Carla H. Schlissel

Sure. Why not? It's toothpaste, with a flavoring agent for breath, and the worst it will do is prevent any possible future sensitivity. And, if you consider lightening your teeth, it'll prevent them from becoming sensitive.

They do. All fillings weaken teeth, whether they are silver amalgam or white "bonded" composites. It's not so much the filling that weakens the tooth, however. To be very basic about it, I will assume you are referring to teeth with cavities that then get fillings placed. So the first thing that starts to weaken the tooth is the cavity that starts "eating away" at the tooth. The dentist has to remove all of the cavity, or carious bacteria, to stop it from getting bigger. He or she then drills away the infected part of the tooth, thus weakening it more. Depending on how long this cavity has been in the tooth and how large it has gotten, the dentist may have to drill a lot of the tooth away. Finally a filling is placed. Silver amalgam doesn't "bond" to the tooth; it, sort-of, is just wedged into the space that has been created. The white composite fillings are "bonded' - almost like being glued to the tooth. But, while this is better than the amalgam, it's bond is not as strong as the intact natural tooth, either. That is why it's better not to get any cavities in the first place. Keep your teeth really clean - brush them twice a day, preferably with a battery-operated or electric or sonic toothbrush, floss nightly to remove all the food and plaque from between your teeth, rinse your mouth out with water after eating.

I would suggest something like Polident for Partials. Follow the instructions given. It's quick and easy. Do not use bleach, ever, because it can pit and damage the metal on your partial.

For me, it is often an upper wisdom tooth. However, it depends on how dense the bone is; how long the roots are; whether the roots are bent or straight, tapered or bulb-shaped; whether the tooth is most intact or severely broken down. I am a general dentist. The dentist has to know their abilities and not be afraid, or too egotistical, to refer to an oral surgeon.

This depends on how deep your pockets are around the teeth and how you respond to the deep cleaning. Did your pockets shrink back to within normal limits? Are they now 3 mm or less? Are you keeping up your end of your home care? Are you getting all of the plaque off around the gumline? Are you flossing or using interdental cleaning brushes to keep the plaque off between the teeth? Are you using a WaterPik or WaterFlosser with an anti-bacterial rinse in it? Assuming you have some degree of gum problem, and assuming you're not doing as meticulous a job of home care as is needed, I would assume your dentist would want you in every three months for a scaling and root planing, aka a "deep cleaning."

Generally, we tell patients to take their dentures out at night. This allows your gums to "breathe" and prevents you from traumatizing them at night if you tend to clench or grind. (Most patients will say, "I don't do that," but most people don't know unless someone else tells them they do.) At the very least, if you do sleep with them in, then leave your dentures out for several hours a day.

I assume you mean an orthodontic retainer. I haven't heard of anyone having pain from a retainer placed after they're done with braces. Speak with your orthodontist.

It depends on the type of implant placed and who placed it. It also depends on your body. Some dentists prefer to wait 3 months. Others prefer to wait 4 months. Either way, they should "torque-test" the implant to be sure it has integrated, that it's "become one with the body."

It depends on the type of dentures you're getting. If you are getting an immediate denture, that means the teeth are removed on the same day you get your denture. That sounds wonderful. BUT, usually the back teeth are removed and you wait 8-16 weeks BEFORE even starting to make the denture to allow the bone to heal and shrink back a bit. Normally, only front teeth may be kept while making an immediate denture for esthetics reasons. The alternative is to take out whatever is coming out and allowing you to heal, again for 8-16 weeks, and then start making the dentures. Whichever you do, good luck.

Most of the time. There are different materials used, some are more opaque than others. Most dentists try to match the color of your teeth when making crowns. What I've found sometimes is that the patients teeth are actually gray, so in those instances I try to come as close as possible. Also, some patients bleach their teeth to the point that their teeth become translucent and reflect the dark from inside their mouths. That is a very difficult situation to try to match.

I don't know. As far as I can figure, it needs time. Check with whoever did the graft.

It's possible. It depends on the symptoms you're having and the cause of those symptoms. I don't know what your symptoms are or why you think the wisdom tooth is infected. Did you get something stuck under the gums there? Then you need it cleaned out and not antibiotics. Did you stab yourself with something? Then you may need warm salt water rinsing and not antibiotics. Do you have a huge cavity that goes into the nerve? Then you probably need antibiotics and an extraction. Your best bet is to see a dentist.

Braces make keeping your teeth and gums clean and healthy more challenging. If you do not brush adequately you will end up with white rectangles on the fronts of your teeth. These are areas of decalcifications - where the teeth have started to weaken. Invariably, they become cavities later on. So you need to bush above the wire, which most people do, but then brush below the wire, at your gumline. If you do not floss, you can expect your gums to overgrow, and you may develop cavities between your teeth. There are flossers on the market called Platypus Flossers. They make flossing fairly easy with braces. Please use them. Also, have your orthodontist assistant show you how best to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy. Don't let them just tell you, but rather demonstrate it for you.

To prepare for braces, first, see your general dentist and have a checkup and cleaning. Be sure there are no cavities lurking about and be shown how to keep your teeth clean. Get in the habit now of doing a good, thorough job of brushing and flossing. Get a bag of Platypus flossers so you can floss your teeth with braces on. Review oral hygiene instructions with your orthodontist. Good luck.

On average, conventional braces take about 2 years. This all depends, however, on how crowded your teeth are, the type of braces you will have, how cooperative a patient you are, among other things. Braces can be on for less time, or more. Your best bet is to consult, not your friends but, an orthodontist.

Little children like to copy their parents, so congratulations on setting such a good example. Children generally don't have the coordination to do a good job of brushing on their own until they're about 5 years old, so until then, let her brush her teeth, but "then mommy or daddy has to double check" - and then brush her teeth for her. Just to be sure.

I will assume you had a root canal done. Sometimes they fail (5% of the time). The reason to look at is why. Sometimes there's an extra canal that was, for whatever reason, was missed. Sometimes, there's a connection to the gums that needs to be dealt with. And occasionally, it just fails. You need to go back to the treating dentist.

Of course, baby teeth can develop cavities, just like adult teeth. Unfortunately, babies are totally cute and adorable and we adults can't help but kiss them. And, therefore, we pass our bacteria on to them. Even worse is when a pacifier drops on the floor and the parent licks off the dirt. The parents' bacteria is now on the pacifier and is passed directly into the baby's waiting mouth. So, if the parent is prone to cavities, now so is the baby. To cut down on the cavities, any time a baby is fed anything, wipe off the gums and teeth with a fingertip or baby toothbrush or washcloth. Do not put the baby to sleep with anything other than water. And if the baby develops a cavity, take the child to your dentist or a children's dentist (pedodontist).

Poor oral hygiene often leads to periodontal disease. The bacteria from this disease can easily find their way into your blood stream and cause more than just respiratory problems. It can lead to or worsen heart problems, make it more difficult to maintain glucose control in diabetics, cause neo-natal problems for pregnant women. Not a pretty picture. You should be brushing twice a day and flossing every night. Some people build up plaque more quickly and may need to brush 3 times a day.

It's possible that you might have developed what is called a "dry socket." Or perhaps muscle fibers were moved during the extraction. I'd suggest you go back to your oral surgeon, or whoever took out the tooth, and check with them.