Dental FAQs

Buy toothbrushes with soft bristles. Medium and firm ones can damage teeth and gums. Use soft pressure, for 2 minutes, two times a day.

Both powered and manual toothbrushes clean teeth well. Manual brushes with mixed bristle heights or angled bristles clean better than those with all flat, even bristles. Powered toothbrushes may be easier if you have trouble using your hands.

Set a reminder to replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months. Toss it sooner if the bristles look bent or splayed out. Bent bristles don't clean as well. (They're also a sign you may be brushing too hard)

If cold or hot food or drinks make you cringe, pick a toothpaste for sensitive teeth and let your dentist know.

There's no getting around the need to get around your teeth daily with dental floss. It clears food and plaque from between teeth and under the gumline. If you don't, plaque hardens into tartar, which forms wedges and widens the space between teeth and gums, causing pockets. Over time, gums pull away and teeth loosen.

Either waxed or unwaxed floss will do the job. Using floss picks or interdental brushes is another easy option.

Mouthwashes for cavity protection, sensitivity, and fresh breath may help when you use them with regular brushing and flossing -- but not instead of daily cleanings. Your dentist can recommend the best type for you.

Some people need twice-daily rinses for gum health or alcohol-free washes for dry mouth.

Kids under 6 shouldn't use mouthwash to avoid the chance of them swallowing it.

Visit a dentist if you have any of these issues or see your child having trouble chewing or complaining of soreness:

• Mouth sores
• Jaw pain
• Redness
• Swollen face or gums
• Tooth sensitivity
• Broken teeth
• Dry mouth
• Bleeding gums
• Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth

Getting checked out right away prevents more serious problems.

Medical and dental experts study the use of X-rays and set limits for their safety. Your dentist should take as few as possible.

Expect to get them during a first exam after not seeing a dentist for a while. This helps check tooth and gum health. If you have gum disease, the dentist may want pictures every 6 months. For regular check-ups, it's about every 2 years, depending on your dentist's plan.

Kids have more X-rays done than adults because their teeth are changing and because they get cavities more easily.

Fluoride helps make teeth strong and prevents decay. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Dental Association (ADA), and the CDC all agree that kids should use fluoride toothpaste for brushing, taking care not to swallow it.

Adults benefit from using fluoride to protect their teeth, too.

Cavities break through the surface enamel of teeth, and they'll probably get bigger unless you close them off with fillings.

Your dentist will numb your mouth before drilling around the cavity to prep it. A combination of strong materials or a white mix called a composite goes into the cavity soft and then hardens as it dries. You may feel pain or pressure when getting the numbing shot and during the drilling.

Once set, fillings can last a long time but need replacing if they break or wear down.

Yes, sweets and foods with acid, like candy and soda, could stick to teeth and lead to cavities. Smoking and chewing tobacco can cause oral cancer and gum disease.

While teeth are strong enough to chew ice and tear open packages, this can break them and stress your jaws. Gritting or grinding down on teeth when you're stressed may crack them.

Biting your nails is another bad habit. It pulls your jaw out of position and changes how your teeth fit together.

A dead tooth can be painful and change color.

A tooth has three layers - enamel, dentin, and pulp. The pulp contains the blood vessels and nerves.

Dead or dying nerves in the pulp can lead to a dead tooth. A dead tooth will also no longer have any blood flow to it.

A dead nerve in a tooth is sometimes referred to as a necrotic pulp or a pulpless tooth.

Once this happens, the tooth will eventually fall out by itself. However, it can be dangerous to wait for this to occur, as the tooth can become infected and affect the jaw and other teeth.

The dentist may notice an impacted wisdom tooth during a checkup.

The human mouth normally does not have room for 32 teeth, which includes the four wisdom teeth, so if wisdom teeth do come through, they may cause crowding, infections, ear pain, and swelling.

Wisdom teeth that do not have enough room to grow properly are known as impacted wisdom teeth. They do not fully erupt into the mouth.

As a result, they can grow in the wrong direction, coming out sideways, at a wrong angle, or only partially. This can affect nearby teeth.

There may be pain, and the other teeth may become damaged.

Even if no apparent damage occurs, the teeth can become more susceptible to disease. If a tooth remains just under the gum, known as tissue impacted, bacteria can collect. This can lead to infection.

For many people, wisdom teeth will eventually grow and settle down, and they will not need to be extracted as long as the person practices good oral hygiene.

However, wisdom teeth may need removing if:

• There is pain, swelling, pressure, and discomfort
• If it is clear that the teeth will not have room to grow or that they will cause damage to nearby teeth
• The teeth are partially erupted and decayed, which makes them harder to reach for cleaning

Dental implants are the ideal way to replace missing or weakened teeth. Most adult patients are good candidates for implants because they can help to prevent the remaining teeth from moving or loosening as a result. Implants are permanent and serve as a good alternative to dentures for anyone with an otherwise healthy mouth and jaw

Studies show children can develop their first cavities by two years old, so the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends booking the first visit once their first tooth erupts – or, at the latest, their first birthday. This helps your dentist catch potential problems that can affect the child's overall health and well-being as more teeth erupt over time.

Most children begin losing their baby teeth between the ages of six and eight, and they typically fall out in roughly the same order in which they erupted. Keep in mind that all patients are different. Children's and adult's oral condition depends on how long they've gone without an appointment, how long your kids' baby teeth last and even some things to which you are naturally more sensitive. With these questions queued up, you'll never be in doubt as to the state of your mouth's health