Dr. Frank Dentremont, DMD

Yellow teeth while psychologically distracting are otherwise a natural function of maturity. With age, the teeth naturally darken. Whitening teeth with bleaching gels can be of value in lightening up teeth by several shades. All modern bleaching gels contain an organic form of peroxide gel. They vary according to their percentage. As you can imagine, a greater strength of peroxide gel will be more potentially caustic to the teeth and gums. In my experience, gels over 20% will often cause a burning sensation to the gums and cause tooth sensitivity for a time. I say "often" because some people don't seem to get significant burning or sensitivity. My best advice here is to seek out a lower percentage organic bleach (my office uses 14% bleach) and see if it gives you a result you can be happy with. If not, then opt to try a higher percentage bleach. I've seen bleaches as high as 35% on the market.

If it's a molar on the back I would go to the store and purchase a product which contains a temporary dental material which when mixed together initially has the texture of "plumber's putty". It hardens in minutes and has clove oil to sooth tooth nerves.

Absolutely not with traditional dental floss. We do see spaces develop over time when toothpicks are used due to their chronic abrasion against the teeth as the wood scrapes against the enamel.

The newest acronym for what we call "TMJ" is TMJDS, or "Tempero Mandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome." This more correctly identifies the disorder as a feature of not just the jaw but the muscles and nerves adjoining it. It is said that over 85% of "TMJ" is muscular dysfunction and I have found that to be clinically correct. If the dysfunction occurs early in life then the joint can indeed be slowly damaged. Joint damage is diagnosed with 3D Tomography nowadays and Nuclear medicine. Muscle diagnosis can be confirmed and treated by needling or injectables such as lidocaine or Botox.

All root canal procedures are performed to remove the various biological components of the inside of a tooth: venule, arteriole, nerve, connective tissue, etc - all the things you learned in high school biology. As such, a local anesthetic - ie. "novacaine" - is practically mandatory. We have powerful local anesthetics that can successfully relieve or prevent any pain you may possibly experience during the root canal procedure. If a dentist doesn't offer anesthesia for a root canal procedure, decline the treatment.

Dentures can feel loose for several primary reasons. Keep in mind that if the dentures originally fit well, then the fit against the gums has probably not changed and your body is at fault:

A. Have you gained or lost body weight of more than 10%? Weight loss or gain will change the soft tissue fit of your denture.

B. Are you taking any new medications? Certain medications will cause your mouth to dry out. A dry mouth tends to prevent your dentures from getting the proper suction it needs from salivary fluids.

C. Your bite. Even a good-fitting denture will eventually wear down much like the soles of your favorite sneaker. If and when the bite of your denture teeth starts to wear, it changes how
your jaws mash together and in changing your bite it often causes the teeth to become looser.

D. Your Jawbones. The day you lost your teeth your jaw bones started to change. The jaws exist SOLELY to hold the teeth. When they are gone, your jaws just naturally shrink. And their shrinkage means that your teeth will loosen.

You should see your dentist for options for improving your existing denture or replacing them. Remember, Insurance companies.... the barometer for the lifespan of your dentures... will
pay to replace them every FIVE (5) years. So, get them checked out.