A: It is necessary for the doctor to review your health history and medical well being prior to giving you medication to put you to sedate your.  There are also insurance and financial questions that must be answer prior to your surgery. Each case is very different, from your health, the placement of your teeth, your anxiety level, your insurance coverage and the instruction you need to have prior to different types of surgery.  Because of this, we have to talk with you before we can devise a comprehensive plan for your specific case.

A: This can vary by patient as well as the type and severity of the treatment or surgery that you have had.  Generally for most dental extractions you should be back to normal activity within 3-4 days, although you may still have pain and swelling for up to a week or so.  If you have been given narcotic pain medication to take after surgery, we will usually ask that after 2-3 days you switch to an over the counter pain medication that is also an anti-inflammatory like Advil, Motrin or Aleve.  If you are unable to take these you may treat your post-operative pain with Tylenol. 

A: Most dental pain stems from infection that may or may not be visible when you look into your mouth.  Often it can be seen only on an x-ray.  Narcotic pain medication may make it feel better, but our fear is that it will mask the real problem which is a dental infection.  Treating the dental infection will normally make it feel better.  This is why we often choose not to use a pain medication, but to treat the infection with antibiotics instead.  The other problem is that narcotic pain medication is highly addictive and therefore we choose not to use it for any longer than necessary to keep a patient comfortable after an invasive dental procedure.

A: If you get sick after surgery, the first thing we will ask you to do is stop taking all medications and go back to a clear liquid diet until you no longer feel sick to your stomach.  Then begin re-introducing cold foods as you did immediately after surgery.  Once you feel better, try taking your pain medication again when you have some sort of food in your stomach.  Usually another slow re-introduction of pain medication will help you to better tolerate it.  If you still are sick, please contact our office for further instructions.

A: We ask that the day you have surgery you restrict your diet to cold or cool foods.  This will keep your bleeding to a minimum.  Once your bleeding has slowed or stopped, you may have lukewarm foods.  Anything hot will increase bleeding and slow your recovery.  After the bleeding has stopped, you can let your comfort level be your guide to what you can eat.  We do suggest you avoid things like popcorn and peanuts for several days after to avoid anything becoming lodged in the extraction site. 

A:

With many state-of-the-art dental treatments and prevention options available in dentistry today, there are fewer reasons for having to extract (remove) teeth.  When something does go wrong with a tooth, we try to do everything possible to restore the tooth to its original function.  Removing a tooth is the last option because we know that removal may lead to severe and costly dental and cosmetic problems if the tooth is not replaced.

Losing a tooth can be a very traumatic experience and it’s very unfortunate when it does happen.  Injury, accident, fracture, severe dental decay, and gum disease are the major reasons for having to remove a tooth.  If teeth are lost due to injury or have to be removed, it is imperative that they be replaced to avoid cosmetic and dental problems in the future.

When a tooth is lost, the jaw bone that helped support that tooth begins to atrophy, causing the teeth on either side to shift or tip into the open space of the lost tooth.  Also, the tooth above or below the open space will start to move towards the open space because there is no opposing tooth to bite on.  These movements may create problems such as decay, gum disease, excessive wear on certain teeth, and TMJ (jaw joint) problems.  These problems and movements do not result immediately, but will eventually appear, compromising your chewing abilities, the health of your bite, and the beauty of your smile.

Options for replacement of missing teeth:

Removable bridges - This type of bridge is a good solution for replacing one or more missing teeth, especially in complex dental situations where other replacement options are not possible. They are usually made of tooth-colored, artificial teeth combined with metal clasps that hook onto adjacent natural teeth. Removable bridges are the most economical option for replacing missing teeth but might be the least aesthetically pleasing. This is because the metal clasps on the appliances are often impossible to completely conceal.

Fixed bridges - This type of bridge is generally made of porcelain or composite material and is permanently anchored (cemented) to a natural tooth adjacent to the missing tooth site.  The benefit of this type of bridge is that it is fixed (not removable), and it is very sturdy.  The disadvantage is that in order to create a fixed appliance, two healthy, natural teeth will have to be crowned (capped) to hold the bridge in place.

Dentures - This type of tooth replacement is used when most or all of the natural teeth are missing in one dental arch. Dentures are removable artificial teeth that are made to closely resemble the patient’s original teeth.  

Implants - Are a great way to replace one or more missing teeth. They can also provide great support for ill-fitting dentures.  A dental implant is an artificial root that is surgically placed into the jaw bone to replace a missing tooth. An artificial tooth is placed on the implant, giving the appearance and feel of a natural tooth. Implants are very stable, durable, and are the most aesthetically pleasing tooth replacement option.

If you are missing teeth, ask us if they need replacement and what options are available to you. Together we will select the best replacement option for your particular case. Prevention and early treatment are always less involved and less costly than delaying treatment and allowing a serious problem to develop.