General Dental Frequently Asked Questions

My bonded retainer broke.

Hi, I've a brief question regarding retainers. I had my braces removed at age 16. They were used to treat my prognathism (my lower teeth were in front of upper ones; I'm not sure about the terminology) . Ever since, I was told to wear an upper jaw...

Can someone please tell me if I need to get my tooth removed?

About 5 years ago, I got my baby tooth pulled. My dentist told me that the roots of the adult tooth underneath were dead. So obviously the tooth wouldn't grow. I've had a gap there for the last 5 years because I've been too scared to get a...

Brushing so as to avoid further gum recession

Hello. I'm a 58 year old male with receding gums. I floss, chew Xylitol gum, have regular cleanings and always use a "boil and bite" mouth guard when sleeping. In order to avoid contributing to further recession I use an electric toothbrush with a...

Enlarged taste buds and burned tongue feeling

Help! I've had probably four different flare ups the past year, where my taste buds are swollen, raised, and white; my tongue feels like I burned it. Thrush has been ruled out, and the dentist doesn't believe my Invisalign is causing it. I'm not...

jaw and teeth pain after digital x-rays

Hello, on march 12th, 2015 I had digital x-rays taken using a sensor and digital aiming ring.This was new to me, as my previous digitals did not use the aiming ring. When the hygenist put the sensor(with aiming ring and arm) inside the right side...

Tongue piercing

I got my tongue pierced on the 31st of March (yesterday) and I am getting braces on the 8th of May! i have heard that it can effect your teeth and braces but I am always going to have a plastic barbell, will my orthodontist still put my braces on?

What should i do about a tiny sharp protrusion?

My 17 year old son has a very small, sharp protrusion from his gums where his tooth meets his gums. It is in the top front of his mouth. He has had no major dental work on his teeth except for having his wisdom teeth removed 6 months ago. No work...

Was the xcp-ds tool properly sterilized?

I recently visited a dentist and had to get an x-ray, the instruments they put in your mouth to bite on I believe it is called "xcp-ds" seems to have not been properly sterilized. I say this because after I was done, she just took it out of my mouth...

How will teeth brushing change in the next 10 years?

I'm a high school student and I'm writing an essay and creating a presentation on the future trends of tooth brushing. I have found that manual toothbrushes are being replaced by more modern, technology-driven devices. I have concluded that teeth...

Pain in gums at back of mouth

I have a lot of pain in my gums on the lower left side of my mouth, the pain is right at the back behind the last tooth. It has lasted for about 2 weeks now. The pain is not wisdom tooth related as I have had all 4 of them removed about 13 years...

Trismus root canal

I have an ongoing root canal treatment which started 2 weeks back. After my second sitting, there was terrible pain on the left side of myjaw opening. My family doc, whom i consulted over the phone said that it is a case of trismus and asked to have...

General Dental Questions