we will have to redo all the bonding in order to match those teeth to the new shade post whitening.

Veneers get cemented on with a very specialized colorless cement which bonds it to the tooth.

Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, 90% of the extractions we do are while the patient is awake. Putting someone to sleep is always a risk, so the less the better.

Hello,

Thank you for your question! Bacteria thrives in an acidic environment. Therefore, by keeping the Ph in your mouth neutral, you decrease the bacteria count. Now, in addition to that, proper oral hygiene, i.e., brushing, flossing, and effective mouth wash, will kill bacteria.

There are always cheaper alternatives, however, that might not always be a good thing, especially when it comes to one’s health & well being. There are companies now that straighten your teeth by mail. I, personally, am not a fan of this, I believe you should be monitored by a dentist periodically during your treatment.

In order to get whatever is stuck between your teeth out, you need to floss that area. If you wish to prevent this from happening again in the future, then I suggest removing the wisdom tooth.

This generally means that the hole at the end of the root where the nerve comes into the tooth from the bone was not completely sealed.

Another scenario, if you needed a crown and didn’t get it done after the root canal or at least a permanent filling in order to seal the tooth, then bacteria can get in and cause an infection, which will result in pain.

I would have the tooth retreated by an endodontist, a root canal specialist.

As long as the chip is not a 1/3 of the tooth or larger, you restore the tooth with a composite bonding. The color will be matched to your natural teeth, and it will look very natural. This procedure is considered a filling. Be aware however, that this material will stain over the years, and probably after 5-7 years you will need to redo the filling.

Kind regards,
Dr. Saad

In answer to your question, clove oil is the most effective remedy for immediate pain relief of teeth. However, this is only short term relief. You still must address what is actually causing the pain & treat it.

A good example of the use of clove oil is in the movie “Marathon Man”, with Dustin HOFFMAN. If you have a chance, watch that movie & you will understand what I mean.

Kind regards,
Dr. Saad

Hello,

In answer to your question: Does the need for root canals increase with age?
Absolutely not! There are 2 reasons why a person would require root canal therapy. The first, is due to trauma. Whether it is directly to the tooth, or due to habits such as grinding your teeth.
The second is due to decay, which means you get a cavity on a tooth, and it is not addressed, and it gets deeper and deeper, until it reaches the nerve, and the pain
begins. However, you never need to get a root canal simply because you are getting older. There is a situation, due to extreme aging, where the canal in the root of a tooth can calcify completely. In this case, only in an infection would we consider doing a root canal. Usually, this happens in people above 80.

Kind regards,
Nadim E. Saad, DMD

Hello,

Calcium most definitely has an effect on teeth. Your teeth, or more specifically your enamel.

Yes porcelain veneers or crowns are a permanent solution. Please call my office for a consult to tell you your options.

Hello,


I first must apologize for my late reply to your question, but I have been sick for the past couple of days.


Now, on to your question. There are two types of bone in your jaw. The first type is called cancellous bone. This is the type

of bone that makes up your jaw and is never lost. The second type of bone is called alveolar bone, and the sole function of

this type of bone is to hold in your teeth. Once you lose your teeth you also lose your alveolar bone. This is the type of bone

that is affected when we talk about periodontal disease, or what is also referred to as bone loss.


There are many factors that can cause bone loss, getting older is definitely one of them, as well as certain diseases such as

diabetes, which you stated you had. However, the number one reason for bone loss is attributed to either poor or improper

oral hygiene. This will lead to the accumulation of plaque which is colonies of bacteria, and if left long enough will become

hard and bond to the teeth and gums, and this is known as tarter. If left on the teeth or gums, these colonies of bacteria

will begin to eat away at the alveolar bone, and in advanced cases can lead to tooth loss.


General bone loss is irreversible, however by doing a general cleaning followed by a deep cleaning at the next visit, which is

when the patient is anesthisized, in order that we may go underneath the gums as far as possible with our instruments and clean

out all the tarter that has built up underneath the gums. The patient must then be instructed on proper oral hygiene to be done at home.

The patient must also be aware that unless he does his part at home, what the doctor does in the office will not be successful.

The last phase of treatment should be that the patient returns at least every 3-4 months for a regular cleaning, so that the plaque and

tarter is continually removed before it can do damage.


I hope I have helped.


Kind regards,

Dr. Saad

Hi,
In answer to your question, periodontal disease in part is hereditary. However, it can be overcome by proper oral hygiene.

Now, I don't know how advanced your periodontal disease is, or what your age is, or the condition of your mouth, but I can tell you that you need to brush correctly a minimum of twice a day, you need to floss, not once a day, but after every meal, and you need to use an affective mouth wash. You also need to come in at least 3 times a year for a regular dental cleaning if you have been diagnosed with gum disease, and initially you will need a deep cleaning, which
is a very thorough cleaning generally done under local anesthesia.

Lastly, there are dental factors that can make you more likely to get gum disease. For example if you have teeth crowding, that makes it more difficult for you to floss & keep the gums healthy. Another factor would be if you have your wisdom teeth, and they are in. That is a perfect place for bacteria to hide & breed, and almost an impossible place for you to keep clean. Gum disease can thrive in a place like that.

I hope I have been helpful. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Dr. Saad